03 March 2007

Programme Director (Thank you)
Chairperson of the Swii Arts Amendment Board,
Mr Monde Ngonyama and all  Board Members;
Distinguished graduands of Imbadu Drama Outreach
Initiative (ooSotheko);
MEC of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture,
Mrs Noxolo Abrahams-Ntantiso;
Executive Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality,
Nondumiso Maphazi;
Honourable Councillor Nancy Sihlwayi responsible for
Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture in the Metro  
Honourable Councillors (names?)
Religious leaders, Parents and Community leaders
(any acknowledgments?);
Honoured residents (abahlali) of the Tinara and
Nelson Mandela Bay Metro;
Honoured guests;
Ladies and gentlemen and all the young people present,

Good evening to you all!
It is, indeed, an honour for me to be invited to address you on this very important occasion and I would like to thank the Board of Swii as well as my colleague, Counsellor Nancy Sihlwayi for the privilege to participate in this celebration of the excellent work and achievements of Swii and the Imbadu graduands.
 
On behalf of the Ministry and Department of Arts and Culture, I would like to express our thanks and appreciation for your dedication and commitment to the arts. Inene (it is true), kuyabonakala ukuba nithe “swii” zezobugcisa nenkcubeko.

We would like to commend Swii for the sterling job you are doing and also congratulate the young people who are graduating today for their achievements. Halala !!!

It is indeed gratifying to witness the role played by Swii Arts Amendment in shaping the minds of the youth in order to become responsible citizens of our communities. You will recall that under colonialism and apartheid, our history and culture was stifled and distorted. We were denied opportunities for artistic expression and access to resources and facilities to exercise and develop our culture which left some of our youth with cultural identity crisis.
Initiatives of this nature will therefore go a long way in restoring our dignity as people and promote the values of Ubuntu and nation building.

Last night I attended a ballet performance of Romeo and Juliet - a beautiful performance which was an excellent way of winding down after a long hectic day at work. The movements of the dancers provided a tranquil and therapeutic atmosphere. Very few African people were present probably because we were never exposed to this genre. We were deliberately excluded in the past. But with the innate creativity of our people we can also tell our stories through this art form. An excellent example of this fusion is the film “uCarmen eKhayelitsha” which is a rendition in drama and opera.

Dr Pallo Jordan has, since his appointment as Minister of Arts and Culture, been at pains to explain to the South African people that “arts and culture is not just about so-called entertainment”. Arts and culture play a very important role in our lives. It is central to social transformation, nation-building, social cohesion, promotion of the positive values of ubuntu, promotion our new national identity and the moulding of our own individual characters and identity, and, indeed the creation of wealth and economic empowerment.

It is common knowledge that during this transitional period, when our country is in the process of transforming from an oppressive and brutal regime were the rights of our people were violated to become a totally united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, prosperous and peaceful country,  we are faced with a number of social problems and challenges. May I just point out that this situation is not unique to South Africa.

On the other hand, we are proud that our country is relatively stable with a sound and efficiently managed economy, a world acclaimed constitution and a number of good pieces of legislation and mechanisms that have been put in place to promote transformation, growth and redress.

In our haste as government to do all this, we have moved rather very slowly in introducing arts and culture as a compulsory area of learning in our schools.

Curriculum 2005 defines  …………………………………..

 It is our mandate as the Department to promote and develop arts and culture in this country and to mainstream its role in social development. We are also improving the economic opportunities for South African arts and culture nationally and internationally through mutual beneficial partnerships, thereby ensuring the sustainability of the sector.

The Department is committed to support such programmes that enhances and unveil the concealed talents within our communities. The society deserves to have such programmes for the youth of this country as this will instill positive values amongst the youth. We do not want to see our youth being engaged in the activities of crime and drugs abuse, we want them to be the future leaders of this country hence it is important to focus on their creative capabilities at an early age.
 
It is my believe that the creative sector will play a significant role during the 2010 world cup however will require the concerned efforts from all role players, to ensure that the Artists benefit from this prestigious event. This can be done with the help of both the community, government and the private sector. Creation of partnership with other organizations is vital as it will enhance the abilities of individuals and organisations, to position for many opportunities that the government has created through its policy interventions and programmes.

I appreciate the choice of the age group chosen for this programme however you should also consider the challenges the learners may encounter after completion of this course. The critical question is what will happen to them after the graduation. Perhaps you may wish to create programmes for them to perform at various venues within and outside the community to further enhance their skills and create job opportuninties for them.

Learning art should not appear as a way for entertainment or recreation but should be viewed as a strategic way to alleviate poverty and thus creation of jobs. You can build a career out of acquiring skills in drama and other related arts practices. There are higher institutions where you can further the knowledge you acquired from Swii Arts Amendment and become a professional arts practitioner. You will recall that in the past the arts were underplayed and as such not considered as an intergral part of the socio-economic development of the country. Instead many parents encouraged their children to follow professions such as teaching and nursing in order to earn a living. This programme therefore create an awareness to the communities about the arts. The students should therefore be capable to sustain themselves out of this programme, by being able  to write proposals to access funds from various institutions such as National Arts Council (NAC), Business Arts South Africa (BASA), Lottery, Provincial Arts and Culture councils and many other funding sources. These funding bodies have made a huge difference in the lives of artists and have given some impetus poverty reduction.

The organization should strive to empower the students in such a way that they are able to initiate their own artistic companies which in turn will be able to employ many other people.

The MEC Mrs Abraham-Ntatiso and Chairperson of arts and culture are here to exhibit their curiosity and support to this project. They are the first contact for support.

The performing Arts  not only the form of entertainment but thus form an intergral part of early childhood development. It helps in building of confidence, refresh the mind and also play a therapeutic role in human beings. It improves on a person’s physical appearance and build on the person mental concentration. If I had the authority for every child’s existence, I would insist for all the children to attend or have drama classes daily. I would like to encourage you parents to take your children to these programmes. To the convenors of the programme, keep it up for the wonderful work. There are limited number of arts educators in this country, like yourselves who despite the limited resources go out of their way to impart the artistic skills to the future leaders of this coutry.

Whatever you do be considerate, positive, practical and passionate and do not forget to monitor and evaluate your work for success.

Swii, ndiabulela!!!

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