Philippe Talavera

Ex officio, Founder and Director of OYO

Philippe Talavera was born in France where he also completed his studies. He has a PhD in Veterinary Sciences, a DEES in Human Biochemistry and he studied performing Arts. He went to live in South Africa in 1995 and Namibia (where he still resides) in 1997. He created the ‘Ombetja Yehinga Organisation’ in 2001.

Founder and Director of the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation, Philippe Talavera has worked in Namibia on HIV prevention and education programmes through the arts since 2000. As Director, he has led the organisation in developing its creative programmes with both school-going and out-of-school youths. He has pioneered the use of IEC media and outreach programmes, including OYO’s youth magazine, OYO, young, latest and cool, national and regional youth tours, and videos and DVDS of the numerous plays and films OYO has produced.

Films credits and awards include:

• ‘Lukas’ (2024), the first Namibian film to have a run in cinemas in both Namibia and South Africa,
• ‘Kapana’ (2020, winner Free to be Me Award (Roze Filmdagen, Netherlands), best narrative feature African Diaspora Cinema Festival (Italy), best narrative feature DC Black Film Festival (USA), best narrative feature Black Star International Film Festival (Ghana), best international film PRIDE Queer Film Festival (Australia), winner Best director at the North Eastern International Film Festival (UK), winner Kim Renders Memorial Award for outstanding performance (Reelout queer film festival, Canada), runner up best international film, audience award (Out on Film, USA), Official Selection Pan African Film Festival 2021),
• ‘Kukuri (2018, nominated best film Southern Africa, AMVCA 2020),
• ‘Salute!’ (2017, winner Sotigui Award Best Actor Southern Africa 2019, Burkina Faso, nominated best film Southern Africa, AMVCA 2018),
• ‘Pap and milk’ (2016),
• ‘now that I can talk about it’ (winner best male actor, NTFA 2014),
• ‘Stinky boy’ (winner best female actor, NTFA 2014)

Notable work with dance include:

• ‘a picassiana dance’ (a tribute to Pablo Picasso, on commission by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain - 2023) and ‘Remembering Johnny’ (a tribute to French singer Johnny Hallyday 2023, in collaboration with the French Consulate in South Africa and the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre), both major productions at the National Theatre of Namibia
• ‘Alive’ (2022) about drug abuse and ‘Another party with Helen’ (2022) about alcohol abuse
• ‘Let me be’ (2020), about the sexual exploitation of children
• ‘Well wish Ya’ (funded by the Prince Claus Fund, addressing the Herero/Nama genocide in Namibia - 2019) with Syrian Artist Kevork Mourad at the National Theatre of Namibia
• ‘Ilithya gone mad’ (2019) about illegal abortion

Latest publications include

• ‘Performance and fashion-based activities in social design’ with Melanie Sarantu of the University of Lapland, Finland, published in the International Journal of Social, Political and Community Agendas in the Arts. https://cgscholar.com/bookstore/works/performance-and-fashionbased-activities-in-social-design (2023)
• ‘pre/post- Assessment of a Sexual and Reproductive Health Training Program for Youth People in Namibia’ with Karine Talbot, Fabieen Schutz and Monica Ruiz-Casares of the MacGill University, Canada, published in the Global Journal of Health Science: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/gjhs/article/view/0/48163 (2022),
• ‘involving boys and men to challenge violence against girls and women in Namibia’, published by ALIGN: https://www.alignplatform.org/resources/involving-boys-and-men-challenge-violence-against-girls-and-women-namibia (2022),