Unmute Dance Theatre will present its contemporary dance work Timelapse and join industry leaders in conversation at the Inclusive Lens Awards during FAME Week Africa 2026, bringing disability inclusion into one of the continent’s biggest creative industry gatherings.
The Cape Town-based company will perform on Thursday 29 October at 17:00 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, where FAME Week Africa runs from Wednesday 28 October to Sunday 1 November.
FAME Week Africa is a business-to-business gathering for Africa’s film, television and creative content industries, bringing together filmmakers, producers, broadcasters, distributors and other professionals to showcase talent, build partnerships and explore opportunities across the creative economy.
From visibility to participation
Unmute’s participation places the artistry of dancers with disabilities on a prominent industry platform, challenging conventional perceptions of who belongs on stage and advancing the conversation from visibility to meaningful participation in Africa’s film, television and creative sectors.
Timelapse explores how life’s experiences shape us over time. Through movement, sequences and physical expression, the piece traces the memories, emotions and connections we carry, revealing moments of transformation, rebirth and new beginnings.
Inclusive production
Before the performance, Nadine McKenzie, artistic director and co-founder of Unmute Dance Theatre, will join a panel discussion at the Inclusive Lens Awards exploring how to build safer, smarter and more inclusive production environments, with a focus on accessibility, wellbeing and sustainability in the arts.
“For too long, disability has been left out of the rooms where creative decisions are made,” McKenzie says. “Being part of FAME Week Africa is an opportunity to change that, not simply by putting artists with disabilities on stage, but by ensuring their voices, expertise and creative vision help shape the industry itself. Inclusion must be built into the way we work, create and collaborate, so that accessibility becomes standard practice rather than an afterthought.”
For more than 13 years, Unmute Dance Theatre has challenged barriers through professional inclusive dance, training, performance and advocacy, championing artistic excellence and creating opportunities for artists with disabilities to lead, innovate and contribute to the cultural landscape.
The company’s participation at FAME Week Africa is a step towards a creative industry that reflects the diversity of the people it serves, where disability is recognised not as a limitation but as part of the richness of artistic expression.
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