Own Your Happiness

Passion and ambition fall into two different categories in life. It’s easy to tell them apart but difficult to marry the two. As a student you are allowed to follow, focus on and work towards your passion and when you have ambition, you can go far. There also comes a time when you have to take a step back, where you have to pay the bills, find a flat and unfortunately ‘grow up’. This is not the case for everyone, the lucky few struggle for a while and succeed, but the rest have to count on ambition alone to get us through the month.

One thing that you should never lose is your dream to do and be exactly what you were born to, whatever it may be. It’s that passion for which you will gladly work a 12 hour day and still be happy to bring the work home with you because it, in some way, defines you. It makes you smile when you think of it, you’d eat, breath and sleep it, given the chance. Never stop trying! Dreams only die when you let them!

Take time to reflect. Sit alone and meditate on what is important to you. Somewhat thinking of what makes you happy. It’s always easy to dream but, we have responsibilities in life that we can’t just let go of at a moment’s notice.  So come up with a plan on how you think you can survive and chase your dreams. Whether you do it part time or on the weekend, start building the brand that is you.

Don’t be one-dimensional. Don’t be afraid to take chances and try different things. You never know you like something until you try it. Whether it be a different sport, another style of writing, specialising in a different field of medicine or finance, don’t box yourself in, liberate, educate and facilitate your growth as an individual and a professional.

Market yourself. Be the person you want to become. Embody the passion, perseverance and ambition of a successful person in your chosen field then show it to everyone. We all have talents, we just need to show them to the world and make sure that we are recognised for them. It’s difficult at first, so don’t let a couple of “No’s” get you down, rather focus on presenting yourself in a manner in which you would be difficult to say no to.

Stay positive. There is always a way out, always a second chance and always a light at the end of the tunnel. It all depends at the angle in which you choose to look at it. We all have off days or weeks. It’s all about getting back on the horse that defines you, not how you fell off it. So look forward and dare to dream, your willingness to succeed is something no one can ever take away from you so, in the words of Maya Angelou- “...life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and do it with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style.”

“Every morning you have two choices:

continue to sleep with your dreams

or wake up and CHASE THEM” - unknown

            Images: www.hireology.com/inspirably.com/

The 'Lighter' side of Load Shedding

As some of us sit in the dark completely depressed about the current power situation in the country, or as we anticipate being victims of the dark or never-ending traffic jams, we forget to think that on some level Eskom is doing us a favour!

Have you ever sat back and thought of how privileged we are in modern day society to have electricity. The luxuries and convenience that come with it are endless. We like to take the pessimistic root and, think that we’re entitled to everything but have you ever thought of how it would be to live in a world without electricity, that will be a reality if load shedding doesn’t happen.

So while you’re sitting at the office, at home or in the dark grab a pen and paper, your ipad or phone and make a list of things that you can do while the power is out. You don’t have to mope and complain, rather make the best of a bad situation.

Go offline. We work too much, see our friends and family too little and we need time to catch up with that special person in your life, Eskom is actually here to help. Get off your mobile device and go see them! Have an actual interaction with someone, whether you meet at the bar up the road or across town, take some time to physically reconnect. Social media and chatting is impersonal enough, so do yourself a favour and give that friend a call.

Take the time to read. As people we tend to buy things which sit on shelves and on tables gathering dust, waiting for the time you decide that you have a few minutes to page through it, never really taking enough time to enjoy it. Now, you have a few hours. Whether it be the magazine you bought last month or the book you lent last year, find a comfortable spot, a candle of two, a glass of wine and entertain your brain. After all, it’s not often you get the chance to get lost in someone else's world.

Spoil yourself a little. We’re always tired, the week is always too long and we never have enough energy to get us through the day. Guess what, here is your chance. Eskom is giving you the opportunity to light those candles, have a long bath and then get to bed early. You deserve it, and they have noticed, so here you go.

Be spontaneous. There is always a certain restaurant you’ve been dying to try, or go back to, why not now? This is the perfect opportunity and the perfect excuse to do just that. Enjoy the finer things in life once in a while, even if it's during the week, don’t wait for someone else to put a smile on your face.

Be romantic. If the dark isn’t a perfect time to be romantic, I don’t know when will be. Candles and chocolates are not just for valentines day, giving someone a well deserved massage or foot rub will get you into their good books or if you’re single, you don't have to be alone. Muster the courage to ask our office crush out for a drink, or that boy at the gym. It’s better than being alone in the dark, be your own hero and write your own fairytale.

