Soweto Theatre to honour 40 South African art legends with stars

As a way of paying homage to artistic greatness, the landmark Hollywood Walk of Fame stars are embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard in the US.

To celebrate South African artistic legends, the Soweto Theatre will embed stars with the names of 40 selected icons on the walls of its theatre.

“By embedding these 40 stars in the walls of Soweto Theatre, we not only recognise their immense contributions to the arts but also highlight the vital importance of creativity in our society,” said General Manager at The Soweto Theatre, Vincent Motau.

“The arts have the power to inspire, connect, and transform,” he said.

The Legends of Soweto in the City of Gold will be held on September 29 where the selected icons will be revealed.

Only one of the 40 icons’ names was revealed; the passing of Connie Chiume forced the theatre’s hand in revealing her as one of the inductees.

“What we’re doing on the 29th of September is something we’ve been communicating with sis’Connie for the last nine months,” Artistic Director of Joburg City Theatres James Ngcobo told The Citizen.

Chiume, who was affectionately known as Mam’ Connie, passed away nearly a month ago at the age of 72, at Garden City Hospital.

“Her passing just came on the eve of us honouring her with this star,” Ngcobo averred.

ALSO READ: ‘Her passing came on the eve of us honouring her with this star’: Soweto Theatre on Connie Chiume

City’s cultural renaissance

The Legends of Soweto in the City of Gold celebration extends to the tradition of honouring artistic excellence in the City of Joburg, introduced during Joburg Theatre’s 60th anniversary under the theme of ‘Connecting Stars in the City of Gold’ in 2022.

“The significance of the star is that it celebrates excellent contributions to the arts. It’s given to people who’ve made a change in the industry. When you start mentioning their name people go ‘Wow, she did this and that’,” said Ngcobo.

CEO of Joburg City Theatres Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema said this is more than just a mere tribute to local artists.

“It is a strategic milestone for Joburg City Theatres’ (JCT) and the broader creative sector,” she said.

“Honouring these exceptional individuals solidifies JCT’s commitment to nurturing and promoting local talent, positioning Soweto Theatre as a key player in the city’s cultural renaissance,” said Nduneni-Ngema.

NOW READ: Connie Chiume passed away as she was beginning to reap the rewards of an illustrious career