An International Festival of Theatre for Young Audiences

CRADLE OF CREATIVITY 2026

ASSITEJ South Africa's Cradle of Creativity Festival returns to Johannesburg from 31 August to 6 September 2026, transforming The Market Theatre into a vibrant meeting place for children, young people, artists, educators and families to experience the power of theatre and the arts. The festival is presented in partnership with the Department of Basic Education.

The 2026 festival celebrates the ingenuity, defiance, curiosity and conviction of young people as they imagine new possibilities and transform their surroundings. Cradle of Creativity embraces this artivist spirit by creating spaces where children and young people are not only audiences, but also active participants, storytellers and changemakers. Through inspiring performances, creative experiences and opportunities for learning and exchange, the festival celebrates the voices, ideas and imagination of young people, while bringing together artists and practitioners from South Africa, the African continent and beyond.

Join us at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg for a week of extraordinary theatre, creativity and connection as we celebrate the courage to imagine, to explore and to transcend the boundaries that define us.

Find out more about the festival and everything on offer below.

Production Programme