Support performing artists who are helping hands in providing food during the lockdown Covid-19 2020! 

South Roots International including ARROWSA alumni

ARROWSA Alumni, Noluthando, Angela, Ntombi and Rachelle, who are performing arts interns at South Roots International, became part of the team that assisted in delivering food to the vulnerable in the Cape Flats during the Covid-19 lockdown. The team was led by Gloria of Balls not Guns and included Shanette, Sue-Livia, Jesse, Gracia and Nicole with the ARROWSA alumni. 

When the wearing of masks was enforced the team made 100 masks for community workers. 

The team make sandwiches, write inspiring notes and stick them on the sandwiches or loaves of bread that they distribute. Bags of fresh food products and packets of dry food products are delivered to central points in the Cape Town areas where communities women and children cook food for the vulnerable communities. Particularly the children are fed. Queues of children wait in lines that comply with social distancing requirements. 

The team started delivering to a few hundred vulnerable people in nine areas of the Cape Flats but at present are delivering to thousands in areas all over the Cape Flats. In mid-May the following places and numbers were supplied:

Food stations, numbers of people and times of delivery:
1.      Eagle Park   300 children      6  days  a week
2.      Jimsebos      200 children     3 days  a week
3.      Phumlani     300 children      4  days  a week
We cook for the above communities at the Lodge daily who have representatives who fetch it 
4.      Sea Winds   300 5 days a week     2 feeding station  two poorly equipped kitchens
5.      Cafda          200  6 days a week     2 feeding stations
6.      Parkwood.   350  6 days a week    1  feeding station
7.       New Horizon M 1     200  6 days a week  1 feeding station
8.       New Horizon  M 2   200 6 days     1 feeding station
9.      New Horizon   A       200  6 days    1 feeding station
Food delivered in the Cape Flats
10.  Hanover Park    550 6days a week      3  feeding stations
11.  Manenberg.      500  6 days a week   18  feeding stations
12.  Bontheuwel.   300 6 days a week        3 feeding stations
13.  Bishop lavis     200 6 days week          1 feeding station
14.  Portland          200 3 days a week        1   feeding station
15.  Tafelsig.          800 3 days a week        2 feeding stations
Food delivered in the Northern Suburbs
16.  Eerste River     300 6 days                  2  feeding stations
17.  Kuilsriver       200   6 days                   3 feeding stations
18.  Wesbank.      300    6 days                  5 feeding stations
19.  Vlottenburg   200  4 days a week        1 feeding station for the rest below
20.  Watsonia       200   
21.  Scottsville      350

At the end of May the number of people who make and supply the sandwiches have decreased because they are returning to work. 

 

  

ARROWSA assisted the South Roots International team in a small way by appealing for funds from the public to purchase food for distribution. New donors came forward as did some of ARROWSA's faithful supporters. We thank all of them! 

If you would like to contribute towards this ongoing work, please deposit your donation to the following bank account with the reference Food. 

South Roots International

FNB Cheque Acc 62629085798

Branch 200407

Swift Code

FIRNZAJJ

If you would like updates on the food distribution please contact us at arrowsa.artpeace@gmail.com

ARROWSA Legends

Lauren Dyll, Centre for Communication, Media and Society,  University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Prof Lauren Eva Dyll has been a staunch supporter of ARROWSA since 2004! Lauren's extended family, including her mother Anne Ross, are also legends in the way that they have helped fundraise over the years. They have also provided support behind the scenes to the leader of ARROWSA Bechet, Mr Bheki Dlamini. 

Lauren is a mother of two young children and a very busy woman who is a perfectionist achiever.  She works as Associate Professor in the Centre for Communication, Media and Society and Academic Leader for Community Engagement in the School of Applied Human Sciences. Considering all Lauren's personal and professional commitments one may wonder why she continues to serve as a volunteer in ARROWSA management?