Then again, don’t let me dictate it all to you. Be creative and find the fun when everyone else can only see the dark side. So make that list and be prepared. Go onto the Eskom website and plan your time around the load shedding schedule. Remember: Eskom is doing you a favour ;)

Jacqui Carpede presents Ready to Love

   “a reflection of the real Jacqui Carpede”

Growing up in Eldorado Park Jacqui Carpede knew what she wanted to do with her life, never settling on the idea of having a “normal job”. Pursuing her dreams she started making a name for herself as a performer from a young age. She officially started off her career performing with Liesl Penniken and Mariechan Luiters as part of Jamali when then group was formed on the television show Coca-Cola Popstars in 2004.

Jacqui is an entertainer and a woman who has accomplished a lot through her efforts especially with the launch of Ready to Love as an independent project. The singer-song-writer, actress, mother and self-proclaimed show-girl has taken her passion and expression and put it in her debut solo album Ready to Love, which she is now ready to share with the world.

From her days as part of the iconic South African Group Jamali, Jacqui Carpede has taken on many exciting roles and projects, but Ready to Love will be a true expression of herself.  A strong work ethic, a great support structure and an ambitious spirit has brought her this far. As a performer, business minded and confident woman, Jacqui has single handily taken the reigns of this ambitious project and will start the Ready to Love album tour on the 22^nd of March in Polokwane.

With many hours of rehearsing going on, Jacqui promises the live performances and tour will carry one main factor, and that is “Entertainment value”. “Everything matters” she notes, as she describes her devotion to what she enjoys and mentions that it will be a “surprise on stage”, something truly to look forward to.

Her main musical influences are hardworking musicians like Janet Jackson, Brenda Fassie and Toni Braxton to name a few, who stay relevant and stay true to themselves and through her music,  this is what Jacqui also aims to be.

Ready to Love incorporates elements of funk, dance and house. This will be something new and different to the pop sound that she is known for with Jamali. The album will tell a story and describe her journey as she fell in love with music all over again.

The tour does not have a definite end, with many dates to still be set, with a variety of venues looking to host at least one night of her tour. For those who can’t make it to buy the album on tour, it will be available in stores and digitally from the 24^th of March.

Tour Date for Ready to Love:

Johannesburg 19^th of April

Kimberley 23^rd of May

Port Elizabeth 28^th of June

Bloemfontein 19^th of July

The rest are to be confirmed

Catching Up with the Parlotones

“There is no better feeling than arriving at a show in a foreign country and there is a queue waiting outside.”

 

What can we expect from the new album?

Awesomeness, they say humorously, it has a lot of good hits on it, it’s quite diversity, a bit of everything, featuring Khuli Chana…

What are some of the things you enjoy doing outside of your music career?

To play Golf and tennis,

How has your music changed since leaving SA?

I don’t think we’ll ever consciously know how it has changed or evolved but ultimately you are a product of your experiences, of your environment and we are constantly exposed to old and new music, styles, and that washes over you and goes into your subconscious, and when it comes to the creative process you naturally bring that new vibe to the mix. It happen as an organic and more natural process. Since the inception of the band our core of our sound is melody, and it is still the same, sonically it may change around the core but, every thing we like creating revolves around melody.

How do you compare yourselves to the rest of the market in your genre?

At this stage Rock, or guitar music has a bit of the back burner, especially in the domain of pop culture, especially that which is distributed by radio stations and television channels, so you see a lot of guitar bands evolve their sound to accommodate that. But everything is cyclical, it swings around and for us, we try and ensure that we stay a guitar band and try to listen to what is current and fresh and organically we have never been purests, e=we like all kinds of music, and if it’s a good song it’s a good song no matter what its dressed in. sometimes we sound poppy, sometimes rocky, but that is just the vibe of what we listen to.

How is the response to your music different compared to that which You had here in SA?

America has thir own type of sound, and hhan has a unique voice which is a refreshing sound, and we defenately stand out vocally. The fans as well, they are a lot more proactive, they hear the music from a tv show for example and they go out and and see who wrote the song, get the album, and go to a show with their friends, as they are very enthusiastic about how they consume music. They are loyal also, they will follow you as you do your shows, sometimes travelling ten to 12 hours between shows, and they sometimes arrive before you do and they stand and wait outside the entrance. We alrady have fans with tattoos of our lyrics.

what are some of the challenges that you gave faced as a group?

