Brett Bailey

Born in 1967 in South Africa, Brett Bailey is a distinguished dramaturg, theatre and opera director, site-specific performance artist, set designer, and visual artist. For twenty years he has been artistic director of the celebrated performance company Third World Bunfight, based in Cape Town. Its aim is the production of theatre, visual installations, opera, music events, and site-specific performances that investigate our world, mostly focusing on post-colonial Africa, and the historical as well as contemporary relations of Africa with the West.

In 2011 Brett Bailey was president of the jury of the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space, and a jury member for the competition ‘Music Theatre Now’ of the International Theatre Institute. In 2009 he was artistic director of the opening ceremony for the World Summit on Arts and Culture, Johannesburg. From 2006 to 2009, he directed opening ceremonies for the Harare International Festival of the Arts, Zimbabwe. From 2008 to 2011, he was director of the public arts festival ‘Infecting the City’, Cape Town. His works have been presented all over Europe, Australia, and Africa, receiving numerous awards. These include the Gold Medal for design at the 2007 Prague Quadrennial. (Source: Hellenic Centre of the International Theatre Institute Centre)