Prisoners enjoy in-house Fest performance
By Angella Nabwowe & Casper Meijer
It was a completely different ambience in the open prison court yard where sentenced juveniles and adults were suprised with two performances of the traditional Zulu Umzansi dancers from KwaZulu Natal. It was a break from their predictable prison routine as inmates laughed, cheered, clapped and smiled.
Since 2004, The College of the Transfiguration from the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in collaboration with the Festival office have been running a special outreach programme that takes Festival entertainment to those who are unable to come and see the activities. Fr Clive Newman, from Grahamstown Parish and a lecturer at The College of Transfiguration said their target audience includes “people who cannot come to the Festival because they are sick, or the elderly who can’t walk to town, and prisoners who are locked up. When we come here, we are saying ‘hi guys, we didn ’t forget you, you are still part of us’.”
While giving a vote of thanks to the performers one juvenile, who is serving a six months sentence for house breaking, noted that the performance was a good gesture and that he fully appreciated it. “Thank you very much for remembering us, I am completing my jail term in December and hopefully will be back in school in January 2009.”
Andile Tonya, the religious coordinator at the Grahamstown Correction Centre says the performances are an insipiration for the inmates to engage in drama and music. Fr Newman said the Outreach Programme has steadily evolved from just two venues and three performances in 2004 to eleven venues and four to five performances daily in 2008. Besides the Correction Services, other beneficiaries for this year include: Temba TB Hospital, Settlers Hospital, Ethembeni Old Age Centre, and Makanaskop Old Age Home in Joza.
Reaching out to the underprivileged
According to the Festival Director, Ismail Mohammed, more than one hundred artists have volunteered their services to the Outreach Programme. He made a passionate appeal to artists who have not yet embraced the programme to do so. “It is a wonderful way for the artists to be able to make an investment in their society.”
Speaking to CueBlog after perfoming for the inmates at the Correction Services, Umzansi group leader Siyazi Zulu said it was great performing for the underprivileged: “I feel very happy because we need them to change their minds, not to feel like they are alone.”
Fr. Newman commended the artists for taking time off their busy schedule to do something for the Grahamstown community. “People do it free of charge, it is out of love.”
Free tickets
It is not only the underprivileged in hospitals and prisons who are having fun. The Festival Office increased the number of free tickets given to people through the Arts Encounter Project. The number went up by 2 000, from 5 000 free tickets in 2007 up to 7 000 in 2008 with a value of R200 000.
Tickets are given to any group that makes an application through the Arts Encounter Project. Festival CEO Tony Lankester says that “any organisation can apply. We try and spread them as far as possible across the various organisations, but preference is given to unemployed people, theatre groups in and around Grahamstown and schools”.
Pics: Angella Nabwowe & Casper Meijer
Vid: Angella Nabwowe & Casper Meijer
Great multimedia story you guys composed, especially the video story. And of course I appreciate the NAFest initiative, hopefully adopted by other arts festivals in the world.
A very cool story guys!
This is an awesome story!! and it is defnitely a good multimedia package! I had no idea that stuff like this went on during fest!
Criminals should be locked away and not enjoying the benefits of free people. Crime is bringing this country down, but prisoners are treated as if they are on the Simple Life or that TV show, Prison Break.
The only entertainment they should have is thinking about what they will do with the rest of their lives.
Interesting comment Muzi – thank you for your feedback. A thought however: let’s not forget that in every society people develop with complex backgrounds and come from very diverse walks of life. I’m not by any means justifying the horrific crimes that do happen in our country, or the criminals that act them out, but I do think that a huge part of any efficient and effective justice system must have, underlying it, a society that is historically supportive of equality. Considering that South Africa has not always treated people to this luxury of equal opportunities and educated socialisation, I don’t think that further disadvantaging their access to things like art, which support democracy, is a solution to supporting any kind of rehabilitation in correctional services.
Social justice and retributive justice are different. The softly softly approach of prison officials and government to criminals when they came into power is the reason that the crime situation is out of control.
Parliament says that they are going to take away TVs in single cells to remove the idea that some prisons are country clubs.
He also said prisoners may get ideas for breaking from jail from Prison Break.
18 000 killed last year – that’s not a crime, it’s a warzone! Take your head out of the sand. People might preach human rights but if you talk to anyone who has been affected by crime (I was stabbed by tsotsis)and behind closed doors they will tell you that they want to hang them high.
Hoi Cas, goed filmpje, heftige discussie ook eronder. Ben heel benieuwd naar je verhalen!!