Five Awards, One Extraordinary Achievement: Celebrating Artistic Excellence, Consistency and Community Transformation
On 17 October 2026, Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble, a performing arts department under Tusole Theatre and Youth Friendly Association (TTYFA), recorded a historic milestone by scooping five prestigious awards at the 2026 Mosi-oa-Tunya Southern Awards, held at The Courtyard Hotel in Livingstone, Zambia.
The remarkable achievement recognised the Ensemble’s artistic excellence, consistency in community theatre, individual talent, distinguished service and mentorship in the performing arts sector.
The five awards celebrated both the collective achievements of the Ensemble and the exceptional contributions of three of its theatre practitioners.
For TTYFA, the recognition represents a significant institutional achievement, reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to using theatre, culture and creative expression as powerful instruments for community empowerment, education and social transformation.
1. The Five Prestigious Awards
Award 1: Best Cultural Group of the Year, 2026
Winner: Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble
This award celebrates the Ensemble’s contribution to cultural performance, artistic expression and the promotion of Zambia’s cultural heritage. It represents an important recognition of the group’s commitment to preserving and showcasing cultural traditions through music, dance, drama and storytelling.
Award 2: Most Outstanding and Consistent Community Theatre Group Award
Winner: Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble
This recognition celebrates the group’s sustained commitment to community theatre and its continued use of performing arts to educate, entertain and engage communities.
It is particularly significant because consistency requires dedication, teamwork, resilience and a long-term commitment to artistic practice, even when resources and opportunities are limited.
Award 3: Most Outstanding Female Community Theatre Practitioner Award
Winner: Petronella Sitali
This individual award recognises Petronella Sitali’s outstanding contribution as a female community theatre practitioner.
Her achievement is an inspiration to women and girls aspiring to pursue performing arts, demonstrating the importance of women’s participation, creativity and leadership in community theatre.
Award 4: Most Outstanding Male Community Theatre Practitioner Award
Winner: Limited Phiri
Limited Phiri’s recognition celebrates his contribution to community theatre and his commitment to artistic excellence.
His achievement highlights the importance of nurturing individual talent within community-based performing arts institutions and demonstrates how dedication and consistent participation can lead to recognition.
Award 5: Community Theatre Distinguished Service, Excellence and Mentorship Award
Winner: Daniel Ngoma
This prestigious individual recognition celebrates Daniel Ngoma’s distinguished contribution to community theatre, artistic development and mentorship.
As Executive Director of Tusole Theatre and Youth Friendly Association, Daniel Ngoma has championed Theatre for Development as an approach to community education, empowerment and social transformation.
The award represents an important acknowledgement of his longstanding commitment to developing artistic talent, strengthening community theatre and supporting emerging performers.
2. From a Community Drama Initiative to an Award-Winning Cultural Ensemble
The story of Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble is rooted in a vision of using performing arts to transform communities.
Originally established as a youth drama initiative in Livingstone in 2004, Tusole Theatre grew into a community-based organisation committed to combining artistic creativity with development programming.
Over the years, the Ensemble has provided a platform through which young people and community members can discover their talents, build confidence, develop performance skills and participate in community development.
Its productions integrate drama, traditional dance, music, storytelling and participatory dialogue to address social challenges while celebrating Zambia’s cultural diversity.
The five awards therefore represent the culmination of years of artistic development, community engagement, mentorship and collective effort.
3. Theatre Beyond Entertainment: Creating Meaningful Community Impact
One of the defining characteristics of Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble is its commitment to using performing arts for purposes beyond entertainment.
Through TTYFA’s Theatre for Development approach, drama performances are used to communicate important social and health messages in ways that communities can easily understand and relate to.
The Ensemble’s artistic work complements TTYFA’s wider interventions in:
- HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health: Supporting community sensitisation, demand creation and awareness of available prevention and testing services.
- Gender equality and human rights: Encouraging dialogue on gender-based violence, discrimination, harmful social norms and the rights of vulnerable populations.