Lauren explains below that "laughter and learning" are what have kept her working with and for ARROWSA as a volunteer for so many years. (For more information on Lauren's participation linked to ARROWSA see the Community Engagement partner CCMS, ARROWSA Bechet and  Research portfolio labels of the ARROWSA blog).

"I was asked me to write about why I have stayed involved in ARROWSA for all these years. On a personal note it can be summed up in one word: laughter. When I met Mary Lange during a research field trip to the Kalahari, not only did I meet a compassionate person and dedicated researcher, but someone whose wit and fun-loving nature could make people across many different ages, cultures and races burst out in heartfelt laughter together. Not only does laughter express joy but physiologically it releases endorphins that assist in reducing stress. In this simple yet powerful way Mary demonstrated to me what ARROWSA is all about – individual and collective expression, intercultural connection and well-being. The same was achieved when I accompanied the Bechet learners, teachers and Mary on their first intercultural trip to Plymouth in the UK. So when Mary asked if I would consider volunteering as a member of the ARROWSA management committee I jumped at the opportunity. Academically, my research centres on participatory communication, issues of identity and critical indigenous research methodologies. Being involved with ARROWSA has animated the principles and processes attached to these interests. This has been through sitting on a sand dune with Vetkat Kruiper listening to him explain to Mary what his vision was for his book, Mooi Loop; Bheki’s performances that explore different perceptions of heritage with the Bechet learners, co-authoring the book, Engraved Landscape: Biesje Poort, Many Voices with academics from different higher learning institutions, archeologists and KhoeSan descendants; the DUT/ARROWSA/CCMS jewellery exhibitions where proceeds are ‘paid forward’ to invest in further learning exchanges, and now with the current Mashishing Marking Memories project that examines the potentiality of participation as a tool in post-processual archeology, as the project records the intangible cultural heritage associated with the sites via storytelling and oral interpretations by a diverse research team, as well as their contemporary educational and tourism resource potential. Two words then: laughter and learning."

Lauren and ARROWSA Bechet participants at Stonehenge, UK, 2006.

Lauren (centre) with Mary Lange and Colleen Manning (ARROWSA Bechet) 

at Dartmoor Museum, UK, 2006.

RESEARCH PORTFOLIO

ARROWSA has a Research Portfolio led by Dr Lauren Dyll of the Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS) University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

The most recent research project that ARROWSA has assisted in took place in Lydenburg /Mashishing, Mpumalanga, South Africa. See the article below written by Dr Lauren Dyll.

 

The Marking Memories project is one of the projects that characterises this research and community engagement partnership. Dr Mary Lange is instrumental in the Mashishing project as an Arts, Culture and Heritage specialist, is the ARROWSA chairperson and is a CCMS Honorary lecturer. Dr Lauren Dyll is the project leader, senior lecturer at CCMS and is head of the research portfolio for ARROWSA.

On 4 June 2019 Dr Mary Lange, Nongcebo Ngcobo and Dr Lauren Dyll set out for Mpumalanga to conduct a preliminary field trip for the research project, “Marking memories: pre-industrial to contemporary, north of the Garib River and west of the Lembombo Mountains”. The project aims to operationalise indigenous knowledge systems in a diverse contemporary South African society by the inclusion of diverse African languages, and comparisons of past through to present engravings found in two different regions of South Africa.  Engravings can be considered markings of identity. In order to foreground the idea of living heritage and dynamic identities an important component of the project is to document the multivocal, intercultural readings of the local rock engravings by members of a diverse research team that includes academics, local professionals (teachers and museum staff) and local community members. 

Also of interest to the project are the ways in which people in Mashishing today, use markings for their personal or community identity. Interesting discussions emanated both from the teacher’s workshop facilitated by Dr Mary and the interviews Nongcebo conducted with Busisiwe Ngwane (a local teacher) and several museum staff. Nongcebo, who is supervised by Dr Lauren, is writing her Masters within the broader project. Her topic assesses the potentiality of participation within the Mashishing Marking Memories project from a culture-centered approach. JP Celliers, Lydenburg Museum curator, spent two days with Dr Mary, Nongcebo and Dr Lauren. They visited the museum itself, as well as the ‘Bokoni City’ that includes remnants of the Late Iron age stonewalled homesteads of the Koni people – a farming community who lived in Mpumalanga between 1500s- 1820s.

