A doyenne of South African theatre has lost her life to Covid-19. Dawn Lindberg was the co-founder of the Naledi Theatre Awards, established in 2004.
The awards shine a spotlight on excellence in South African theatre. Lindberg dedicated her life to the performing arts and this year in particular, the arts and entertainment industry is fighting a battle it has never seen before.
The industry was brought to its knees when South Africa went into lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus that took Dawn Lindberg’s life. The LightSAred movement was part of a global initiative to highlight the desperate plight of members of the event, production and entertainment industry.
Driven by Lindberg’s tenacity and creativity, the Naledi Theatre awards went ahead this year, via live streaming in a virtual event. Lindberg was already unwell during the celebrations but nobody could tell as she poured her enthusiasm into the evening. As arts and culture fights for survival, it is a double tragedy to have lost a brilliant performer, inspirational mentor and tireless advocate. Tributes to Lindberg have been flooding social media as performers, fans and patrons bid the icon of South African theatre farewell.
#RIPDawnLindberg https://t.co/aFRTaZYgGQ
— Alex Jay (@AlexJayZA) December 8, 2020
An icon of South African theatre has departed this world. Love to Des, Josh and Adam. Farewell Dawn, you will be missed. #ripdawnlindberg https://t.co/imEF7YodR4
— Langley Kirkwood (@langleykirkwood) December 8, 2020
