Ityala

ISIBA ARTS COLLECTIVE

Isiba Arts Collective takes its name from the isiXhosa word isiba, meaning feather a powerful symbol of storytelling, artistic freedom, and ancestral connection. Just as a feather carries the whispers of the wind, we carry the voices of our ancestors, our truths, and our dreams. Through story writing, storytelling, music, acting, and movement, we give shape to the unseen, the unspoken, and the unforgettable. Every artist in our collective holds a story waiting to take flight, and we create the space for those stories to soar.

At Isiba Arts Collective, art is not just something we do it is something we live. Our performances are rooted in rhythm, memory, and identity, reflecting the richness of who we are and where we come from. This is more than just entertainment; it is a movement toward healing, remembrance, and transformation. We invite you to journey with us into the heart of performance, into the soul of the story, and into the power of art to connect, awaken, and inspire.

We exist to honour the past while imagining bold futures. Whether on stage, in schools, or in the streets, we use art as a tool for social reflection, cultural preservation, and spiritual awakening. Our work is grounded in the belief that creative expression can shift narratives, challenge systems, and breathe life into communities. At Isiba, we don’t just perform stories we live them, speak to them, and pass them on.

CREATIVE TEAM

LUKHO NOYILA - Co-writer and Director

Lukho is an award-winning multi-talented artist and UCT graduate whose creative work spans theatre-making, choreography, music composition, acting, and movement dramaturgy. As the founder and Artistic Director of Isiba Arts Collective, Lukho brings a dynamic and original voice to South African performance, specializing in interdisciplinary work that combines movement, voice, and story. His artistic practice explores powerful themes such as spirituality, sacrifice, justice, and transformation, using abstract, live art, original, and realistic styles to create bold and resonant work.

Lukho’s artistic journey began in high school through Magnet Theatre under the Culture Gangs program, where he was introduced to physical theatre and ensemble work. His love for music saw him establish his own musical brand early on, eventually working with mass choirs as a junior conductor in both Cape Town and Durban. In 2022, he collaborated with Elvis Sibeko Studios and Selective Live, composing original music for a live stage production. The following year, he served as music director for Shukumani, a collaboration between Lwanda Sindaphi and Lingua Franca Poetry Company, and later performed in the Culture Exhibition led by Kevin Mdoka, in partnership with the Baxter Theatre. He also worked closely with UCT senior lecturer Maxwell Rani as an Assistant Director on Land of Khinyinyi Re-imagined (2024). In 2025, he was invited to work on African Gumbo production Unxano /Thirst as a Movement Dramaturge with the legendary Maxwell Rani.

In 2025, Lukho’s debut production, uMqambi weNyembezi Vuka, was featured in The Young Professional Series at Theatre Arts and received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth, spiritual resonance, and artistic integrity. The production was later staged at the National Arts Festival, where it earned Lukho the prestigious Standard Bank Ovation Award Bronze at the 2025 National Arts Festival for outstanding performance work, solidifying his place as one of South Africa’s rising creative voices. uMqambi weNyembezi Vuka is the very work that marked this turning point, making him a celebrated and award-winning artist on a national stage.

NOKULUNGA MASIA - Co-Writer
Nokulunga is an artist, performer and facilitator driven by the desire for storytelling and story-making. She is currently completing her Masters degree specialising in Applied Drama and Theatre at the University of Cape Town. 
Masia has occupied various roles in the creative space, namely as a stage and film actor, physical and live art performer, and Applied Theatre practitioner. Her personal works are driven by the philosophy of enabling others to question, reflect and act upon social injustices or personal inhibitions. Furthermore, driven by her passion for storytelling, Masia has had the opportunity to attend and perform at the International Playback Theatre Network Conference (2023), National Arts Festival (2022, 2023 and 2024), Cradle of Creativity Festival (2023), ICA Live Art Festival (2024) and the Rhodes University Drama Department Young Director’s Season (2024), Rhodes University First Year Orientation Show RU Make Sure? (2024), choreographic work for Serurubele (2024) and as a part of the Meqoqo Playback Theatre Collective. 
Notably, she received a Standard Bank Ovation Award Bronze at the 2023 National Arts Festival for Pent(s) Down HAHA! written by Lalu Mokuku and directed by Luvuyo Yanta. She also co-published a chapter in the CALL AND RESPONSE: ARTISTIC INQUIRY CONVERSATIONS book titled: KGANYA: Photography as language for story generation in Applied Theatre  due to be published in 2026 by Creative Research Hub at Tshwane University of Technology.  As of June 2025, she collaborated with Spark in the Dark as a salesperson for the National Arts Festival (2025) and now as an intern. Spark in the Dark is a proudly South African collective of multidisciplinary young artists, driven by a shared passion for bold and innovative theatre- making, founded by Award-winning artist Sophie Joans. 

BONGIWE MKHUMBENI - Choreographer
Bongiwe is an emerging choreographer currently completing her 3rd year at the University of Cape Town. Being trained in RAD Ballet, Contemporary, African and AIDT Modern, she aims to bring a fresh perspective and a passion for exploring new movement languages. Bongiwe is dedicated in honing her craft and possibly create evocative works that will not only keep audiences entertained but see dance in a thought-provoking light.