Greetings from ARROWSA Chair 

Luthando Ngema

Seasons greetings to all my ARROWSA family and friends! 2021 was an eventful year and I am so grateful to be part of ARROWSA with all the great talent that ARROWSA cultivates. 2022 please be a happy new year. We just want to dance, move, perform and nurture our new ARROWSA garden. Thank you for all your hard work. 

Ukhisimuzi omuhle.

Phone Call to the World - "Call to the World" SRI Durban Tour to ARROWSA

South Roots International trip to ARROWSA 

- a creative collaboration as part of 
Phone Call to the World  and a digital contribution to the Scottish Youth Theatre COP26 exhibition in Glasgow as funded by British Council

Edited by Shanette Martin, SRI

#creation #reverberation #togetherforourplanet #theclimateconnection #indigenousknowledgesystems #artscultureheritageforsocialchange

Production day edited by Vincent Salanji ARROWSA - Phone Call to the World

Phone call to the World production day 

with ARROWSA Bechet 

and SRI 

at Bechet High Durban

Video edited by Vincent Salanji of ARROWSA 

@arrowsa.artpeace @southrootsint. @scottishyouththeatre #ARROWSABechet #ARROWSA #SouthRootsInternational #Scottishyouththeatre #PhoneCalltotheWorld #COP26 #Togetherforourplanet #TheClimateConnection 

Textile Women

South Roots International youth visit 

ARROWSA- SRI - Indra Congress -LHM collaborative exhibition

They Stand Their Ground 

The exhibition is at the Old Court House Museum, Durban and after seeing it and the nearby struggle exhibitions it triggered the youth to sing iNkululeko Freedom! Filmed and edited by Shanette Martin of SRI.

iNkululeko ingeyakho nawe

Freedom ingeyakho nawe

(Freedom belongs to you too)

 

#recycling  #theystandtheirgroundagainstgenderbasedviolence #theystandtheirground #oldcourthousemuseum #togetherforourplanet #freedom #theclimateconnection #phonecalltotheworld  #nationalartscouncil #durbanlocalhistorymuseum #gorsehillstudios #indracongress 

Heritage Day Vegetable garden ARROWSA PCTW

ARROWSA Bechet youth started their vegetable and cultural garden on South Africa's Heritage Day. The project is thanks to funding from National Arts Council for the vegetables and Phone Call to the World British Council funding via Scottish Youth Theatre for the arts materials.  The garden is an ongoing process and was continued in the Phone Call to the World ARROWSA and South Roots International week's workshop and production in the first week of October 2021. The video was filmed and edited by ARROWSA Vincent Salanji of Vinnies Vision.

#artsforsocialchange #phonecalltotheworld #COP26 #togetherforourplanet #theclimateconnection @arrowsa.artpeace @scottishyouththeatre @britishcouncil 

In this together

In this together video!!

by ARROWSA featuring Sue Livia van Wyk

Including art works by ARROWSA, South Roots International and Indra Congress Gorse Hill Studios

Including video footage by Shanette Martin and Vincent Salanji

Mouth organ played by Felipe Pozo of Indra Congress Shef

Edited by Devin Carter

 Celebrating our natural and cultural heritage

Heritage Day 2021 

 

ARROWSA Bechet as part of the Phone Call to the World project will create a vegetable and herb garden that celebrates our diverse use of plants for food and wellbeing. The garden containers will be from recycled objects.

#phonecalltotheworld #togetherforourplanet #theclimateconnection #creation #reverberation @scottishyoutheatre @britishcouncil

THEY STAND THEIR GROUND

They Stand Their Ground video

by Vincent Salanji ARROWSA management

partially funded by National Arts Council and including ARROWSA partners South Roots International, Cape Flats and SHEF, India.

The culmination of the Scarecrow project that ARROWSA led with Indra partners South Roots International in Cape Town, SHEF in India and Gorse Hill Studios in Manchester, UK culminated in They Stand their Ground against Gender Based Violence exhibition of large figures made from recycled materials that each hub made. Vincent Salanji of ARROWSA narrates this video that includes the voices of some of the project youth and their ideas on the impact of the project.

