The award-winning Unmute Dance Theatre has been reshaping the South African cultural landscape through bold, inclusive and deeply human-centred performances that challenge perceptions around disability, identity and artistic expression.
For more than a decade, the company has pursued this mission through its passionate commitment to nurturing the next generation of inclusive artists through its full-time education and training programme.
At the heart of Unmute’s work is a simple but powerful belief that disability is not a limitation, but a source of creativity, innovation and strength. Through dance, movement and storytelling, the company has created a space where young people with and without disabilities are empowered to discover their voices, develop professionally and reimagine what is possible for themselves and their communities.
Beyond the accolades and global recognition lies a deeply personal commitment to education and transformation. Unmute’s three-year, full-time education programme integrates disability and the arts through a carefully developed curriculum that combines practical dance training with theoretical and conceptual learning. The programme includes African Contemporary Dance, Sign-Dance, choreography, dance theory and creative conceptualisation, while placing equal emphasis on critical thinking, collaboration and personal development.
Grounded in a pedagogy of care, the programme is intentionally designed to meet diverse learning needs through multilingual teaching, embodied learning practices and inclusive facilitation methods. Participants are taught by experienced practitioners with and without disabilities, creating an environment where accessibility is not treated as an afterthought, but as the professional standard.
Current trainees come from communities across Cape Town, including Athlone, Mfuleni, Langa, Bonteheuwel, Retreat, Diep River and Rondebosch, reflecting the programme’s commitment to inclusion across race, class, geography and lived experience.
Founder and Director Nadine McKenzie says the programme is about far more than dance: “At Unmute, we are not simply training dancers; we are nurturing human beings, building confidence, creating belonging and opening doors that many young people never imagined possible.”
“Every artist deserves to be seen, heard and valued. When young people with and without disabilities learn, create and move together, we begin to build a society that is more compassionate, more equal and more connected.”
As the company continues to grow its educational and artistic footprint, Unmute remains committed to amplifying voices that have too often been overlooked and ensuring that future generations of artists can thrive in spaces where difference is celebrated, not silenced. For information, visit their official website www.unmutedancetheatre.co.za or reach out on e-mail at info@unmutedancetheatre.co.za or phone 021 410 9872.
