Telling Stories of Pain and Hope:                                                 Museums in South Africa and Ireland - Book Launch

written by Ayanda Ngcobo 

(ARROWSA Local Authorities Portfolio leader and Museum Officer Bergtheil Local History Museum Durban)

The book, Telling Stories of Pain and Hope: Museums in South Africa and Ireland, was launched on 9 February 2023 at Bergtheil Museum in Westville. The book is authored by Dr Mary Lange, Independent arts, culture and heritage researcher, ARROWSA management and CCMS, UKZN Honorary Lecturer and Prof. Emeritus Ruth Teer-Tomaselli  of the Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS), University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and published by the University of South Africa (UNISA) Press.  

The book launch was beautifully opened by performances by a group from ARROWSA Bechet, alumni and South Roots International youth that was captured in three videos and followed by a performance by ARROWSA alumnae, Monique Mukendi. 

The MC for the evening was Mrs. Mohau Qalaza, Senior Curator of the Durban Local History Museums and based at the Bergtheil Museum. 

                                           

Dr Nthoesane, representing UNISA Press, was the first speaker and his remarks on the book were centered on how it will set the stage for generations to bring life to what is kept in museums.

                                                    

Dr Lange, of ARROWSA management and CCMS,UKZN, in her talk focused on museums and storytelling and where it is used as a sources on the lifestyles, belief systems and moral and values of people in the past and forms part of experiential learning. The spiritual wellbeing of the individuals telling traumatic stories in museums and their connection to themselves, others and with the environment were some of the key points in her address. The book explores how individuals, or their descendants, who have suffered traumatic experiences, tell these stories which include conflict and forced removals and how doing this impacts their spiritual wellbeing. Some of the museums which are covered in the book include the District Six Museum in Cape Town, Ncome and Blood River sites in Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal.

Prof Emeritus Teer-Tomaselli, of CCMS, UKZN, focused on the spaces and places where traumatic events took place and why the sites need to be commemorated. She also explained how the book explores how these sites remain sustainable and what happens if storytellers move on. Her talk also discussed briefly how structures have meanings and stories to tell. Teer-Tomaselli referred to places like the Constitutional Hill describing how it urges one to imagine the spirits that are there. She also referred to the Bloody Sunday massacre that took place in Derry, Northern Ireland.

The first respondent was Dr Mlungisi Ngubane, the director of uMsunduzi and Ncome Museums. He started his discussion on issues of social cohesion and referred to the Ncome and Voortrekker reconciliation bridge. He emphasised how healing is still an ongoing process and the process of healing is needed for pain to go away. He referred to stories narrated at KwaMuhle Museum in Durban and referred to the movement against historical statues and museums that were created to address past imbalances. Ngubane stressed the need for museums to move away from being dumping sites but should rather be places that make people talk. People need to talk about what they see in museums. Overall, he emphasised how South Africa has not healed, histories like that of the 16 December 1838 war over land between amaZulu and the Voortrekkers are still painful and people have not healed. Ngubane reiterated on how the book addresses a contemporary need in museums.

                                                

The second respondent, Prof. Emeritus Donal McCracken pointed out how museums deliver a message and deal with controversial subjects. He drew on examples from Northern Ireland and South Africa to offer a discussion about stories of trauma that form part of museums. This includes civil wars in both Northern Ireland and South Africa.

                                                  

The main programme ended with closing remarks from Mrs. Innocentia Swanepoel who reiterated that the book is an important contribution to museum studies.

The book launch was well attended and attracted academics, museum professionals, local media and stakeholders from arts, culture and heritage spaces.  ARROWSA management and ARROWSA Bechet learners were also represented at the launch. 

ARROWSA Management (left to right) Prof Sarah Gibbons, Bheki Dlamini, Luthando Ngema (Chairperson), Dr Mary Lange, Prof Lauren Dyll, Ayanda Ngcobo and Vincent Salanji.

Copies of the books are available through Unisa Press. See https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Unisa-Press/Books/History-and-Political-Africa/Telling-Stories-of-Pain-and-Hope

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

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

                                 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 

 

The Power of Museums – United Kingdom 

Skills transference workshop by Natalie Crompton (Touchstones Indra) on 5 February (partially funded by National Arts Council SA)

written by Luyanda Makoba-Hadebe, CCMS, UKZN

Natalie Crompton from Touchstones Rochdale (Indra) delivered a thought-provoking workshop that examined the power of a museum and how that can influence ideas of knowledge and culture. ARROWSA South to North arts, culture, and heritage for social change (SAUKINIDA) project transference skills workshop. Natalie is an Engagement Specialist working in both Heritage and Youth Theatre settings and a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Salford. The title for Natalie's workshop was: The Power of Museums,

Natalie facilitating the workshop

A museum is a collection of objects or items of significance that are identified as necessary. It plays an integral role in preserving the history of society. Their exhibits tell us stories about "how our nations, our communities, and our cultures came to be, and without them, those stories could be forgotten”  (Anon., 2019). They also offer a glimpse into the future by showing us our past. They can provide profound learning experiences for museum visitors

Natalie’s workshop skilfully dug into why it is essential to understand that museum exhibits are not without their cultural and societal blind spots. The existence of a museum exhibit existence creates accepted knowledge. This leads to creating what is acceptable as being relevant and vital. Probing questions in the workshop were used to that showed how important the museum exhibition's curator is. The questions she asked were:

·         Has a museum ever had an impact on you?

·         Who decides what goes into the museum?

·         What would you have in your museum?

                   

Rianna of Gorsehill Studios and a participant engaging in the workshop

These questions then become who curates the exhibits and to whom these items are essential. When creating a museum exhibition, the curator makes decisions regarding which objects to choose for display. Natalie used a great analogy to show how important a curator is when she asked the group to curate a biscuit museum. This question's discussion led to everyone agreeing that they might leave out oatmeal biscuits as they do not like how they taste. This is the personal blind spot that can lead to a biscuit that could otherwise be particularly important not being included in the exhibition.

                                               

Ayanda of Bergtheil Museum, eThekwini Local History Museums shares her experience 

The workshop concluded with showing why there is a need for diverse curators with a wider perspective will make sure decisions that are made about what is included as 'knowledge' on a topic are authentic and informed.  There is a need to understand why and how to curate museums in the way that we do.

 

 

CCMS, UKZN Signs Community Engagement Agreement with ARROWSA

Read the article at UKZN Ndabaonline

https://ndabaonline.ukzn.ac.za/UkzndabaStory/Vol9-Issue3/CCMS%20Signs%20Community%20Engagement%20Agreement%20with%20ARROWSA

Together here are (from left) ARROWSA chair Dr Mary Lange and Mr Bheki Dlamini of ARROWSA Bechet with UKZN’s Professor Ruth Teer-Tomaselli and Professor Lauren Dyll.