Save our planet #mycalltotheworld

My  call to the world 

by ARROWSA Bechet youth 

Part of My phone call to the world led by Scottish Youth Theatre and funded by British Council

#myphonecalltotheworld #COP26 #togetherforourplanet #creation # reverberation #theclimateconnection

PCTW Webinar 1 Ecobricks and Environmental Education by Jessica Ross

ARROWSA Webinar 1

Phone Call to the World

Ecobricks as a tool for Environmental Education 

by Jessica Ross

                

#creation #reverberation #COP26 #scottishyouththeatre #theclimateconnection #togetherforourplanet #britishcouncil #arrowsabechet #southrootsinternational #gorsehillstudios #shef

PCTW webinar 2 Localising Environmental Justice Shannon Landers

Phone Call to the World 
ARROWSA webinar 2

Localising Environmental Justice 
by
Shannon Landers

                 

New ARROWSA Chairperson - 

Ms Luthando Ngema

ARROWSA (Reg 088-058 NPO) is very happy to announce that Luthando Ngema is the new ARROWSA Chairperson. Ms Ngema started as a student researcher from CCMS, UKZN and then volunteer at ARROWSA Bechet. In 2010 when ARROWSA registered as an NPO Ms Ngema was appointed as one of the ARROWSA management where she has served ever since. 

Some of the ARROWSA - Indra international arts for social change exchanges that Ms Ngema led include the trip to Study Hall Educational Foundation, Lucknow, India 2014 and to Indra Congress, Plymouth in the UK in 2016.  She was also integral to the Pathways Indra Congress in Durban in 2018.  The use of hand mapping for personal change has been developed and refined by Ms Ngema both locally and internationally.

Luthando Ngema has also been active in ARROWSA's culture and heritage programmes over the years. When a student, Ms Ngema volunteered as an assistant on ARROWSA culture and heritage projects with the Palmiet Nature Reserve and once qualified she continued to represent ARROWSA at collaborative functions and events between ARROWSA and Local History Museum projects such as the Passbook and Abasha Bash competitions. Culture and heritage national tours that she has been part of include Kalahari exchanges.

Ms Ngema has also succeeded in raising funds for certain ARROWSA projects and has published research on ARROWSA arts for social change (see Pathways Indra Congress: Cultural Literacy for Social Change )

and culture and heritage for social change (see  Cultural and natural heritage school programmes and social change. )

Luthando Ngema is a lecturer in Media at the School of Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is also a researcher, teacher and social media expert and one of the project leaders for the Fukamisa Intsha film project - community engagement for UKZN. She is a PhD candidate, Media and Cultural Studies UKZN. 

We wish Luthando Ngema all the very best in her new role at ARROWSA!

Casey Spinner Environmental Justice response Web2 PCTW

ARROWSA 

Phone Call to the World ARROWSA webinar 2 - Environmental Justice by Shannon Landers

ARROW-INDRA were privileged to host a webinar presented by Shannon Landers, a PhD candidate, lecturer and Enviro-activist from the south of Durban as part of the Phone Call to the World project led by Scottish Youth Theatre (see https://www.arrowsa.org.za/projects/short-term  Phone Call to the World). Shannon's participation was organised by ARROWSA partner CCMS, UKZN.

Shannon's presentation stimulated much discussion and debate amongst the youth and leaders from ARROWSA Bechet (Durban), South Roots International (Cape Town), Abasha Bash LHM (Durban), Shef (India) and Gorsehill Studios (Manchester).

Casey Spinner of ARROWSA Bechet responded to the webinar with a video calling for the youth to play their part in protecting our environment.

#creation #reverberation #COP26 #collaboration #TheClimateConnection #TogetherForOurPlanet

Save the Environment ARROWSA Bechet PCTW

Save Our Environment 

ARROWSA Bechet leaders from Miss and Mr Bechet speak about their vision for the environmental future. Video edited by Bheki Dlamini

#creative #reverberation #artsforsocialchange #COP26 #TogetherForOurPlanet #leadersforourfuture #PhoneCalltotheWorld

Thank you for funding towards this project from National Arts Council and British Council

                                 Webinar 2

Phone Call To the World

Join us on the 23rd July at 12.30 to 13.30pm SAST for our ARROW-INDRA webinar that combines an environmental expert and creative responses. The webinar will be hosted by ARROWSA, led by Mr Bheki Dlamini. Our presenter will be Shannon Leigh Landers who will share on 'People before Profit': Environmental Justice in South Durban.

