Dr Refiloe Lepere: Wits School of Education, Wits University – Multiplicity

This week on Womanity, Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with Dr Refiloe Lepere, an award-winning gender scholar, storyteller, performer, community-accountable theatre maker, and lecturer at the Wits School of Education. Dr. Lepere uses storytelling and performance to explore Black feminist aesthetics, racial justice, identity, and joy. Growing Up in a Community that Created Artists Dr Lepere reflects on her childhood in Soweto, where neighbours, teachers, artists and family members collectively nurtured creativity. She shares how dance, storytelling, music and books became the foundation of her career, demonstrating the role that communities played in shaping her development. Black Feminist Aesthetics and the Importance of Black Joy We explore Dr Lepere's pioneering work on Black feminist aesthetics and why she believes the everyday creativity of Black women deserves greater recognition. Rather than defining Black experiences solely through struggle and lamentation, she advocates celebrating joy, imagination, beauty, and the richness of everyday life as equally powerful forms of expression and truths. Breaking Out of Society's Boxes One of the topics raised in this interview is how education and institutions often encourage conformity instead of individuality. Dr Lepere challenges conventional ideas of success and specialisation, arguing that people are naturally multi-dimensional and should not have to sacrifice parts of themselves to fit into predetermined categories. Creating Theatre that Heals Communities Drawing on more than forty original performance works staged across Africa, Europe and North America, Dr Lepere explains how storytelling can become an act of healing. She discusses creating theatre with communities rather than simply for audiences, giving voice to women, domestic workers and young people while using performance to explore gender, justice, memory and collective healing. Redefining Leadership Through Collective Care Moving beyond traditional models of leadership, Dr Lepere introduces the concept of collective leadership; one rooted in collaboration, consultation and humanity rather than hierarchy. She also shares her powerful philosophy of "livability", arguing that successful organisations should create space for people's lives, families and wellbeing alongside professional achievement. Education as a Tool for Building New Worlds For Dr Lepere, education extends far beyond qualifications. She describes reading and learning as acts of world-building that expose us to new possibilities, broaden our perspectives and remind us that our experiences are shared by others. Education, she believes, empowers us not only with knowledge but with entirely new ways of seeing ourselves and the world. Choosing Yourself The interview concludes with a memorable message for girls and women everywhere: stop waiting to be chosen. Dr Lepere encourages women to volunteer, ask questions, take up space, speak confidently and make themselves visible. Her closing challenge is to choose yourself and not wait for others to choose you. Tune in for more…