A New Era: The 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist Award Cohort Premiéres at the National Arts Festival
For over 40 years, the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards have identified and celebrated South African artists who are pushing boundaries and shaping contemporary discourse in the arts. Selected by the National Arts Festival’s Artistic Committee, part of the SBYA’s year includes the presentation of a new work at the Festival.
This is a much anticipated highlight of the National Arts Festival’s programme and the 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winners (SBYA) will be in Makhanda this year with a varied and fascinating body of work. From exploring ancient African indigenous knowledge perspectives to celebrating the global rise of South African pop culture, each artist presents a bold vision that pushes the boundaries of their discipline, unpacking girlhood, love, African ontologies and transformative performance on a world stage.
Theatre – Jason Jacobs presents Kraal
Kraal is a powerful two-part decolonial curation that unravels inherited trauma and the shadow of the colonial dop system. Performed both in a traditional theatre setting and a sacred matjieshut (mat hut), Jason Jacobs’ immersive ritual of restoration breathes life into the ancient wisdom of the Kamiesberge. An indigenous artist from Namaqualand, he integrates heritage and contemporary storytelling, continuing his acclaimed trajectory in theatre and film. The work emphasizes a reconstruction in which fragments of memory and shame are gently gathered and transformed toward healing and growth.
Performance Info:
- Venue: Rhodes Box
- Dates & Times: 2 July 20:00 – 21:05, 3 July 16:00 – 17:05 and 4 July 14:00 – 15:05
While selected for his theatre work, Jacobs alongside his co-writer and co-director, Devon Delmoar, will present their screenplay, Variations on a Theme. Through recurring visual ‘variations’, the film reveals a portrait of waiting, endurance and loss as repetition serves as revelation. It tells the story of an elderly goat herder who falls victim to a reparations scam, eagerly awaiting money that never arrives. The disruptions of her 80th birthday threaten to strip away the last of her independence.
Dance – Lee-Che Janecke presents MAJAIVAN: A Movement Story of the Life of Lee-Che Janecke
MAJAIVAN: A Movement Story of the Life of Lee-Che Janecke is an emotional interpretation of Janecke’s journey through family, identity and their role at the forefront of the global rise of African dance. With choreography rooted in resilience and grace, this performance invites audiences to reflect on their own paths while celebrating the transformative power of movement.
Known professionally as Litchi HOV, Janecke has spent over thirteen years forging a movement language that feels ancestral and futuristic at once. Globally recognised as a choreographer, creative director and cultural innovator, Litchi is the creative force behind Grammy Award-winning phenomenon Tyla, and helped propel Water into a global dance awakening, crafting choreography that moved from screens to stadiums with magnetic velocity. His visionary work on Push 2 Start earned him a 2025 MTV VMA nomination for Best Choreography.
Performance Info:
- Venue: Rhodes Box
- Dates & Times: 27 June 20:00 – 20:50, 28 June 16:00 – 16:50 and 29 June 10:00 – 10:50
Jazz – Gabi Motuba presents The Sounds of a Black Girl
The Sounds of a Black Girl introduces an exciting new ensemble of world-renowned musicians. Motuba’s majestic voice anchors a sonic exploration of spiritual jazz and neo-soul, blurring traditional boundaries through improvisation and philosophy. Building on her acclaimed album The Sabbath, this work extends her experimental compositional practice.
“Jazz exists in my philosophy. Rooted in jazz as philosophy rather than genre, the album dissolves traditional boundaries, embracing improvisation as both method and meaning. It is my way of life and my style,” Motuba reflects.
Critics praise Motuba for her musicality, compositional depth and rare ability to articulate the theory that underpins her praxis. She is regarded as a compelling composer and a majestic vocalist, capable of holding vast emotional landscapes within a single phrase.
Performance Info:
- Venue: Great Hall
- Date & Time: 4 July from 16:00 – 18:00
Music – Manana presents Pulchritudinous: The Beauty of the Journey
Pulchritudinous: The Beauty of the Journey marks an iconic Manana performance with a full band and horn section. The show spans the entirety of his artistic journey, from his debut EP In the Beginning Was the End to 2025’s OBHM: Full Stop, tracing an emotional narrative of love, loss and healing. Audiences will experience rare renditions, new arrangements and unreleased material in what promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime showcase. The addition of the horn section brings a fresh and distinctive sound to beloved songs.
Hailing from eSwatini, Manana is a SAMA winner who has collaborated with global stars including Burna Boy, Usher, Tyla, Pheelz, Nasty C, Amanda Black, Ami Faku, Cynthia Erivo, Shekinah and Sauti Sol.
Performance Info:
- Venue: Great Hall
- Date & Time: 27 June from 21:00 – 23:00
Visual Art – Bronwyn Katz presents Ta a-b kobab ada kāxu-da, ti khoe-du’e!
“The retrieval of lost language through material process is central to Bronwyn Katz’s exhibition: Ta a-b kobab ada kāxu-da, ti khoe-du’e!. Language here is relational, a system of contact, conduction, and response. Katz begins with the body. She traces subtle shifts across her own skin permanent and fleeting marks that appear and dissolve over time. These intimate cartographies are translated into metal scaffolds that hold resonant forms, horns and cavities filled with healing herbs, beeswax, and conductive wire circuits.”
Born in Kimberley, but living and working in Cape Town, Katz is a founding member of iQhiya, an 11-women artist collective which has performed across various spaces, including Documenta 14 (in Kassel and Athens). Her artistic practice is an evolving system of notation, an effort to articulate the phonetics of an imagined creole language. Engaging with the concept of land as a living repository of memory and trauma, her work reflects on space as lived experience, considering the land’s capacity to remember, carry and communicate the traces of its occupation.
Performance Info:
- Venue: Monument Gallery
- Dates & Times: 25 June – 5 July 09:00 to 17:00
Says Artistic Director, Rucera Seethal,
“It’s such an important part of the Festival each year, to host the Standard Bank Young Artist cohort’s new work. The 2026 cohort reflect a mix of fresh language and positioning alongside historical grounding; the energy is high and confident. We’re looking forward to innovation, influence and re-membering.”
Standard Bank, who have been extending the reach and impact of the Standard Bank Young Artists alumni with national shows and events, is looking forward to seeing the new cohort take their 2026 works to the stage.
Says Bonga Sebesho, Group Head of Sponsorships at Standard Bank,
“With a formidable record of over 40 years, the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards have built a sterling roster of over 180 alumni who have contributed to and shaped South Africa’s artistic and cultural ecosystem. The 2026 cohort is an exciting addition to this legacy, pushing creative boundaries and inspiring new artistic possibilities.”
The National Arts Festival takes place from 26 June – 6 July in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape. Further programme announcements will be shared in the weeks to come. Tickets are available online here.
Connect with the National Arts Festival Makhanda on social media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok0
Connect with Standard Bank Group on social media:
Facebook | X (Twitter) | YouTube | LinkedIn
