Lavinia Kapewasha

10 Minutes with local tastemakers

First and foremost storyteller, then theatre kid, Leo, producer, director, writer and actor. That’s Lavinia. But these characteristics imply putting her in a box, and you couldn’t do that with her, even if you tried.

The daughter of a diplomat, Lavinia has lived in India, Russia and the UK. Now she calls Windhoek home, and she is a refreshing voice in the Namibian theatre scene and film industry. Her latest directorial work, The Goal, was presented on Showmax in September 2023, along with 12 other locally produced films. When it comes to putting Namibian film on the map, Lavinia is the moment!

Due to her day job as production coordinator at the National Theatre of Namibia, Lavinia’s storytelling for the sake of expression unfortunately takes a backseat. Relatable, isn’t it? Which in part is why she is convinced that serious funding ought to be channelled to the arts. For artists to be artists, because creativity isn’t an on/off switch.

If it were up to Lavinia, she would be writing science fiction and have a big budget to make it happen, but she concedes that her work as a production coordinator is fundamental to cementing her network and her agility in the industry. It is a double-edged sword – artists need time to sit around and do nothing, but they also need to gain exposure. Whatever pays your bills and keeps you fulfilled, that’s the sweet spot.

Lavinia’s prowess lies in writing, directing and acting what she knows, which is the most earnest place from which to create. During her theatre and film studies in the UK – albeit a key chapter in her professional development – it became clear that her purpose as a black woman in film and theatre is to tell stories about people like her, from a place of knowing and with the goal to create something that is the voice of its time. Untitled – The Web Series, Lavinia’s directorial debut, is precisely that. The director winces at the low budget she had to work with, and her perfectionism, which she had to suppress. Her advice is, “Just put yourself out there. It’s never going to be perfect, but maybe there’s someone out there who needs to see it more than you need to hold onto it.”

I call myself an Afrofuturist.

She is also one of the organisers of the Otjomuise Live Arts Festival (OLAF). Running for its third year in 2023, the festival was born out of the inaccessibility of various artistic expressions to the majority of Windhoek’s residents. OLAF takes the performing arts into public spaces around the city with its annual week-long celebration of Otjomuise’s talent.

Lavinia regularly hosts lively karaoke nights at Wolfshack on weekdays as part of the Karaoke’s Angels trio with Hildegard Titus and Ndayola Ulenga. Her social media profile is a magical mix of sharing auditions and artist opportunities, and a steady stream of grand outfits and aesthetics.

You see, you really can’t label Lavinia. “I call myself an Afrofuturist”, she says. We will take her at her word and gladly watch as she shatters boundaries and prejudices on her way to stardom.

Charene Labuschagne

CONTENT CREDITS:

Photography by @pekelatate

Creative Direction and Styling by @ericketjiueza Makeup by @byjayaeron Hair @couturrhair.l