The Market Theatre Laboratory Awards 2026 Barney Simon Residency to Dance-Based Theatre-maker Thamsanqa Tshabalala
The Market Theatre Laboratory, a creative hub of The Market Theatre Foundation (MTF), is proud to announce multi‑award‑winning artist, choreographer and dancer Thamsanqa Tshabalala as the recipient of the 2026 Barney Simon Residency. This marks the first time in the residency’s history that the award is presented to a theatre practitioner whose practice is located in dance, reaffirming our commitment to being a cultural complex for all forms of artistic expression.
Established with the support of the Barney Simon Trust, the residency provides one artist each year with funding support, workspace and resources to develop a new work, investigate artistic process, and take creative risks. The resident artist also shares their creative process with students of The Market Theatre Laboratory, in preparation for presenting their final work.
Tshabalala’s residency commences on 2 February 2026, with public sharing of creative output at the end of March 2026. During this period, he will develop his latest concept titled It’s a LONG story… and aimed at investigating the becoming of the black queer body through the lens of an African child and their journey throughout history. His residency will be defined by explorations of the black queer body as an archive, notions around the intersectionality of identities and the practice of self-definition against imposed narratives
Thamsanqa’s artistic journey began as a learner at The National School of the Arts and was further developed through obtaining his diploma in Dance and Choreography at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). His professional dance career collaboration consists of prominent names such as Kelsey Middleton, Dada Masilo, Mamela Nyamza, Willie Venter, Debbie Rekusin and Khutjo Green.
His independent repertoire has gained traction, with multiple awards and accolades received on works such as Vibrations of Us, SIMON in 2020, ISENYUSO and more recently NO AIR. He has most recently made his international debut for his solo work Petticoat Princess at the Lalanbik Dance Festival, in La Renunion Isand.
“My choreography often becomes a space where African traditions, embodied memory, and questions of liberation can coexist and be interrogated,” says Thamsanqa Tshabalala.
“The new work I am developing in this residency sits firmly within this ongoing exploration while opening a new chapter in my artistic evolution. This project allows me to expand the ways I merge personal testimony with communal histories, and to refine how dance can serve as both cultural preservation and socio‑political intervention.”
The Market Theatre Laboratory looks forward to hosting Tshabalala across its theatres, studios, and learning spaces, and to his meaningful engagement with students throughout the residency.
ENDS
The Market Theatre Laboratory is a division of The Market Theatre Foundation, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
Media Enquiries
Bongiwe Potelwa, Publicist: The Market Theatre Foundation
Email: bongiwep@markettheatre.co.za
