Mike van Graan receives honorary doctorate from UP

An honorary doctorate was bestowed on cultural activist and playwright Mike Van Graan at the graduation ceremony on 23 April 2018 in recognition of his exceptional contribution to not only the South African theatre landscape, but also on the broader domain of arts and culture.

Read Dr Van Graan's address 

Mike van Graan is one of South Africa’s most prominent, provocative and celebrated playwrights. He is the recpient of numerous awards and accolades nationally and internationally that stands testimony to this exceptional contribution to not only the theatre, but also the broader landscape of the creative fields.Van Graan graduated from  Honours degree in Drama in 1986 and is currently an honorary associate professor of Drama AT UCT. He was a student activist  and carried over his activism to an illustrious professional career where he has been  involved in playwrighting, arts and culture policy creation and advocacy; building and Leading arts and cultural networks; and representing marginalised regions in international events and organisations.

He was a major role-player in shaping the  arts and culture landscape in post-Apartheid South Africa in his role as Special Adviser to the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology engaged in formulating post-apartheid cultural policies after the 1994 elections. His impact on the international arena is demonstrated in his appointment as Technical Adviser for UNESCO with the portfolio Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. He has served in leadership capacities in various non-governmental and arts organisations. He is the 2018 recipient of the esteemed Edita and Ira Morris Hiroshima Foundation Prize for “his contribution to the fight against apartheid”, “building a post-apartheid society and to the study of the interface between peace and culture” both in South Africa and on the African continent.

His commitment to social justice and to project local conderns to a global arena is further evidenced in his work as a playwright. His plays interrogate South Africa’s socio-political conditions and he locates these explorations in a deeply human context to create layered and emotionally evocative plays. His plays stand testimony to a critical and political consciousness that both demonstrates and encourages engaged, critical citizenship in/through the theatre.