Nonkululeko “BreeH” Cele is a live performance lecturer, creator, and award-winning choreographer whose work continues to shape South Africa’s contemporary performance landscape. Currently lecturing in the Live Performance programme at AFDA Durban, she is both a proud alumna and a dynamic educator mentoring the next generation of performance-makers.
BreeH’s creative practice sits at the intersection of performance, research, and storytelling. Her breakthrough work, uXinzelelo, developed during her Master’s studies, earned the prestigious “Pick of the Platform” award at the 2024 JOMBA! Live Open Horizons Platform. The production marked the platform’s return to live theatre following the COVID-19 pandemic, engaging audiences with a powerful and timely narrative.
Celebrated for its exploration of mental health within the Black community, uXinzelelo combined live vocals, evocative lighting, and innovative staging. Notably, the use of maize meal across the stage became a striking visual and symbolic element, contributing to the work’s emotional and conceptual depth, widely praised by jurors.
As a lecturer at AFDA Durban, BreeH brings both technical expertise and lived experience into the classroom. Holding a BA Honours degree in Drama and Performance Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, she is committed to nurturing emerging performers through a practice that values authenticity, discipline, and critical engagement.
Rooted in social consciousness and embodied research, BreeH’s work pushes beyond entertainment. It creates space for reflection, healing, resistance, and transformation, empowering students to develop performance practices that are both meaningful and impactful.