ARROWSA has continued to be a valuable partner of the Passbook Competition since
its inception in 2013. The Competition once again invites schools from different
parts of eThekwini to visit museums, take part in planned activities and stand a
chance to win prizes. It is open to Grades 4 to 11, and schools that cater for
Learners with Special Needs (LSEN) are also welcome.
The 2024 instalment of this competition was launched
at its Educators' Workshop on 5 March 2024 at the Westville Civic Centre led by Ms Mohau Qalaza and her LHM team. The
theme for the year is 'The Right to Vote Reflections 30 Years Later!' which will
be integrated with the various components of the Competition, from visual arts
submissions to written submissions and performing arts.
The competition links museum education andclassroom learning, focusing on history, heritage and creative arts. ARROWSA is
committed to continuing this long-term partnership in 2024. The programme
director at the launch was Dr Mary Lange, a long-standing member of ARROWSA
management and the founder of MeL: Arts. Culture. Heritage (MeL). Ayanda
Simelane, a member of the Passbook Competition Committee and ARROWSA management,
also spoke at the launch. She deliberated on the education component, mainly
focusing on grade-specific activities incorporating the History and Social
Sciences curricula and the theme.
The visits to museums and other heritage institutions will commence on 4 April and will be open until
mid-August. Auditions for the performing arts component, Abasha Bash! The finals
will be held on 13 and 14 May and 13 June. During that week, visitors from
Bremen, Germany will be participating in the Abasha Bash! The final phase of the
Competition will be the Prize Giving Ceremony, which is due to take place on 19
September. ARROWSA plays an important role in adjudicating submissions and
ARROWSA alumni, with MeL, in facilitating visits to the Palmiet Nature Reserve,
which is a participating site.
The book launch began with the acting out of extracts from the book, with Dr Lange as the narrator and ARROWSA alumni Miss Noluthando Shandu and Mr Njabulo Nxumalo as performers. They presented impressive talent and captivated the audience, which was an important feature of the book. They discussed the love of little creatures and trees and the importance of respecting nature and our interdependence on nature and each other. The book is multilingual and relates to different communities in South Africa and is an important tool for creative and performing arts teaching and learning. It is also about telling stories and what these stories teach children.
The team that worked on the book reflected on their experiences of working on the book , such as the layout artists Saskia van Meeulen and, illustrator Kathlyn-Sue Allan
and isiZulu translator Nomusa Mabaso.
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Speeches were also made by ARROWSA Management including Bheki Dlamini who reflected on his role as educator advisor on Messy Matters.
and Prof Lauren Dyll, CCMS, UKZN, who presented a positive review of Messy Matters.
