We are thrilled to announce that the winner of this year’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Prize is Sisanda Kubeka from Wits University, Theatre and Performance Department, for the project titled “Dreaming from the Margins of an Anti-Rage Society.”
The Royal Central Prize, which offers £500 to assist graduate students (MPhil or PhD) and independent scholars/artists in attending the PSi conference, recognizes exceptional proposals that delve into the domain of practice as both method and object of inquiry. Sisanda’s creative poetic presentation and performance eloquently explores the nuances of rage as a transformative force, particularly within the experiences of queer Black femmes in a society that often seeks to silence their voices.
In the work, Sisanda draws upon Valerie Kaur’s concept of “divine rage,” presenting it not as vengeance but as a means to reorder the world. Sisanda skillfully navigate the dream space to interrogate how rage manifests within the subconscious, ultimately inviting the audience to reflect on their own experiences of presence and the transformative potential of collective memory.
Additionally, Anastasia Leonova received a Runner Up recognition for her work titled “The Wartime Aesthetics of Ukrainian Art Press, ist Publishing.”
Congratulations to Sisanda Kubeka and Anastasia Leonova on this well-deserved recognition for their outstanding work!
Elvis Bendana Rivas