Basically family and friends, being away from home. Is the biggest challenge. And trying to get on with each other isn’t that big of a challenge as we are fortunate that we get on so well. Not having routines, just focusing most of your energy on the next city, and the next show. But we have the normal things like broken down busses and vans and things that come with the territory.

 How was the Jo'burg day experience?

Amazing, crazy crowed, it was cool. It is always was great to play to a home crowed.

have the dynamics in the group changed or developed in anyway?

Over the years we have become more experienced and better musicians, starting off as being self-taught, we just develop and performance, energy and everything is much easyer, doing songs without even thinking about it, becoming more professional and becoming a tight knit.

What do you miss the most about the country, besides family?

The vibe, the feeling around you is not alien. The familiarity of being home.

What are some of the key highlights of your career thus far?

Performing at the opening ceremony of the world cup, with the whole adrenalin and the rush that was surrounding the whole country, and it was the largest televised performance, a special moment and a historic event. And as a new band you start dreaming small, like playing at Roxys in Melville and once that’s done you set your sights on something else which all become individual highlights.

What are some of your goals for the future?

Our main goal is to have a life long career in music as the Parlotones. To be a Big band, whatever that means, to tour and play on radio around the world. Short term goal is the new album, and getting that on radio.

What can fans be expecting from you in the near future?

Just the new album and to perform in small towns who are normally starved for live entertainment, and at the end of the year we will have a big tour nationwide.

Do you still get performance jitters before going on stage?

Always, but mostly it is when playing in America for offices of people who are responsible for promoting your music, especially when there is no equipment except a guitar and a shaker.

How many of you are single? There are so many ladies who are dying to know!

Glen is, but he has girlfriends, so there is still a chance.

During shows they often play longer than the set time, this is because they say they will always give more if the crowed it asking for it.

“It’s satisfying doing exactly what we want to do.”

The Zulu in Review

Where: Main Theatre – The Market Theatre.
Twitter: @markettheatre
Directed by Christopher John and designed by Sarah Roberts

 Going into the theatre you never know what to expect, but when you are pleasantly surprised, it always comes as a well-earned relief, but The Zulu was much more. The performance by Mbongeni Ngema, neglected by many, is an act of true African storytelling, an experience you hardly have anymore.

 

The stage is set to welcome you into rural KZN and the Zulu village, taking you back to the great Zulu kings of the past. Each character is portrayed with confidence and in a manner where you could swear Mbongeni had been there. He had grown up with these stories being told to him by his great-grandmother.

Bear breasted, dressed European from the waist down and traditionally Zulu from the hip up, Mbongeni merged between scenes, times, characters and settings seamlessly, with his memories and the words of his late blind great-grandmother guiding our journey through Zulu land.

Accompanied by Matshitshi Ngema, listening with us, they engaged in the journey through dances, traditional Zulu song and battle spears and shields, to lead the way to victory. The story is completely in English to cater for any and all audiences with any Zulu parts being translated as he continues his journey.

For Ngema, the creator of hits such as Sarafina and Woza Albert, this is a show that will teach, inspire and transport you to a defining time in our own history, looking at it from an African point of view, a story for everyone, South African and global citizen, to hear.

The play which goes for about 90+ minutes is one this mature actor has been dying to do. He feels that the stories of our past are an investment and they need to reach the ears and pierce the imaginations of modern audiences.

The show will be touring the country till 2014 and will be taken abroad for international audiences to consume. This is a show that we should all see. Truly a bold performance of informative and entertaining storytelling.

Spring fragrance for men - The ONLY guide you need!

Seasons come and go, and just like your wardrobe, you also want to change your fragrance. Smelling good is a necessity for any man in a metropolitan society, and even if your not too sure what to get, let me help you.

As the heat climbs we move away from the deeper and stronger fragrances such as Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf or Tom Ford’s Noir. It’s time to look, feel and smell fresh. Whether it’s in those shorts and shades at that party or to a more formal feel of Spring these are what you should look for:

1.      Gentleman Only by Givenchy, a clean, crisp, masculine smell great for any occasion. This fragrance has been recently re-launched and reworked with woody character and spicy compliments are combined to bring the best out of the modern man.

