What does a life in Namibia’s performing arts look like?

For aspiring performers, the dream may begin on stage, but turning talent into a sustainable career requires more than the ability to perform.

As the University of Namibia (UNAM) prepares for its annual Performing Arts Showcase at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN), lecturers and working artists say young performers need practical experience, professional skills and the ability to create opportunities for themselves.

The 2026 showcase, taking place on 9 and 10 October at NTN Backstage, will feature senior and final-year students in music, drama, dance and movement.

According to Dr Jacques Muushandja, the showcase has been running since 2019 and was developed to showcase graduate students’ work while providing visibility and representation through a partnership between UNAM’s Performing Arts Section and the NTN.

He said the initiative helps bridge the gap between arts education and professional practice by giving students opportunities to present their work to audiences and the wider industry.

UNAM Drama and Theatre Arts lecturer Dr Kabi Thulo said young performers are showing encouraging levels of curiosity, discipline and commitment.

“Sincerely, I am beyond relieved and inspired as a lecturer to notice the satisfactory degree of curiosity, openness to learning, courage to discover self/selves through challenging teaching and learning content, discipline and commitment to the discipline of theatre and performance at large,” Thulo said.

However, he said students can struggle to develop their artistic voices while preparing to enter a competitive industry.

“Students tend to struggle with practically knowing how to launch their professional careers as so-called newcomers into a competitive professional and creative-artistic ecosystem,” he said.

Muushandja said technical performance skills remain important, but students also need professional skills such as networking, portfolio development, communication, problem-solving and critical thinking.

Thulo described the NTN showcase as an important bridge between education and the industry, giving young professionals an opportunity to launch their careers while creating a talent pipeline for Namibia’s performing arts sector.

For working performer and performance poet Frieda Mukufa, who performs as Damn_Etu, there is no standard career path in the creative sector.

“There is no typical career. You can be a poet today, a facilitator tomorrow, a writer the next day, and then find yourself creating a concept for a brand or performing at an event,” Mukufa said.

She said being a performing artist involves much more than performing.

“There is writing, rehearsing, networking, pitching, organising events, creating content, finding opportunities and sometimes creating the opportunity yourself. You have to be an artist, but you also have to understand the business around your art.”

Mukufa said artists need to diversify their income while maintaining their identity.

“I don’t think it is realistic to expect the performance itself to be your only source of income,” she said, adding that artists can facilitate workshops, write, teach, develop concepts, collaborate with brands and work across creative projects.

Muushandja identified limited resources as one challenge facing creative arts graduates.

“Resources are always limited for creative arts subjects compared to hard sciences, law, commerce, and medicine,” he said.

He added that Namibia has institutions, policy frameworks and professionals capable of supporting emerging artists, although opportunities remain limited.

Both respondents called for stronger links between arts education and professional practice.

Mukufa said students need more opportunities to work on real productions, collaborate with established artists, understand contracts and intellectual property, and experience professional stages before graduating.

She also called for more performance spaces, commissioning opportunities, residencies, mentorship and creative entrepreneurship support.

“Artists are workers. Their creativity is their labour, and the industry needs structures that allow that labour to become a viable career,” Mukufa said.

The showcase will feature the UNAM Band and Choir, Waiting for Godot, SOBISO: An Autobiographic Performance, What Never Happened: The Weight of a Million Moments and ANTUTULELE.

Tickets cost N$50 per day.

– isipunga@nepc.com.na

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