ARROWSA collaborated once more with 

the Durban University of Technology's 

Jewellery and Design Department 

August 2016 (3rd to 19th)

Photos by ARROWSA management Luthando Ngema and Lauren Dyll-Myklebust

                                                

The opening of this yearly event by DUT art gallery manager and ARROWSA management Francesca Verga not only showcases the creative skills of the DUT students but also gave the ARROWSA Bechet group led by Bhekithemba Dlamini an opportunity to showcase their dancing, singing and poetry skills. 

            

A group of 20 learners represented the ARROWSA Bechet group and performed a version of their eThekwini Local History Museum's Abasha Bash programme "Freedom is not Free" that got them a place in the semi-finals.

Also See:
http://radiodut.co.za/arrow-collaborates-with-jewellery-and-design-department-at-the-latest-exhibition/

ARROWSA Bechet team off to Indra Congress Bethlehem

ARROWSA Bechet Co-ordinator Bhekithemba Dlamini and ARROWSA participant Nonhle Ndwalane flew off to Bethelehem on the 18th July for the week long Indra Congress.  At the congress Bheki will present at the symposium of practitioners and academics and he and Nonhle will perform at the Indra Group presentation afternoon.  They will also share South African culture at the Intercultural sharing evening.  Everyday workshops will be presented on drama, dance, music or visual arts.  The workshops will culminate in a festival at the end of the week. Their attendance is partially funded by the British Council.

The Indra Congress Bethlehem's schedule below:

Date	Morning 1 10.00 – 11.15	Morning 2 11.30 – 1.00 pm	Lunch Break at University 1.00-2.00	Afternoon 1 2.00 – 3.30	Afternoon 2 3.30 – 5.00	Evening 7.00
Sunday 17th of July	Free activities	Free activities	Lunch			Opening & Welcome Music Concert or Dance performance
Monday 18th July	-          Welcome -          Workshops Dance –Circus –Theater – Puppetry & Street Parades Core symp/Co-ordinators	-          Workshops Dance –Circus –Theater – Puppetry & Street Parades	Lunch	Symposium	Indra Groups Presentations 4 groups	Theater Performance by Al-Harah
Tuesday 19th July	-          Workshops Dance –Circus –Theater – Puppetry & Street Parades Co-ordinators	-          Workshops Dance –Circus –Theater – Puppetry & Street Parades Symposium core group	Lunch	Symposium	Visit to Hebron All	Social Cultural sharing
Wednesday 20th July	-          Workshops Dance –Circus –Theater – Puppetry & Street Parades Symposium core group	-          Workshops Dance –Circus –Theater – Puppetry & Street Parades	Lunch	Symposium	Indra Groups Presentations 4 groups	Tour in Bethlehem Area Dinner at Ein Restaurant in Makhrour Music evening
Thursday 21st  July	-          Workshops Dance –Circus –Theater – Puppetry & Street Parades Symposium core group	-          Workshops Dance –Circus –Theater – Puppetry & Street Parades	Lunch	Trip to Dead Sea & Jericho or  Jerusalem	Dead Sea & Jericho or  Jerusalem	Dead Sea & Jericho or  Jerusalem
Friday 22nd  July	All Day rehearsal Symposium 6	All Day rehearsal Symposium 6	Lunch	All Day rehearsal Symposium 6	All Day rehearsal Symposium 6	Presentations
Saturday 23rd July	Local Visits	Presentations from Local Civil Society Organisations	Lunch	Free Exchange visits between young people	Evaluation
Sunday 24th of July	Local Visits	Free time	Lunch	Evaluation	Good Bye	Celebrations
Monday 25th of July	Departure

Bechet High ARROWSA

shine at  the finals of 

Ethekwini Abasha Bash Passbook Competition 2016

Led by Bechet High educator Bhekithemba Dlamini the group performed their devised programme on the theme 'Freedom is not for Free' at the Westville Civic Centre in June 2016.  The participants said it was an unforgettable exciting experience to be able to perform on such a big stage in front of a large audience.

In the July school holidays the Bechet Abasha Bash learners visited Ethekwini Local History Museums: Cato Manor; Old House and Bergtheil.  At the museums they had their 'passbooks' stamped as part of their participation in the Ethekwini Abasha Bash Passbook Competition.  They wait with great anticipation to hear the results of the competition at the Prize Giving in September 2016.

PALMIET NATURE RESERVE 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMMUNITY WALK 2016

ARROWSA once more led a community educational activity at the Palmiet Nature Reserve thanks to  an invitation from Warren Friedman and Jean Senogles of the Palmiet Nature Reserve Committee. Thanks to Palmiet Nature Reserve staff Sandile for facilitating the use of the well kept hall and premises at the reserve.