2.      Eros by Versace this is a balanced fragrance. It has fresh notes and is sweet and strong. This is how you make an impression at any party. With strong and warmer woody hints Eros is named after the Greek God of love, this is for the man who is the master of himself.

3.      Only The Brave by Diesel is perfect this season. It is a lasting fragrance that compliments everyone with its citrusy aroma and distinct base notes, it’s the fragrance of any hero. With a distinct bottle, it’s a keeper.

4.      Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Summer 2013 with their distinct limited edition bottles introduce this musky fragrance with a vanilla base and hints of mint and green grass leave. This is the epitome of Spring also adding to your collection of unique fragrance bottles.

5.      Dolce & Gabbana Pour home is a combination of foral and natural notes, a fresh fragrance that is very masculine and a true classic scent. This classic fragrance is great for both day and night, no matter the occasion.

So no matter what you looking for this Spring and through the summer, this will be perfect for all your needs. Who says a man can’t smell good?

Partying with Jack Parow.

It was exciting when we were invited to interview and attend one of Jack Parow’s shows at Tiger Tiger Pretoria. It was a night with a lot of energy, over-excited fans, good music and where many preconceived ideas about Parows music fell away. The line-up was tight, with Jack and featured DJs: Craig White and Dean Murray. We met up with Jack in VIP and got to know the Afrikaans rapper a bit more.

Where does this wild and ‘cooler as ekke’ personality come from?

I come from Belleville. I’m an Afrikaans kid from that side and being from that aria, where I grew up, it’s where my personality comes from and I just try and make cool music and hope people like it.

 What inspires your type of music?

People I meet, the places I go, the parties, everyday life, I try and keep my music as real as possible and as close to myself as possible, that’s my vibe.

 Who are some of the artists that you would like to collaborate with?

I always like to work with Afrikaans artists who inspired me growing up. Like on my new album I collaborate with some of my favourite artist David Cramer, a friend of mine from the States: Dirt Nasty, Francois van Coke, Vally swart,

What don't people know about jack?

Nothing, I’m so honest and open and I put everything into my music, so there isn’t anything.

 What do you call your dress style?

I don’t know... I keep away from trends, but it’s not Zeff.

 What kind of message do you want to send through your music?

Be yourself, do what you love. Don’t listen to negativity, don't change for other people, be different. Because at school I listened to rap and I did what I wanted to that’s why I am where I am.

A lot became clear as the interview and the evening progressed, Jack Parow has a diverse fan base who lined every part of the club to see him perform. The fans related to his honest and forthcoming manner as they sang along to every lyric. The night went off without a hitch even though the crowed went mad, and he was less than a meter away from them at all times, interacting with them during every song.

How has your music changed since the days of rapping only in English?

The big change was that it completely changed language. I still have a lot of English in my music, I use a lot of slang as well. I just write, and if it comes out in either language that’s ok but I my main aim is to further Afrikaans music. Like anything your skills develop, you never stop learning, always try to be better, with music you are constantly pushing myself better.

 Where in the world have you performed and where would you like to perform?

I played all over South Africa and I’ve played in Russia, Germany, Holland, Belgium, England and the States. For next year I want to play in Australia and New Zealand.

What do you do in your spare time?

Braai, because my life is to party, so at home I just chill, and play plantation.

 Where do some of your other talents lie?

I bought a book a few years ago and I’m learning how to be a handyman. Building and doing carpentry, it’s fun working with my hands. I also did Graphic design for a long time, and I also dabble in that often.

 What's new with Jack? What can we expect from you?

The DVD launched, Welcome to Parowdise. I finished writing and I’m busy recording new album, which is a double album, half acoustic and half electric. In this financially tough time I wanted to produce something that is worth people spending their money on. Also I am working with ‘Closely’, to produce a Jack Parow vinyl next year, because I am a huge vinyl collector, I'm happy to put-out my own one.

When is the new CD coming out?

Hopefully around the second week of October this year.

What can we expect from your DVD?

Basically the last four years of my life, mixed in with two big live shows. It’s a lot of crowed footage, interviews, behind the scenes, and footage from where I’ve played all over the world. It’s different and not a documentary. It shows where I am in my life and my journey,

What are your feelings about Jo'burg day?