(L-R): Ngcobo , Celliers and Dr Mary speak to Busisiwe Ngwane about topics of heritage in the school curriculum. This was at the Lydenburg museum.

They also did a recce of the Boomplaats Rocks Art site that reveals direct evidence of how the Late Iron Age Bokoni farmers lived and organised their living space – many engravings depict the typical Nguni settlement patterns. Although the engravings’ authorship and subject matter is becoming clearer, its meanings and motivation for its creation remain poorly understood. Mary, Nongcebo and Dr Lauren are grateful to Lydenburg Museum staff for their warm hospitality and insightful couple of days.

   

Embarking on the 21 June 2019

Marking Memories Mashishing Project 

Photo by JP Celliers Photo by Mary Lange Photo by Lauren Dyll

In photo:

 

(L-R) Dr Lauren, Dr Mary and Ngcobo admire a large stone engraving 

Dr Lauren and Celliers at stone wall settlement

(L-R) Ngcobo, Dr Mary and Celliers in a discussion 

Further examples of ARROWSA Research Portfolio projects are included in the 2017-2018 report below written by Dr Lauren Dyll.

ARROWSA (Art, Culture & Heritage for Peace) Research Report

1 April 2017 – 31 March 2018

Publications:

The following publications includes data from ARROWSA-related research projects.

Dyll, L. (2018) Indigenous environmental knowledge and challenging dualisms in development: observations from the Kalahari, Development in Practice, 28(3), 332-344. DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2018.1438368.

Lange, M.E. (2016) Marking memories: indigenous north of the ! Garib River and contemporary in Westville, South Africa, Critical Arts, 30:6, 855-876, DOI: 10.1080/02560046.2016.1263218.

Lange, M & Ngema, L. (2017) Arts as a resource for reconciliation, ARROWSA in South Africa, WUMEN BAGUNG Communication for Development and Social Change Bulletin, RMIT.

Conferences:

The following presentations includes data from ARROWSA-related research projects.

Dyll, L. (Nov 2017) Attended and presented a paper at the Consuming the Environment conference, at Gavle University (Sweden), “Indigenous environmental knowledge and challenging dualisms in development: two Kalahari case studies”.

Action research

Continued action research on the Palmiet Nature Reserve and Bergtheil programmes (details in other portfolio report sections)

Indra Congress / symposium preparations

Preparations for Indra Congress Research Symposium (to be held in July 2018), facilitated by Miranda Jahanger (ARROWSA/ Drama and Performance Studies).

Indra Congress 'Pathways' 

Reflection and thanks!

Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu: 

I can't but We can!

                                                                                                      Beach Front parade (Photo by Mary-Ann Lange)

The Indra Congress "Pathways" surpassed expectations and resulted in an enthusiastic, energetic, enjoyable, thought provoking week that included sharing of cultures, skills, knowledge, friendship, tears and laughter through the arts! International Mandela Day seems a relevant day to reflect on how so many individuals from different cultures from different parts of South Africa, Africa and the world could come together, share and create arts, and become one people for a week.

Our initial budget for holding a congress in Durban for Indra was R750 000.00. We only managed to receive R30 000.00 formal funding. How did we then manage to host an international youth congress for approximately 90 people for a week and still maintain a high standard of arts skills and intercultural exchange? In this post (based on my address to the congress participants on the final day of the congress) as chairperson of ARROWSA and co-ordinator of the pre-, during and post Indra Congress Pathways, I'd like to reflect on who assisted in making the week such a success!  Although names of individuals and organisations will be listed, in truth, the amazing aspect of the congress was that it was a group effort. The reflection and thanks is shared not only to publicly acknowledge all who contributed to the congress but also to encourage other organisations and individuals to go ahead with planning events even if major funding is not available.