                             

Shannon Leigh Landers is a lecturer and PhD candidate in the area of media theory and cultural studies. She is also a dedicated volunteer and steering committee member at the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) – a community-based environmental justice organisation that advocates for the rights of KwaZulu-Natal communities affected by large industrial developments and pollution. 

#Scottishyouththeatre #indracongress #reverberation # TogetherforOurPlanet #COP26 #TheClimateConnection #collaboration #creation #arrowsabechet 

 Webinar 1 Phone Call to the World

Ecobricks as a tool for environmental education

by Jessica Ross

Jessica Ross facilitated our first ARROW-INDRA webinar as part of The Phone Call to the World project. One of ARROWSA's non-arts partners in the project, CCMS, UKZN organised Jessica's participation in the webinar. Jessica is a passionate advocate for the environment.  She has a MSc in Geography, and is currently a student teacher of Geography and English. Jessica's passion for the subject of Eco bricks shone through as she presented a PowerPoint on the subject. Jessica included her context, how to make Eco bricks and the process and results of her MSc on Eco bricks.

The webinar was attended by approximately 45 youth and leaders from South Africa, India, England and Scotland. 

                         

Mr Bhekithemba Dlamini of ARROWSA led the webinar and an ARROWSA Bechet participant Monique Mukendi warmed up the session with a beautiful rendition of "Hero" by Mariah Carey.  Monique opened the way for Jessica to show how we can be hero's in the fight for our environment. Or as Jessica said: "Eco warriors" and "Eco worriers"!

The break away sessions in the webinar, after Jessica's presentation, resulted in creative responses inspired by what she had shared. Some groups focused on what they would create from eco-bricks from chairs, tables, walls and dirt bins. Other groups focused on how they would create an awareness campaign on Eco bricks through media such as cartoons.

If the ARROWSA Bechet participants' inspired reaction to the project are anything to go by Jessica has sparked a renewed drive in how to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle plastics with innovative and creative products as an outcome.

#phonecalltotheworld #creativity #reverberation #cop26 #togetherforourplanet #theclimateconnection

 

They Stand their ground 

against Gender-Based Violence 

in UKZN NDABA online

https://ndabaonline.ukzn.ac.za/UkzndabaStory/Vol9-Issue28/Gender-Based%20Violence%20Exhibit%20at%20Durban%20City%20Hall/?fbclid=IwAR02X4mnPpwYxE3u_DRF9qBz3l8_nIdfQ7oEgpuwVM5STg48KfV46XURdLM

Photo: FJ Lange 

 ARROWSA YOUTH DAY 2021

While remembering the pain and suffering of the past upon which youth day is built the youth of ARROWSA Bechet and ARROWSA management also emphasised the responsibility of today. The responsibility of creating sustainable projects that will impact future generations and the responsibility of being a positive influence on today and the future. 

Photo: Frik Lange

ARROWSA projects at ARROWSA Bechet, with Indra Congress partners across the globe, CCMS, UKZN, school programmes linked to Durban Local History Museums and Palmiet Nature Reserve and South Roots International do this in three main ways. Firstly in the process of using arts, culture and heritage for youth to build their intrapersonal knowledge and skills of where they come from, who they are now, how they relate to others and where they would like to be in the future and secondly by the collaborative art, culture and heritage products that they create which includes interpersonal knowledge and skills as they learn about other youth and through knowledge gained learn to appreciate similarities and differences and to identify and empathise. Thirdly the dissemination, exhibition or installation of their art, culture and heritage products to the public - local, national and international ensures that the collaborative messages that they create through their products is heard and seen by as many youth as possible.