- Youth empowerment and skills development: Creating opportunities for young people to develop creativity, confidence, leadership and communication skills.
- Cultural preservation: Promoting traditional performances, indigenous knowledge and Zambia’s cultural identity.
- Community mobilisation and social accountability: Using participatory performances to stimulate discussion and encourage communities to identify solutions to challenges affecting their lives.
Within TTYFA’s adolescent and young people programming, theatre-based communication is an important complement to peer education, community dialogues and referrals to health services.
This integration of arts and development demonstrates how community theatre can contribute to meaningful social change.
4. Celebrating Individual Excellence and Mentorship
The recognition of Petronella Sitali, Limited Phiri and Daniel Ngoma adds special significance to the Ensemble’s achievement.
While the two group awards celebrate collective excellence, the three individual awards demonstrate the importance of recognising talent, commitment, leadership and mentorship within the performing arts sector.
Petronella Sitali’s achievement highlights the contribution of women to community theatre, while Limited Phiri’s recognition demonstrates the value of artistic dedication and individual performance excellence.
Daniel Ngoma’s Distinguished Service, Excellence and Mentorship Award recognises the importance of sustained leadership and nurturing emerging talent.
Together, these awards demonstrate that strong performing arts institutions are built through the combined efforts of talented practitioners, committed mentors and supportive organisational leadership.
5. Overcoming Challenges Through Resilience and Commitment
Like many community-based performing arts groups, Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble operates in an environment where financial resources, performance equipment, transport and opportunities for artistic development can be limited.
Despite these challenges, the Ensemble has maintained its commitment to community performances, rehearsals, talent development and artistic innovation.
The recognition at the Mosi-oa-Tunya Southern Awards illustrates the value of perseverance and the importance of sustaining grassroots creative initiatives.
It also reinforces the need for greater investment in community theatre, including institutional partnerships, artistic training, performance infrastructure and opportunities for emerging artists.
6. Significance of the Achievement to TTYFA
The five awards mark an important milestone in TTYFA’s organisational history.
They strengthen the visibility of Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble as a recognised performing arts department and reinforce the credibility of theatre-based approaches within community development.
The achievement also provides an opportunity for TTYFA to build new partnerships with cultural institutions, development organisations, local authorities, arts promoters and other stakeholders interested in supporting community-based creative initiatives.
For young performers, the awards offer encouragement that talent developed at the grassroots level can gain wider recognition.
For the organisation, the recognition strengthens its commitment to promoting artistic excellence alongside community development.
7. Lessons Learned and the Way Forward
The achievement demonstrates that sustained artistic practice, teamwork, mentorship and institutional commitment are important foundations for success.
Moving forward, Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble intends to build upon this recognition by strengthening its artistic productions, nurturing emerging talent, expanding cultural performances and deepening the integration of Theatre for Development into TTYFA’s community programmes.
The awards also create an opportunity to document the Ensemble’s achievements, improve its public profile and mobilise resources for the continued development of community theatre.
Conclusion: Five Awards, One Legacy of Excellence
The success of Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble at the 2026 Mosi-oa-Tunya Southern Awards is more than an awards-night celebration. It represents the recognition of a journey shaped by passion, creativity, resilience, community service and mentorship.
From the Best Cultural Group of the Year to the Distinguished Service, Excellence and Mentorship Award, the five honours celebrate an Ensemble whose work continues to connect cultural expression with community empowerment.
The achievements of Petronella Sitali, Limited Phiri and Daniel Ngoma demonstrate that individual excellence and collective success can reinforce one another.
For the entire TTYFA family, 17 October 2026 will remain a memorable date in the organisation’s artistic journey.
Five awards. Three outstanding individual achievers. Two group victories. One proud TTYFA family.
“We did not simply take our performances to the stage; we took our passion, our culture, our commitment and our vision for community transformation. Today, that dedication has been recognised through five remarkable awards.”
TUSOLE THEATRE AND CULTURAL ENSEMBLE — PRESERVING CULTURE, NURTURING TALENT AND TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE PERFORMING ARTS.