Acknowledgment is hereby given to the following people, organisations and institutions for their contributions:

Founder of Indra Congress and assistant coordinator of Indra Congress 'Pathways':
David Oddie (Director Indra Congress)

                               David Oddie as guest speaker at the congress opening (Photo by Alix Harris)

Fund raising:
  - Crowd funding - Luthando Ngema (ARROWSA management and Media and Cultural Studies UKZN)
   - Raising donations - Bhekithemba Dlamini (ARROWSA management and Bechet High School) and Dr Lauren Dyll (ARROWSA management and CCMS, UKZN)
    - Jewellery auction donation of Indra Net necklace - Kathlyn Allan (Author Jewellers)
    - Sponsoring of Instagram advert for jewellery auction - Luthando Ngema
    - Jewellery raffle donation of 'the giving hand' necklace - Kathlyn Allan (Author Jewellers)
Support for the above was especially from ARROWSA management and ARROWSA Bechet's family, colleagues and friends.

  
       Luthando Ngema (Photo Mary Lange)                                  Shanette Martin (Photo by Mary-Ann Lange)

Social Media build up on Indra Congress Pathways Facebook page- all countries participants and leaders
Press releases - Miliswa Magongo and Luthando Ngema
Congress media and equipment:                                           
  - Filming - Shanette Martin (Director South Roots International)
  - Co-ordination of  media volunteers and social media posting -Luthando Ngema
 - Media volunteers - Samantha Madondo (Media and Cultural Studies, UKZN), Tshimanga Tshiteya (ARROWSA Bechet alumni)

   - Co-ordination of media shown at the congress - Betty Giannouli for Greece, Urvashi Sahni for India;  and Shanette Martin for South Roots.
 

   - Photographer - Vincent Joseph (ARROWSA Bechet alumni) (Photo by Robyn Michelle)

Build up workshops in the weeks before the congress:
  -Intercultural exchange between Canadian students and ARROWSA Bechet at Bechet High School - Bhekithemba Dlamini
  -Making of bead and African charm necklace gifts for congress visitors - ARROWSA Bechet and materials sponsored by and workshop led by Kathlyn Allan, (Author Jewellers) and assisted by Karla Nixon (Fine Arts Dept, DUT)
  -Media workshop - Shanette Martin
  -Cooling Conflict  - anti-bullying workshop - David Oddie (Director Indra Congress)

Jewellery exhibition:

                                                                                                                               (Photo dut.ac)

Jewellery creation: Jewellery and Fine Arts Department, DUT second and third year students
Co-ordination and display - Dr Marlene de Beer and Dr Chris de Beer (Jewellery and Fine Arts Department, DUT)

Arts activities - artists donated their time to prepare for the congress in the weeks before and to facilitate the arts activities everyday of the congress and co-direct and lead the beach front parade activities.

 - Music, singing and dancing - Sue- Livia van Wyk (South Roots International)

        Sue-Livia van Wyk with her fellow South Roots International team participants (Photo by Selby Williams)

 - Drama - Ongezwa Mbele (Drama and Performance Studies, UKZN), assisted by Siyavuya Mfenqa (Dala intern)

                                                                                                           Ongezwa Mbele (Photo by Luthando Ngema)

                          Siyavuya Mfenqa and congress participants (Photo by Siyavuya Mfenqa)

 - Arts and crafts - Dane Knudsen (Stops) (Graphic Design department, DUT) , Kathlyn Allan (Author Jewellers) and Karla Nixon (Fine Arts Department, DUT)

                                                                Posters created by the arts and crafts group (Photo by Luthando Ngema)

  - Arts and crafts materials - Donation of materials and tools  by Kathlyn Allan, Karla Nixon and Dane Knudsen; funding  from jewellery auction

