Madré Loubser (Cape Town Opera)
Abstract:
The Cape Town Opera Youth Development and Education (YDE) department is the company’s flagship music education programme. We address the lack of equitable music pedagogy for learners in marginalised, township and rural South African communities. The programme uses opera, classical singing and musical theatre to provide learners with access to performing arts, addressing current social challenges and exposing them to the recognized classical music repertoire. Their involvement in interpreting live musical performances addresses numerous academic, cognitive, social and intellectual challenges. Beneficiaries participate in the programme regardless of race, ethnicity, age, disability or socioeconomic circumstance.
This programme arose from the desperate need for music education and theatre skills development not widely available in South Africa. The vital importance of this programme can be seen not only through its cultural significance but also through the genuine interest and eager participation expressed by learners. In this keynote, Madré Loubser presents Cape Town Opera’s holistic approach towards music theatre education and shares strategies of providing access to and facilitating a deeper understanding of music theatre and the arts industry for young learners from various economic and social backgrounds.
About the #BAJMT Spotlight Series:
In this online series, the #BAJMT (Federal Academy for Young Music Theatre) presents professionals from all over the world who share their expertise on conceptual, institutional and artistic approaches to music theatre for and with young people. The featured projects, institutions, and outreach programs serve as inspirational examples, providing new insights into the field of young music theatre from different local and cultural perspectives.
On a weekly basis, our Spotlight Series features presentations and invites discussion on the following aims and challenges:
The invited experts are involved in artistic practice, music theatre education and outreach from a wide array of backgrounds, ranging from institutions to the independent scene and featuring permanent as well as temporary programs and projects.
Here are our dates and experts at one glance:
June 7, 7 p.m.: Barbara Minghetti (Teatro Sociale di Como) – Opera Without Borders
June 14, 7 p.m.: Ann-Kristin Sofroniou & Michalis Moschoutis (Greek National Opera) – CoOPERAtive: An Intercultural and Collaborative Opera Hub for Young People
June 21, 7 p.m.: Madré Loubser (Cape Town Opera) – The Route of the Solution: Towards Equitable Music Theatre Education
July 5, 7 p.m.: Regina Lux-Hahn (Kinderopernhaus Berlin) – Decentralised Music Theatre Education Within Institutional Frameworks
Zielgruppe/Target Group:
Personen mit beruflichem und persönlichen Interesse an Gedanken- und Wissensaustausch zu Musiktheater und seiner Vermittlung
People with a professional and personal interest in the exchange of ideas and knowledge about music theater and its mediation
Kostenbeitrag/Fee:
Die Teilnahme ist kostenfrei
Participation is free of charge
Zusatzinformationen/Further Information:
Die Online-Serie wird in englischer Sprache durchgeführt.
Der Workshop findet online statt. Es wird das Programm »Zoom« verwendet. Wir empfehlen, dass die Teilnehmer*innen das Programm vor Kursbeginn installieren und testen. www.zoom.us/test
The online series will be held in English.
The workshop takes place online, zoom will be used. We recommend that participants install and test the program before the course begins. www.zoom.us/test
Ansprechpartner*in/Contact:
jonas.wolf@musikkultur-rheinsberg.de
Madré Loubser is a multi-talented professional flautist, educator, music librarian and arts manager. Loubser holds a Bachelor of Music and Performance Diploma in Music from Stellenbosch University. Currently, her professional focus, as Head of Youth Development and Education at Cape Town Opera, is on developing music education projects in primary and secondary schools. In addition, she is a private flute teacher, ad-hoc flautist and freelance orchestral music librarian for various productions in and around Cape Town. She has also chaired and served various cultural councils and boards in South Africa.
Well versed in classical music, opera, and select African vocal repertoire, she has worked as a Music Administrator and regularly acts as Company Manager for Cape Town Opera’s national and international tours.
In 2020, Madré was a recipient of the Mail & Guardian’s Young200 South Africans Award for her exceptional work in arts education and was appointed a Distinguished Fellow of the Jakes Gerwel Fellowship, in partnership with the Mail & Guardian, in May 2021. This opportunity enables her to amplify her voice in the performing arts education space, through events, podcasts and written op-eds.
In 2022, Madré was the recipient of two prestigious awards, based on her work as Head of Cape Town Opera’s Youth Development and Education Department: from the Western Cape Government Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport for After School Arts and Culture Coaching Excellence and from the International Opera Awards for Equal Opportunities and Impact.
