The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative (FATC), founded in 1995, is one of South Africa’s leading dance organisations. In its 25-year history FATC has collaborated with performers, choreographers, educators and theatre practitioners to present top quality dance, theatre and training programmes at a national and international level.
Since inception, FATC has been dedicated to the creation of innovative and provocative South African dance theatre. Under the Artistic Directorship of founder, PJ Sabbagha, FATC has produced a prolific body of work dedicated to the probing of critical personal and social issues. In this way the organisation has emerged as a leading voice within a new wave of South African ‘protest’ or ‘issue-based’ dance theatre. Through its work in the late 1990s and early 2000s FATC was acknowledged as South Africa’s leading contemporary dance company in addressing the overwhelming presence of HIV / AIDS in South African society. The current Artistic Programme of the organisation continues this commitment to interrogating contemporary personal, social and environmental issues.
FATC has collaborated with renowned South African and international dance and theatre artists, its Artistic Programme has enjoyed a busy national touring schedule and has gained a significant international footprint with projects, performances and residencies in Russia, Holland, Mexico, Tanzania, Mali, Madagascar, Mozambique, Reunion Island, France, Taiwan, Sweden and Germany. Furthermore, individuals who were nurtured during their time as FATC company members are now enjoying growing international performance opportunities and careers.
In 2015 FATC relocated its operations to the rural area of Emakhazeni, Mpumalanga, and established the Ebhudlweni Arts Centre. With this move FATC has been able to deliver on its main objective to facilitate, develop and advance the role of South African artists, arts organizations, NGOs and Community Based Organizations as progressive and dynamic agents of personal development and societal transformation. Since then FATC has successfully implemented an extensive Artistic and Arts Education Programme that serves its immediate rural community – a hugely under-resourced and under-served rural community – as well as the regional, provincial, national and international dance and arts and culture community. Over the past five years (from its new rural home), through this robust and comprehensive Arts Education Programme and a consistently ground-breaking Artistic Programme, FATC has served a range of beneficiaries – from local rural children, youths, women, and persons with disabilities to professional South African and international dance artists.
FATC is not only dedicated to the creation of innovative and provocative South African dance but also to the training and skills development of young and emerging dance performers, choreographers, educators and Arts and Culture administrators and Entrepreneurs.
