Open Horizons – Uxinzelelo by BreeH Cele (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa) 2024
JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Festival Welcomes Live, Digital, and Youth Dance Submissions
The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts has announced that applications are now open for the 2025 JOMBA! OPEN HORIZONS Platforms, three distinct performance opportunities for dance-makers at the 27th annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience, taking place from 26 August to 7 September 2025 in Durban.
These platforms have become an important part of JOMBA!’s commitment to encourage innovation, access, and diversity in African contemporary dance. They offer space for both emerging and established dance-makers across live performance, screen-based dance work, and youth performance.
The LIVE OPEN HORIZONS platform, hosted at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre is a curated showcase for choreographers aged 16 and older to submit short live works (6–8 minutes) for a professionally supported stage presentation at the Festival. Six works will be selected by an independent jury, with one choreographer receiving a R2,000 “Pick of the Platform” award on the night of performance.
JOMBA! continues its groundbreaking commitment to screen dance through the DIGITAL OPEN HORIZONS platform inviting artists to submit 3–8-minute screen dance works that will be curated and streamed on the JOMBA! YouTube Channel during the festival. A jury will select 8–10 films with one exceptional work receiving a R3,000 jury prize.
Youth Open Horizons – Manesh Maharaj’s Kala Darshan with Saraswathi Sthuthi (Chatsworth) 2024
The much-loved YOUTH OPEN HORIZONS, will take place at the Stable Theatre in Durban. Designed as a non-competitive celebration, this platform invites dancers under the age of 16—across all dance styles—to take part in a day of shared performance, learning, and community connection. From pantsula and Zulu traditional dance to hip-hop, ballet, contemporary and more, this is a space to honour the next generation of dancers. The festival has capacity for 12 groups.
“The OPEN HORIZONS platforms remain central to our vision to provide creative inclusion and artistic risk-taking. These are not just showcases; they are vital incubators for the voices, visions, and movement languages that will shape the future of dance,” says Artistic Director of JOMBA!, Lliane Loots.
Entry forms for all three platforms:
2025 JOMBA! Live Open Horizons application link (closes on 27 June 2025):
2025 JOMBA! Digital Open Horizons application link (closes on 4 July 2025):