Investing in Ethiopian Talent

Bringing the Method Home — Ambassador Workshops

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia · Sept 2026 – Oct 2026

Following the NIPAI "The Director and the Play" scholarship, ShebaStage's six trained artists step forward as ambassadors — each delivering a hands-on workshop within their own group, band, school or discipline across Ethiopia. From music ensembles to circus and theatre, every ambassador passes on the directing-and-analysis method they mastered, contextualised to Ethiopian performing arts. But this is about more than directing. The method is a working technique any performer can apply to their own craft — to read a work deeply, understand its concept, and shape it into a clear, structured performance. It strengthens each artist's individual creative capacity, not only the skills of those who wish to direct. At its heart, the programme closes a gap. Ethiopian artists carry extraordinary talent and living traditions, yet have had few routes to the structured, concept-driven methods that international and Western production companies expect. This gap — between Ethiopia's rich live-performance heritage and the production standards of the global stage — has kept world-class talent from being fully understood, and fully booked, abroad. These workshops give Ethiopian artists a shared professional language: the ability to analyse, structure and communicate their work so they can step confidently into international productions and live performance at the highest level. Over 6–8 hours with 15–20 participants each, the workshops follow a twelve-module journey — from reading a work to staging it — drawing on Ethiopian stories, the qenet modal system, and the country's diverse movement traditions. The programme multiplies the impact of the scholarship: strengthening local capacity, building a common creative standard across disciplines, and nurturing the next generation of Ethiopian creators — directors and performers alike — ready for the world stage. Every workshop is documented and shared, feeding ShebaStage's growing network of Ethiopian performing artists.

6 participants

NIPAI

The Director and the Play

Distance / Online · Apr 2026 – Jul 2026

Six emerging Ethiopian performing artists are participating in NIPAI's distance learning scholarship program 'The Director and the Play' — a three-month intensive on directorial craft, stage composition, and the creative dialogue between director and dramatic text. Participants engage with international faculty through structured online sessions, peer workshops, and independent project work. The program builds on ShebaStage's commitment to international training for Ethiopian artists. Initially planned as an in-person workshop in Berlin (April 2026), the program pivoted to distance learning when Schengen visa applications for the six participants were unable to be processed in time. This format allows the full cohort to participate fully while keeping the learning intensive. Monthly check-ins, peer reviews, and a final showcase mark the program's structure. Participants emerge with a strengthened directorial vocabulary and a body of work demonstrating their growth.

6 participants