Port Elizabeth actress Nambitha Ben-Mazwi, whose talent has been seen on stages in New York and in many SA productions, is returning to her hometown to give a workshop on the business of the arts on February 22.
With Port Elizabeth a breeding ground for artistic talent, it is important to nurture and open doors for Bay artists, Ben-Mazwi said.
She said that knowledge of the business aspect of the entertainment industry was equally important, hence the workshop.
The workshop is the year's first instalment of Ben-Mazwi's #SheSpeaks series of talks, a women empowerment initiative she started in August.
However, the workshop is open to all genders.
"Yes, most of my followers are women and that's why I developed the #SheSpeaks concept but I have found that there are also a lot of men who are interested in this [topic] so I'm going to be speaking to men too because I don't want to marginalise anyone," BenMazwi said.
Ben-Mazwi has a business science honours degree and experience in the corporate world.
She had noted that many people in the entertainment industry were not well-versed in the business side of things.
Her aim is to use the workshop to equip aspiring and upcoming Port Elizabeth artists with the necessary knowledge to succeed in the entertainment industry.
"I know Port Elizabeth has a lot of talent but not everyone gets to where they deserve to be, so a lot of these aspirations that PE artists have, seem unattainable because opportunities are not within reach," she said.
"I want everyone — whether it be a presenter, actor or actress — to find their voice in the arts and entertainment industry, to figure out their purpose and how to go about pursuing it because I know sometimes our biggest problem can be knowing what you want to do, but not knowing how to start."
Having initially pursued a corporate career in New York, Ben-Mazwi later felt she belonged in the arts sector and quit the corporate world.
She bagged a role in the
Netflix hit remake of Black Mirror and the international BET production of Madiba.
Following her return to SA in 2013, she has been in various productions including
e.tv's Broken Vows, Mzansi Magic drama Doubt and SABC3 breakfast show The Weekend Edition.
Ben-Mazwi's face can now be seen in three productions — SABC 1's Diamond City and Mzansi Magic's GrassRoots and The Queen.
Ben-Mazwi's Business of the Arts industry workshop will be held at the Boardwalk Hotel from 1pm to 6pm on February 22.
Port Elizabeth SABC 3 Presenter Search finalist Thato Moshoeshoe will MC the event.
Tickets cost R250 until February 1 and R300 thereafter.
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