Unity, love festival set for Alex
ALEXANDRA – Public theatre festival to seek solutions and encourage self-pride in residents.
Alexandrians will be spoiled for choice at a public theatre and heroes’ conferment festival on 23 March at Alexandra Stadium.
The event, which has no funding, has the logistical, mentoring and security support from the Joburg City Council, Gauteng Sports and Recreation Department, WITS University Theatre Department, South African Police Service and Metro police, Alex Museum, Transport Museum, Community Police Forum, Traditional Healers organisation, NPOs like Agisanang Domestic Abuse Prevention and Training and other groups.
One of the organisers, Refiloe Pieterse said entry to the event will be through free tickets which can be collected at the Alex Museum and Alex FM Radio Station. “The one of a kind edutainment initiative for all residents targets particularly the youth to expose their artistic talent while entertaining and keeping them off the street and potential social ills and crime,” Pieterse said.
“Some of the township’s unsung heroes will also be honoured with certificates of appreciation for their often ignored selfless services to the community.”
Pieterse said that young artists will receive practical advice and knowledge on how to refine their creations and encourage them, under the theme ‘kasi life and abuse’, to also focus on their trials and tribulations and seek solutions to crime often associated with them. “They will also be drawn into sustaining the township’s cultural heritage and help to profile its history to tourists who will be our ambassadors to the outside world.”
There will be a tour of the heritage sites to encourage their preservation, stalls for crafts, fashion apparel displays and food from locals. There will also be music, dances and a play by Nhlanhla Mazibuko profiling real-kasi life and culture. Pieterse said poignant scenes in the play will include the fate of fatherless kids, school dropouts, single-family breadwinners, abuse and disharmony in families, family politics, religion and poverty. “Despite these challenges, many children make it through and live to be better role models to others so that they do not succumb to hopelessness and drift into crime but, exit poverty by exploring their talents and heeding advice from mentors and at school.”
Pieterse said the ambience will also encourage residents’ self-reflection and introspection on other prospects for social cohesion. The setting she added, will allow for free movement. Participants are asked to give it colour through sunglasses and appropriate colourful gear to fend themselves from the sun while burning energy and fat by mingling and initiating unity.
She sees the event as a precursor for many events to initiate unity, love and amicable relations among the residents, hopefully, helping to dent crime, violence, alcohol and substance abuse caused by idle time. Pieterse also asked for support of food packs for younger children.
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