Mobilising Creativity of Township Youth Through Theatre and Poetry: Case Studies from Mitchell’s Plain and Soweto

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The colloquium puts two case studies concerning youth development into conversation. Liesel Hibbert from the University of the Western Cape demonstrates the importance of positive self-concept which is nurtured through theatre and life skills training. She shows, through analysis of DVD clips of interviews and of the actual play presented by the learners. Miki Flockemann from the University of the Western Cape will discuss how such performative encounters contribute to expanding horizons of knowledge and identity negotiation in the context of the academic curriculum. Denise Newfield and Robert Maungedzo demonstrate how an alternative poetry programme led to creativity, self-reflexivity, a broadening of horizons, and enhanced language skills, as well as to the unexpected publication of a student anthology. Phillipine Sithole, Thando Tshabalala and Nokwanda Kethekile Ntsontso, three former students, comment on what the pedagogic programme meant to them. They also read and perform some of their poems. This colloquium presents two projects from quite different parts of the South African educational landscape as exemplars of what is possible in literacy and life skills development. It sets up a live conversation between researchers, a project leader, teacher and learners.

Keywords: Cross-cultural communication, Literacy Development, Entrepreneurial Development, Poetry, Theatre, Youth, Identity, Multimodal Pedagogy

Stream: Creative Arts and Learning

Presentation Type: 90 minute Colloquium in English

Paper: Jumping into Creativity

Denise Newfield

Senior Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesberg, South Africa

Prof Liesel Hibbert

Director of Iilwimi Sentrum for Multilingualism, Director of Iilwimi Sentrum for Multilingualism, Arts Faculty, UWC. SA, UWC
Cape Town, W Cape, South Africa

Liesel Hibbert is currently the Director of Iilwimi Centre for Multilingualism, Arts Faculty. She has taught mainly Academic Literacy, South African Writing, Academic Literacy at 1st year level, Business Communication and Research Methods for Master’s students in Management over the last twelve years. She served the provincial government as Chairperson of the Western Cape Language Committee (Provincial Government Department of Arts, Culture and Sport) in 2003 and 2004. Her research work is based in anthropological linguistics and social theory, and spans literacy development, language education, South African writing and political rhetoric in a multilingual country. Her current project in youth development is linked to theatre facilitation as an after-school activity. Some of her recent publications are: ‘Representations/ (re)contextualisations of traditional repertoires in parliamentary discourse in South Africa’ in Mannheimer Beitraege: Identities in Migration Contexts (2006), ‘Globalization, the African Renaissance and the role of English’ in the International Journal of the Sociology of Language (2004), ‘Changing language practices in South Africa’ in South African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies Journal, SALALS (2003), ‘Comparing Black South African English and African American Vernacular English’ in English Today (2002).

Robert Maungedzo

Teacher, Lamula Jubilee High School
Johannesberg, South Africa

As a township English teacher, he is interested in making learning meaningful and interesting for students, for example, through the use of poetry. Has co-edited a youth anthology.

Miki Flockemann

Professor, University of the Western Cape
South Africa

Phillipine Sithole

Affiliation not supplied
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Nokwanda Kethekile Ntsontso