Amped for it, it’s always fun to play on a massive stage, it’s cool.

The evening was rounded off with Jack allowing his fans to take photos, get autographs and to acquire some merchandise, memorabilia of a night they spent with their favourite artist. Hos JA!

Getting to know Jimmy Nevis

Jimmy Nevis is a young and vibrant student who has made a huge splash in the music industry lately. His sound is of an international standard, locally bread from the Mother city, Observer took some time to get to know Jimmy a little better, behind the music.

What are your best tips to pulling an all-nighter.

Get coffee (not an energy drink) and get a friend as well so that you not alone. Work with breaks every hour or every hour and a half.

Where do you see your music developing into in the next 5 to 10 years?
Internationally across the globe, having covered multiple genres.

Does your coloured roots influence your music in any way?
I think more the cultural aspect as oppose to the racial aspect - i think my childhood, community and life experience all contributes towards my sound.

What's the 3 thing you never leave the house without?
My cellphone, laptop and bank card

What are your favorite hobbies, or activities away from University and music?

Swimming, braai-ing, going on vacation.

How do fellow students react to you now, especially those who run into you for the first time?

It's mainly first year students - they often look a little shocked at first but then they come around afterwards.

Still single? What are the traits you look for in a partner?
Confidence and a good self-esteem, an understanding towards my career

 What makes you different from the other young South African musicians, besides the type of music you make?

I think I'm very involved, I write, produce, plan and arrange my own music. I edit some of my own videos and I’m generally just a part of every sphere there is.

Who are some of the artists who inspire you?

Coldplay, Mi Casa, Rihanna, Jamie Cullum, Drake

What are your plans for the end of the year and into 2014 that fans should look out for?

I have a show happening in September 20/ 21 at Baxter hall in CT. I'm also featured on many tracks including Mi Casa and pascal and Pierce. I'm also dropping new videos and maybe even a brand new single.

Have you considered going on tour and where would you like to go?

I think I'd really like to get South Africa under my belt first and then take over other countries in Africa. I'd also love to tour Europe. I feel a strong connection to their interest in music. I'm loving a lot of the acts to come out of the UK and France at the moment.

Indoors or outdoors?

Indoors – fire

How would you describe your fashion/style?

Inspired by my emotions. Very simple.

How has faith influenced the decisions you make in life?

I base every decision on it. It is the influence that really counts.

In addition…

Just a thanks to all the supporters and music lovers out there!! Mad Respect.

 

Religion vs. faith

Although religion has been the cause of many wars through the ages it has shaped modern society and is something many cling on to, whilst others avoid it completely for reasons such as science or misfortune.

According to the Collins Dictionary, ‘religion’ is a “belief in, worship of, or obedience to a supernatural power or powers considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny by any formal or institutionalised expression of such belief.”

In this day and age religion is mainly represented by the institutionalised rules and regulations, or better yet the dos and don’ts of a particular religious group. This also differs according to religion and denomination. In Christianity, for example, there are Methodists, Anglicans, and Catholics, different norms of worship and interpretation but one religion.

What makes many religions so strong is that their members are strong of faith. They believe firstly in God and the power of God, then grow more and fully through the culture and structure of their religion. Religion also offers a kinship, a belonging and the ‘correct’ way to please God. These are some of the main factors that keep congregations strong and together in faith.

Looking at faith, it is defined as a “strong or unshakeable belief in something, especially without proof or evidence.” This does not refer to any structure, but only to the central belief most people have and their conviction that there is a ‘creator,’ and maker of all things seen and unseen.

This creator is defined by many names, such as God, Elohim, and Allah, with 99 other names representing different attributes.

To have faith only means you need to believe. It exempts you from the traditions and confines of any structure allowing you to pray, worship or acknowledge God in ways you see fit, considering the basic principles which transcend all religions about the treatment of others, selflessness and devotion.

According to Hebrews 11:1-2 in the Christian Bible, “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”

Religions structure and formality is not always a bad thing, but it does sometimes cause divisions. Most importantly, however, people should have faith and keep to their beliefs. This will make them all spiritually stronger in their respective religions.

By: Martin George Headger

Also found at: http://www.ujobserver.co.za/Readmorelifestylethree.html

That's So Gay Festival

THAT’S SO GAY theatre festival, Presented by UJ Arts and Culture hosts ‘more than just gay plays’ but presents three award-winning gay-interest plays which headline the performances.

