The Order of Ikhamanga in Silver

Gladys Faith Agulhas Awarded for:

Her excellent achievement, contribution to and role in the field of arts and theatre work in South Africa, and for putting South Africa on the world map in her field.

Profile of Gladys Faith Agulhas

Gladys Agulhas was born on 25 December 1967. She is the founder of and Artistic Director at Agulhas Theatre Works. She is a proud member of the World Dance Alliance Europe and of WoVA (Women’s Voice Arts Africa). She was involved in Shuttle 99, Dance Education Exchange Programme between the Nordic countries and South Africa.

Agulhas studied Integrated Contemporary Dance Teaching in Switzerland with renowned teacher and independent artist Adam Benjamin from London. She has presented “solo” works nationally and internationally.

She started a company called Agulhas Theatre Works. It is a non-profit, inclusive and contemporary dance company that includes dancers, artists, musicians and performers. It promotes dance and movement and its affiliated arts for adults and children with diverse disabilities.

This former dancer of the Johannesburg Dance Theatre and Performing Arts Council Transvaal (PACT) Dance Company has a long history of involvement with dance education and has taught at various institutions and companies such as Moving into Dance, Market Theatre Laboratory and many others. She presented a paper on Choreography with Physically Challenged Dancers in collaboration with Remix Dance Project at the 1999 Confluence Conference in Cape Town.

She wrote the International Dance Message for International Dance Day, 2008, which was translated into 200 languages across the globe and received a special award of recognition from the World Dance Alliance (under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in Italy. During 2010, she collaboratively produced and launched the Laduma Jive Beyond 2010 with Doug Anderson as part of a programme to include persons with disabilities in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

She is the recipient of the Tunkie Award 2011, presented annually by the University of Johannesburg Arts and Culture to a South African who has elevated the standard and visibility of dance in South Africa to greater heights through his/her dance leadership.

Agulhas is currently working with her company on various children’s outreach programmes and corporate and mainstream theatre performances.