                                                                        Photo: Frik Lange

                                   

                                                                          Photo: Frik Lange

On Youth Day 2021 ARROWSA Youth from three collaborative projects took part in two activities that  emphasised their belief in making a positive change. The first event, led by Mr Bheki Dlamini, emphasised the process of creating change as winners of - Miss Bechet and Mister Bechet 2021 from ARROWSA Bechet - committed to starting the creation of a vegetable garden making use of recycled materials in a creative way at Bechet High School. The vegetables once grown will contribute to the school soup kitchen feeding scheme at the school and for the disadvantaged. It was an inspiring morning of planning, creating and working! Mister Bechet, Comfort Mchunu, emphasised that they wanted to be part of projects that were sustainable.

                                         

                                                                       Photo: Frik Lange

The second event emphasised a product of the 'Scarecrow' collaborative project of ARROW-INDRA that included youth from ARROWSA Bechet in Durban, Lucknow India, Gorsehill Studios, Manchester, UK and South Roots International in Cape Flats, SA. The product is a song 'We're in this together!' that was the result of three online song-writing workshops, funded by National Arts Council and facilitated by Sue-Livia van Wyk of South Roots International. Vincent Salanji of ARROWSA management organised an interview with Ntombi Mtolo on Durban Youth Radio. Vincent and Sue-Livia were interviewed and the song was played over the radio. An exciting moment for all involved! Sue-Livia van Wyk of South Roots International made a call on the youth to be themselves and true to where they come from and are and not to try and be someone else. Vincent Salanji of ARROWSA management emphasised that Youth Day should be called Future Day and as that it should include youth coming together and devising strategies to ensure a bright future.

                                    

                                                              Photo: Kaylyn Govender

Photo: Kaylyn Govender

                                         

Photo: Kaylyn Govender

The ARROWSA youth's initiatives on Youth Day 2021 as part of their drive for sustainable change are an inspiration to all generations and give hope for a better today and future.

               They stand their ground               against gender-based violence!

It was an exciting morning when partners from the ARROWSA Durban team of the They stand their ground against gender-based violence came together at the installation in Durban City Hall foyer. This is the Durban leg of the ARROW-INDRA SAUKINDIA part of the project. ARROWSA Bechet learners who are based at Bechet High School created two textile 'people' from recycled materials with the assistance of Mary Lange, ARROWSA chair and Bheki Dlamini, ARROWSA performance and schools portfolio leader and an educator at Bechet High School.  

The ARROWSA Bechet participants contribution was guided by three ARROWSA Bechet leaders namely Casey Spinner, Sne Mbisi and Mary Tsheteya. Banners in the installation included images from the South Roots International contribution to the project that will be exhibited in Cape Town. One banner included an image of Naledi.

The textile people from recycled materials were inspired by the work of Maggi Squire (see her instagram page @maggisquire) and one banner included an image of Maggi's She who stands her ground created by Maggi during lockdown. Maggi hosted an online workshop with the ARROW-INDRA participants from ARROWSA Bechet, Local History Museums and CCMS, UKZN from Durban, South Roots International from Cape Flats, Touchstones Rochdale and Gorse hill Studios in Manchester, UK and Study Hall Educational Foundation in Lucknow, India.  Maggi's workshop formed part of the ARROW-INDRA SAUKINDIA 'Scarecrow' project.  

The 'Scarecrow' project stimulated creative thinking of us as a community guarding each other against gender-based violence in the same way as a scarecrow guards the crops from predators.  ARROWSA Bechet created two textile 'people' from recycled materials such as empty dog food containers, old curtains, brooms and place mats. They created two 'people' one named Deli who represents abuse in the domestic space, either of wives, girlfriends and partners or of domestic workers. The other 'person' is Thanaka who represents the LGBTQ+ community, particularly boys and young men who are often ignored in discussions on gender-based violence. 

The installation is interactive as visitors are invited to add words of support to Deli and Thanaka. There is also a book where comments may be written down by visitors. Already the pages are filling with comments. Join us in standing against gender-based violence by visiting the installation at the Durban City Hall foyer - at the entrance to the library.

Thanks to National Arts Council for funding towards this project

Thanks for assistance with the installation to Local History Museums, DAG and Author Jewellers.

Photos by Frik Lange