   Kathlyn Allan working with the ARROWSA Bechet participants in the arts and crafts group
                                                                                                                                          (Photo by Kathlyn Allan)

   - Mass movement - Alix Harris (Indra Congress Plymouth, UK)


          Mass movement facilitated by Alix Harris as part of the Beach Front parade (Photo by Mary-Ann Lange)                                 
- City walk - Doung (Dala)
  - Hand mapping exercise - Luthando Ngema
  - Warm up drama exercise session - Canadian students

Beach front parade planning -  Dane Knudsen, Dr Mary Lange, Ongezwa Mbele, Dr Miranda Young-Jahangeer, Nicola Zreineh (Al Harah Theatre, Palestine), Kathlyn Allan, Sue-Livia van Wyk and Karla Nixon
Beach front parade makeup - Karla Nixon

                                                                                                        (Photo by Nathalie Hodali)

Beach front parade direction - Dane Knudsen, Karla Nixon, Kathlyn Allan, Sue-Livia van Wyk, Ongezwa Mbele, Siyavuya Mfenqa and Dr Mary Lange

                                                             Karla Nixon directs the beach front parade bird (photo Luthando Ngema)

Beach front parade permit payment - from jewellery auction funds

Congress Venue and wifi - UKZN Drama and Performance Studies co-ordinated by Dr Miranda Young-Jahangeer (ARROWSA management and Drama and Performance Studies, UKZN) and staff

     - venue technical and general co-ordination and assistance at venue (including supervision of meals at the congress) - Jason Barber (Drama and Performance Studies, UKZN)

Facilitation, rehearsals and direction of presentations performed at the congress - were self funded by each participating group's leader.
                            
                             

        

                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                       (Photo by Ongezwa Mbele)

Congress Symposium:
Co-ordination and co-chair: Dr Miranda Young-Jahangeer
Co-chair: David Oddie

Meals:

  -Congress Lunches - funding from UKZN Research Prof Ramjugermath co-ordinated by  Dr Lauren Dyll (ARROWSA Management and CCMS, UKZN)
   -Suppers for visitors staying at Concord Guesthouse food and time donated - Dr Lauren Dyll, Anne Ross, Prof Ruth Teer-Tomaselli (CCMS, UKZN), Luthando Ngema, Dr Miranda Young-Jahangeer

Dr Lauren Dyll and Anne Ross (Photo Lauren Dyll)

 -Congress Tea and snacks - Dr Mary-Ann Lange and Dr Miranda Young-Jahangeer
   -Welcome snack packs for visitors from outside of Durban - Dr Mary Lange

Accommodation:
   - Namibia, Canada and South Roots - paid for their own
   - UK and Palestine - paid by David Oddie
  - India - paid one night for themselves and balance paid by ARROWSA from funds raised by publication sales and museum programmes

Durban transport co-ordination time donated: Bhekithemba Dlamini

Transport funding:
  - The leaders of participants from outside of Durban raised their own transport funding to attend the congress:  namely Darryl and Lessle Beukes from Namibia; Marina Barham from Al Harah Theatre in Palestine; David Oddie and Alix Harris from Indra Congress in UK; Shanette Martin from South Roots, Western Cape, South Africa, Diane Conrad of University of Alberta, Canada and Urvashi Sahni from Study Hall, Lucknow, India.
  - ARROWSA Bechet and Abasha Bash to UKZN - donations and raffle funds
  - Airport trips for overseas visitors - Dr Mary-Ann Lange, Kathlyn Allan and Dr Mary Lange
  -Visitors staying at Concord guesthouse to UKZN  - Dr Miranda Young-Jahangeer

Congress gift packs - UKZN co-ordinated by Luthando Ngema
Congress programme:
Design and layout time donated- Dane Knudsen
Printing co-ordination time donated - Bhekithemba Dlamini

Collage of Indra Congress Pathways participants by Dane Knudsen

I dreamed a week before the Indra Congress 'Pathways' that I saw a pride of young and female lions standing on each others shoulders in a formation reminiscent of cheerleaders.  In the dream I stood back and said "I didn't know that they could do that!"  At the end of the Indra Congress Pathways when I stood in front of the congress participants in the UKZN Square Space Theatre and looked at the young participants and all the leaders I had the same feeling as I did in the dream; awe and gratitude as I thought: 'I didn't know that you could do that!" but we did!

