Housed within the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s award-winning Centre for Creative Arts, the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience is South Africa’s longest-running contemporary dance festival. It is one of the leading cultural events on the African continent, attracting choreographers, dancers, artists and audiences passionate about dance and performance to Durban each August and September. Alongside its live programme, JOMBA! also hosts a digital dance platform featuring open-call submissions and curated screen dance works during the festival.

In 2026, JOMBA! is excited to continue the JOMBA! Femme Forward Residency, an initiative focused on supporting young female-identifying dance artists interested in developing their screen dance practice. Having screened nearly 50 dance films over the past five years, JOMBA! remains committed to investing in the craft of dance filmmaking. Following the successful 2023 residency led by Mozambican artists Pak Ndjamena and Ivan Barros, this year’s six-day residency will be facilitated in partnership with Darkroom Contemporary Dance Theatre (Cape Town, South Africa).

The residency offers space for five female and female-identifying dancers aged 18–35 who have some dance training and a strong interest in developing skills in screen dance creation. The programme will focus on the fundamentals of dance filmmaking—from conceptualisation and filming to editing—with participants working toward the creation of a short screen dance film.

Hosted during the JOMBA! festival period, the residency will also include access to dance workshops led by visiting choreographers, sessions on professional practice and portfolio development, and opportunities to build networks within the local and international dance community. Residents will receive full access to the festival programme and opportunities to engage with visiting artists and companies.

The residency will take place 24 – 29 August 2026, with outcomes presented on the JOMBA! Forging Futures platform on Saturday 29 August 2026.