Reading Gay, which took place last year, was the inspiration behind taking two of the best readings and turning them into full stage productions. Also accompanied by two guest pieces, Snowman, by Canadian playwright Greg MacArthur’s, and Little Poof Big Bag by Bruce Little. This was to bring light to pieces which haven’t been seen before adding an international stamp to the show.

Being one of the biggest metropolitan cities which is home to a great gay population, UJ Arts and Culture wanted to achieve different things by not only catering to the gay population, or doing something unique in our society, but also to highlight our diversity through this. The gayness is incidental, its celebrating differences and being informed about the human complexity in all forms of colour, creed culture or sexuality, commented Jade Bowers director of ‘The Boy Who Fell From The Roof’

 According to Ashraf Johaardien, who heads up UJ Arts and Culture, “The role of arts at UJ -- and indeed in the world -- is to be provocative, to push boundaries and to engage with the broader community rather than just presenting safe comfortable work for UJ students, performed by UJ students. In 2011 UJ Arts launched Reading Gay, a season of staged readings of five new South Africa plays in collaboration with the UJ intercampus student LGBTI organization, LIBBERATTI. The current THATSOGAY Festival is the evolution of that project and marks international LGBTI history month, falls over the week of Jo’burg Pride as well as UJ Campus Pride and is a precursors to Diversity week.”

SA Shorts

SA Shorts’ invitation to the National Arts Festival in July had them premiering on a global stage. At saw UJ taking to Student Theatre festival SA Shorts engaged with professional casts and phenomenally impressed the adjudicators as a cast of volunteer performers.

Presented by UJ Arts & Culture, SA Shorts: quickies for a microwave generation, is a collection of six short plays of proudly South African writing. This, the work of numerous playwrights who have taken the opportunity to establish themselves and to voice their stories by presenting their pieces which have not been performed or produced before, and which engages in many different aspects of life through their eyes.

SA Shots consists of snappy, witty, humorous, dramatic and also some dark humour, serious issues and features looking at a tragedy from the eyes of a clown in Wave. This diversity is suited of a variety of audiences and has captivated the imaginations of many through this new form of storytelling that brings together different views and forms into one production.  Each piece was chosen to specifically suited for a student cast, there was no style or criteria, but Alby Michaels was looking for pieces which had distinct voices and strong scripts. SA Shorts moves away from Far-off-off-Broadway (FOOB) as it contains home-grown pieces suited for an array of audiences.

From Grahams town to the UJ stage, SA Shorts has grown and made a few changes. As each piece is between 10 to 15 minutes, director Alby Michaels and his assistant directors Motlatji Ditodi and Rethabile Mothobi have polished SA Shorts into a Must See! The dynamic on stage proves to be a theatrical experience which is rare, entertaining and thought provoking.  Dance the Dance by Tristan Jacobs, Kill Me,Please! by Rhea MacCallum, Metaphorically Speaking by Zanandi Botes and The Opening by Rob K Baum premiered at the National Arts Festival. Losing the Plot by Anthony Akerman and The Wave by Renos Spanoudes, were added as SA Shorts opened at the UJ Arts Centre Theatre,

How UJ fairs at the Arts Fair

Sharing numerous stages and performance spaces with some of the best in the country, UJ put its best foot forward at this year’s National Arts Festival in Graham’s town. There, Alice Who? and SA Shorts made their mark amidst the vast creative spectrum by being part of Student theatre and representing the new generation of performers who are getting their first taste of the global stage by taking part  this, the second largest festival in the world.

The student theatre festival hosted strong pieces, full of many talented and trained performers who study their art and dedicate their lives to this while UJ stood, an equal, with a cast of volunteer performers who carry the heart and spirit for acting and dancing, respectively, and who performed pieces which “reach out to new audiences” said Christina Kennedy, South African theatre critic and arts writer, about SA Shorts.

The Student Theatre was adjudicated by four esteemed panellists of internationally recognised advisers consisting of Christina Kennedy, Kathy Perkins, Gez Casey and Kemati Porter, who were  assigned to provide input, adjudication and constructive analysis for four categories of competition which included ‘Best student Theatre production’, ‘Most Promising Student Director’, Most Promising writer’ and ‘Best Student Theatre Poster’.

