As the sun warmed the cool breeze on the morning of 6 September 2008, the crowd of 5000 slowly filtered through the gates and covered the stands of the Harry Oppenheimer Stadium. This day was organised to celebrate one million fatality-free shifts at the Moab Khotsong Mine, one of the Mines in the AngloGold Ashanti stable just outside Orkney in the North West province.
Neil Bennet Grib (left) as Cyril the Safety Rep and Jantji Ngwenyama as Joey.
Jantji Ngwenyama (left) as Joey with his Operations Manager, Brian (right) played by Neil Bennet Grib.
After brief announcements and a few speeches, some of which included Mark Cutifani, the Chief Executive Officer of AngloGold Ashanti who re-emphasised the principle of Safety being their 1st Value, the actors from The Learning Theatre took the stage. They portrayed the story of a mineworker called Joey who, through various encounters with fellow workers, slowly transforms his attitude and beliefs regarding safety, health, and the environment.
As 10 000 eyes watched the performance, they heard their own thoughts being voiced on stage and they saw their own fears being realised. They realised anew the danger that lurks in the desensitising effect of health and safety procedures. More importantly, they realised their own individual responsibility and their own power to transform the mining industry to an industry that protects and cares.
Neil Bennet Grib (left) as Jack, the old school Employee who doesn’t believe in SHE, and Jantji Ngwenyama (right) as Joey.
Cyril the Safety rep (left) played by Neil Bennet Grib and Joey (right) played by Jantji Ngwenyama in the last scene of “Superman Goes Nowhere”.
Theatre is a powerful way of conveying a realisation that is too often lost in the repetitive procedures of everyday work life. In addition, live performance is a great way to provide informing entertainment to large audiences.
Visit our PRESS OFFICE: The Learning Theatre provides inspiring communication and promotional solutions through dramatic media such as live theatre and animated events. Solutions are packaged as dynamic campaigns that achieve high emotive impact and embed unforgettable experiences.- more....