Mary Lange, ARROWSA Chair and facilitator, once more led a community walk in the Palmiet Nature Reserve to the iGwalagwala Cliff archaeological dig in March 2016.  Mary started the morning with a brief introduction to the physical evidence found in the area before the group went on a walk to the site.  Due to a massive storm in Durban prior to the walk the dig had a large amount of soil washed into it despite the tarpaulin cover. After the walk interest was shown by other tourist sites for Mary to take their guides on the walk as part of their training in the use of experiential and interactive tour guiding.

Palmiet Nature Reserve and Bergtheil Museum partnership with eThekwini Local History Museums' Passbook Competition continues-

March-April school visits 

Yellowwood Primary School grade 5’s visited the Palmiet Nature Reserve and the Bergtheil Museum in March 2016. Over 130 learners and the teachers attended and their visit was part of the Local History Museum's Passbook Competition.

Nature walks were led by Palmiet Nature Reserve Committee members Jean Senogles and Warren Friedman. ARROWSA chair and facilitator,  Mary Lange, introduced the learners to physical evidence of the cross cultural occupation of the iGwalagwala shelter and surrounding areas in prehistory and recent history.

Big thanks to the Palmiet Nature Reserve field rangers Jeremiah Sihlangu, Philip Mnembe and Sandile Duma for their great help.

The learners picnicked at the Palmiet Nature Reserve before going on to the Bergtheil Museum. At the Bergtheil Museum historian Alvine Calboutin facilitated the learners tour of the museum.  Gogo Aslina Madikizela and Mary entertained and educated the learners in the Bergtheil Museum's teaching room with oral narratives.

In April 2016 Reservoir Hills Primary School visited the Palmiet Nature Reserve, Bergtheil Museum and Pinetown Museums as part of the eThekwini Local History Museums' Passbook Competition. 

Resmount Primary School's Grade 6 (88 learners)  and Grade 5 (92 learners) classes attended the Palmiet Nature Reserve on the 13th and 14th April 2016 respectively. Their experiential environmental awareness  and cultural usage of the natural heritage by inhabitants of the PNR's past  was facilitated by Mary (ARROWSA) , Jean (PNR Committee), Johannes, Phillip and Sandile (PNR field rangers). Nick Evans also presented on both days an experiential interactive educational talk on snakes and  myths and reality related to them . 

The school's attendance was part of the eThekwini Passbook Competition and they therefore went on to the Bergtheil Museum after the Palmiet Nature Reserve in order to view the exhibition on the Palmiet Nature Reserve and other cultural artefacts linked to the area's heritage. At the Bergtheil Mary and Alvine facilitated the museum tours. Before the learners visited the exhibition at the Bergtheil Alvine linked the museum to the Palmiet by showing the learners large photographs of early settlers holding rock pythons that were hunted in the Palmiet area.  

She also told them a story of the Koningkramer boy who had an encounter with a Rock Python in the Palmiet area. She emphasised that these reptiles are now protected in the Palmiet Nature Reserve.

Below is the latest newsletter from ARROWSA international affiliate Indra CEO David Oddie regarding the upcoming global youth intercultural exchange congress in Bethlehem.  If anyone would like to support the South African team's attendance please contact ARROWSA chair Mary Lange at marylange@telkomsa.net Indra Congress  2016 Bethlehem APPEAL

Dear friends of Indra During the week of the 17th July we are holding the 2016 Indra Congress in Bethlehem.  We are the guests of Marina Barham of Al Harah Theatre in collaboration with Dr Hala Yamani at Bethlehem University.  This is a significant event which, over several years, Marina and I have worked towards.   The current level of tension in the West Bank has led to the decision that the Congress would only be open to people over 18 years old.  Sadly this excludes a large percentage of our usual participants for these live events.  We do, however, plan to link up the Indra hubs digitally to enable wider virtual participation. It is also unfortunate that professional colleagues and friends of Marina in the Arab world will also be excluded as the Israeli authorities will not grant them access to the West Bank.  Despite this, we are gathering from the Indra hubs a group of young practitioners, educators and activists who are keen to show solidarity with our friends in Beit Jala and are determined to attend.  For some of these young participants raising the resources to travel is a major obstacle. I am therefore making an appeal to help build a travel fund to help in getting participants to Bethlehem.  It will be a major life experience for them and an opportunity to share practice, ideas and experience with arts workers from Al Harah and the Palestinian Arts Organisation Network. Small contributions are welcomed and appreciated: small amounts quickly add up towards an air fare.  If you would like to contribute or you can recommend sources of sponsorship and support, do please get in touch with me. Best wishes David David Oddie indracongress@hotmail.co.uk

For all educators in the Durban area - 
please spread the word.