Of the four categories that were open for competition UJs’ SA Shorts walked away with the best poster which had a great impact ‘artistically and as a promotional tool’ as was the criteria. Featuring among the 16 other student productions at the festival, SA Shorts was never at a lack of an audience and received great praise as well as constructive critique from the panel.

“The student theatre advisors at this year's National Arts Festival were extremely impressed with the level of commitment and enthusiasm displayed by the UJ students in SA Shorts, particularly bearing in mind that they are not studying drama and are participating in such productions on a purely voluntary basis, giving of their free time to enrich themselves and add to the burgeoning cultural renaissance on campus. For this, the students and their supervisors are to be heartily congratulated” added Kennedy and the panellists.

Hosted the Kingswood Theatre were Alice Who? and 13 other pieces, but there was a lot of enthusiasm around Alice. Sivu Situngu, who is a Rhodes student and worked for the festival, found Alice to be one of two shows that stood out to in all aspects of professionalism and performance quality for that venue and also added that it was worthy enough to have featured in the Main stage rather than on the Fringe.

All the performers felt that when it came to their craft they had a hunger to display with their love and passion, and they put in all they had and wanted to keep their eyes on growing through this experience in their respected styles and keeping to a high standard of professionalism as well.  

When it came time to perform SA Shorts did not have room for any butterflies to intimidate them. They focused on staying true to the stories that they were telling and doing justice to their talents and to themselves. They felt that through the diversity and intention of their show, they had the inspiration to participate in contributing to the celebration of theatre. Nathanael Chanza explained the experience as “It’s like being in the Spanish La Liga yet, we’re only just in the PSL”.

Alice found that the National Arts Festival is not just a platform to showcase the arts as any other form of entertainment but it holds a vast array of skills, talents and meaningful lessons also tackling social issues through individual performance pieces. “The Arts are there to educate people, to send a message and to change lives” commented Jacob Nofemela (The Mad Hatter) from Alice Who.

After seeing different pieces from other performances at the festival, it became a more eye opening experience, not only as a display of the rich talent which is held in our country but also as a source of inspiration, admiration and provoking aspiration within the performers. “Their technique, energy and skill, to not only dance but to perform, showed us that we need both passion and dedication in our craft and the versatility and creativity of this sparks a new appreciation and respect for dance” continued Jacob.

SA Shorts felt this experience was one of immeasurable value. Being on the road together gave them a chance to conceptualise each other’s energy and personalities so to better understand one another and this only aided their on-stage dynamic. Being among likeminded people in the midst of the festival also aided in their growth as performers and finding their drive intensified through the commonality and likeminded performers whom they interacted with.

The results of this years’ Arts Festival only holds a brighter future in the development, stimulation and growth of the arts community and more so among young performers. Proving to be a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration and growth, the array of exhibitions, performances, workshops and other offerings held by this festival, is an encouragement to embrace our reality and explore our creativity, to grow personally and learn from our humanity. Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic) also said “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”

iHamlet

In true Shakespearian fashion Ashraf Johaardien took command of the old English and brought the character of Hamlet to life. In this solo act, Ashraf combines and embodies the young vigour ,excitement and  the confused mind set of the character  which comes from Hamlets deep anger and hatred for his uncle and his mother.

Going through the many emotions and the mad journey of the prince of Denmark, iHamlet is based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but this show, being a bold and deeply expressive piece is rooted in the quest for identity and finding his place in a world which he can’t seem to understand.

With his ‘villainous’ uncle looming over his head, he struggles to find who he is. He is lost in a world of despair which is characterised by his deep love for his father and the bedrail caused by his mother who is then wed to his uncle.  His struggles go through phases which also see Hamlet taking on a feminine role in discovery of his sexuality. 

In his rebellious ways, the audience gets taken aback by the emotions and passionate performance. It’s easy to find Hamlet as an indescribable character, but his words really emote the performance where one could not equate any words to describe the tribulations of this youth.

Broadened by mirrors and the use of reflections, the music selection as well as the setup of the stage in its levels and depth, this modern version of the classic is perfect for those with a love of Shakespeare and dramatic art with its Victorian humour which captures the imagination of a select cultured audience as the old English proves tricky to keep up with and the full journey of the character which is not completely understood.