Culture, at the Imbadu Drama Outreach Initiative Graduation, in Uitenhage
3 March 2007
Programme Director (Thank you),
Chairperson of the Swii Arts Amendment Board,
Monde Ngonyama and all Board Members,
Distinguished graduands of Imbadu Drama Outreach,
Initiative (ooSotheko),
MEC of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture,
Mrs Noxolo Abrahams-Ntantiso,
Executive Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality,
Nondumiso Maphazi,
Honourable Councillor Nancy Sihlwayi responsible for Sport, Recreation, Arts
and Culture in the Metro,
Honourable Councillors,
Religious leaders, Parents and Community leaders,
Honoured residents (abahlali) of the Tinara and Nelson Mandela Bay Metro,
Honoured guests,
Ladies and gentlemen and all the young people present
Good evening to you all!
It is, indeed, an honour for me to be invited to address you on this very
important occasion and I would like to thank the Board of Swii as well as my
colleague, Counsellor Nancy Sihlwayi for the privilege to participate in this
celebration of the excellent work and achievements of Swii and the Imbadu
graduates.
On behalf of the Ministry and Department of Arts and Culture, I would like
to express our thanks and appreciation for your dedication and commitment to
the arts. Inene (it is true), kuyabonakala ukuba nithe 'swii' zezobugcisa
nenkcubeko. We would like to commend Swii for the sterling job you are doing
and also congratulate the young people who are graduating today for their
achievements. Halala !
It is indeed gratifying to witness the role played by Swii Arts Amendment in
shaping the minds of the youth in order to become responsible citizens of our
communities. You will recall that under colonialism and apartheid, our history
and culture was stifled and distorted. We were denied opportunities for
artistic expression and access to resources and facilities to exercise and
develop our culture which left some of our youth with cultural identity
crisis.
Initiatives of this nature will therefore go a long way in restoring our
dignity as people and promote the values of Ubuntu and nation building. Last
night I attended a ballet performance of Romeo and Juliet - a beautiful
performance which was an excellent way of winding down after a long hectic day
at work. The movements of the dancers provided a tranquil and therapeutic
atmosphere. Very few African people were present probably because we were never
exposed to this genre. We were deliberately excluded in the past. But with the
innate creativity of our people we can also tell our stories through this art
form. An excellent example of this fusion is the film 'uCarmen eKhayelitsha'
which is a rendition in drama and opera.
Pallo Jordan has, since his appointment as Minister of Arts and Culture,
been at pains to explain to the South African people that 'arts and culture is
not just about so-called entertainment'. Arts and culture play a very important
role in our lives. It is central to social transformation, nation-building,
social cohesion, promotion of the positive values of ubuntu, promotion our new
national identity and the moulding of our own individual characters and
identity, and, indeed the creation of wealth and economic empowerment.
It is common knowledge that during this transitional period, when our
country is in the process of transforming from an oppressive and brutal regime
were the rights of our people were violated to become a totally united,
democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, prosperous and peaceful country, we are
faced with a number of social problems and challenges. May I just point out
that this situation is not unique to South Africa.
On the other hand, we are proud that our country is relatively stable with a
sound and efficiently managed economy, a world acclaimed constitution and a
number of good pieces of legislation and mechanisms that have been put in place
to promote transformation, growth and redress. In our haste as government to do
all this, we have moved rather very slowly in introducing arts and culture as a
compulsory area of learning in our schools.
Curriculum 2005 defines
It is our mandate as the department to promote and develop arts and culture
in this country and to mainstream its role in social development. We are also
improving the economic opportunities for South African arts and culture
nationally and internationally through mutual beneficial partnerships, thereby
ensuring the sustainability of the sector. The department is committed to
support such programmes that enhances and unveil the concealed talents within
our communities. The society deserves to have such programmes for the youth of
this country as this will instil positive values amongst the youth. We do not
want to see our youth being engaged in the activities of crime and drugs abuse,
we want them to be the future leaders of this country hence it is important to
focus on their creative capabilities at an early age.
It is my believe that the creative sector will play a significant role
during the 2010 world cup however will require the concerned efforts from all
role players, to ensure that the artists benefit from this prestigious event.
This can be done with the help of both the community, government and the
private sector. Creation of partnership with other organisations is vital as it
will enhance the abilities of individuals and organisations, to position for
many opportunities that the government has created through its policy
interventions and programmes.
I appreciate the choice of the age group chosen for this programme however
you should also consider the challenges the learners may encounter after
completion of this course. The critical question is what will happen to them
after the graduation. Perhaps you may wish to create programmes for them to
perform at various venues within and outside the community to further enhance
their skills and create job opportunities for them.
Learning art should not appear as a way for entertainment or recreation but
should be viewed as a strategic way to alleviate poverty and thus creation of
jobs. You can build a career out of acquiring skills in drama and other related
arts practices. There are higher institutions where you can further the
knowledge you acquired from Swii Arts Amendment and become a professional arts
practitioner. You will recall that in the past the arts were underplayed and as
such not considered as an integral part of the socio-economic development of
the country. Instead many parents encouraged their children to follow
professions such as teaching and nursing in order to earn a living. This
programme therefore creates awareness to the communities about the arts. The
students should therefore be capable to sustain themselves out of this
programme, by being able to write proposals to access funds from various
institutions such as National Arts Council (NAC), Business Arts South Africa
(BASA), Lottery, provincial Arts and Culture Councils and many other funding
sources. These funding bodies have made a huge difference in the lives of
artists and have given some impetus poverty reduction.
The organisation should strive to empower the students in such a way that
they are able to initiate their own artistic companies which in turn will be
able to employ many other people. The MEC Abraham-Ntatiso and Chairperson of
arts and culture are here to exhibit their curiosity and support to this
project. They are the first contact for support.
The performing arts not only the form of entertainment but thus form an
integral part of early childhood development. It helps in building of
confidence, refresh the mind and also play a therapeutic role in human beings.
It improves on a person�s physical appearance and builds on the person mental
concentration. If I had the authority for every child�s existence, I would
insist for all the children to attend or have drama classes daily. I would like
to encourage you parents to take your children to these programmes. To the
convenors of the programme, keep it up for the wonderful work. There are
limited numbers of arts educators in this country, like yourselves who despite
the limited resources go out of their way to impart the artistic skills to the
future leaders of this country.
Whatever you do be considerate, positive, practical and passionate and do
not forget to monitor and evaluate your work for success.
Swii, ndiabulela!
Issued by: Department of Arts and Culture
3 March 2007
Source: Department of Arts and Culture (http://www.dac.gov.za)
