Gangsters redirect their lives on theatre stages

In South Africa, gangsters are back in the spotlight after taking on an unexpected role. Kurt Vlok is from Lantana, one of many Western Cape neighbourhoods burdened by crime and violence where kids fall prey to gangs both as victims and members. Vlok was one of them, but today he’s flipping the script for his community. He helped inspire their first drama and art school for youth, a project initiated by Monte Christo Miqlat (MCM) that sparks young people’s creativity and skills to demonstrate an alternative to criminal activities. 

Youth in Lantana face a variety of challenges, including a lack of opportunities, resources, and employment. For Vlok, who didn’t have any parents, these circumstances motivated his goal to sustain himself. “I was raised by my grandmother when my parents abandoned me as a child,” he explains. Vlok was on track to become the breadwinner once he graduated from high school and never imagined that life could take a turn – until his grandmother passed away. As he mourned her death, Vlok yearned for love and comfort and instead found belonging in the brotherhood of a gang. “Ultimately, feeling alone and isolated led me down to a dark path,” he says. But soon realising that the only future he was building for himself was having to face incarceration or death, Vlok sought a way out. He approached the MCM centre after hearing that the founder Aletia Grundling had opened up the facilities to troubled youth for free. Through their projects, Vlok gained exposure to film and theatre productions. “I discovered acting when I was at my lowest,” he says. “I fell in love with it because it tells people’s stories – their true stories.” 

Deciding that he wanted to help rather than hurt people, Vlok put his skills in dance, rap, and poetry writing to use. Together with other ex-gang members and individuals from the area, he established Flatse Fees, a project to bring the community its debut theatre production. “I first got involved with the arts when I was introduced to Gaireyah Fredericks,” Vlok says. Fredericks, who grew up in the neighbouring community and has her masters in Theatre Arts, has been instrumental in guiding youth in the programme through their ideas and artistry. “This inspired me to leave behind a life of crime and the first thing I did was to orchestrate a play,” Vlok says. As he began redirecting a healthier, more fulfilling life for himself, over 10 individuals followed suit. Every year, he helps young artists create their own productions centring on gangsterism, addiction, and violence in order to spark understanding and compassion. “I’m shining a spotlight on the misfits of my community,” Vlok says.

Today the MCM drama and writing programme exists as a space for young people to realise their potential through their passions and talents. “When I’m on stage I feel like I’m about to change somebody’s life,” Vlok says. In discovering an outlet that set him free, he’s giving rise to a movement that’s helping other youth navigate their futures in new and creative ways.