Thank you everyone!

                                                                                                       (Photo by Mary-Ann Lange)

Mary Lange (ARROWSA Chair)

10.  BUILD-UP TO THE INDRA CONGRESS PATHWAYS 

HOSTED BY ARROWSA AND UKZN 

IN DURBAN FROM 2ND TO THE 8TH OF JULY 2018

We have an ongoing build-up to the Indra Congress Pathways that introduces the participants and arts facilitators and organisers to each other and also shares the artworks that the participating groups are working on that they will share with each other at the congress.

Meet an assistant co-ordinator and fundraiser of the congress Dr Lauren Dyll of the Centre for Communication, Media and Society, University of KwaZulu-Natal and ARROWSA

Dr Lauren Dyll is a senior lecturer in the Centre for Communciation, Media and Society (CCMS), and is the disciple representative on the Research and Higher Degree Committee, as well as the Community Engagement Committee. She is head of the Research Portfolio for ARROWSA.   Lauren assisted with the first ARROWSA intercultural exchange to Arrow UK in 2006.  She has been a keen supporter of the different ARROWSA projects ever since  that first trip especially the ARROWSA Bechet programme and has inspired the support of her generous family and friends especially in funding and sponsoring the disadvantaged participants of ARROWSA.

The Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS) is located in the School of Applied Human Sciences of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The Centre offers Honours, Masters’ by Research (MSocSci) and Doctoral (PhD) degrees, in the Southern African region’s premier graduate research and educational unit in Culture, Communication and Media Studies. CCMS staff are internationally recognised scholars, and our postgraduate programmes reflect our interdisciplinary and international research culture which draws on media studies, television studies, film studies, cultural studies, history and heritage, and health communication. Modules offered reflect the research culture of CCMS and include: media theory; cultural studies in practice; media in the global world; South African mediascapes, social change & health communication; and research methodology for media and cultural studies. A wide variety of teaching styles are used to support learning, including seminars, workshops, and individual supervision. CCMS offers highly structured degrees with weekly seminars, and close supervision. 

We are happy to have Dr Lauren Dyll of CCMS, UKZN as part of our ARROWSA team at the Indra Congress Pathways and thank her and her colleagues for securing funding for the congress lunches!

Revisiting 2017

ARROWSA management wish all a Blessed and peaceful 2018! Thanks to all who have supported and participated in the ARROWSA programmes and projects in 2017.

 

Twice weekly arts for social change sessions led by the enthusiastic dependable Mr Bheki Dlamini took place at Bechet High School.

             

                       

The weekly arts for social change sessions culminated in productions at Bechet High School for students, for a farewell for the vice principal Mr Williams, for the eThekwini Local History Museum's Abasha Bash Competition and the end of the year awards evening.

  

Weekly sessions included workshops with international practitioners from Indra Congress, Plymouth, UK and from Bremen, Germany.  The latter was facilitated by Mohau Qalaza part of a partnership with eThekwini Local History Museum's intercultural exchange linked to the Abasha Bash, Passbook Competition.

International visitors were also hosted at workshops in partnership with the Palmiet Nature Reserve Committee, South Roots in Worcester and District Six Museum, Cape Town.

 

 

 

Further collaboration continued with research linked to CCMS, UKZN and Culture and Media Department, UKZN, working towards a 2018 exhibition with DUT Arts and Jewellery Design and ongoing heritage archive with www.artefacts.co.za.

We are excited for the Indra Congress - Pathways to be hosted by ARROWSA in Durban from the 2nd to the 8th July 2018!