After a while

One of my many loves... poetry. This is a simple one after a long week, reminding us always to plant our own gardens, can't wait for someone else to do what you need to do for yourself  #HAPPYFRIDAY

After a while – Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while you learn

the subtle difference between

holding a hand and chaining a soul

and you learn

that love doesn’t mean leaning

and company doesn’t always mean security.

And you begin to learn

that kisses aren’t contracts

and presents aren’t promises

and you begin to accept your defeats

with your head up and your eyes ahead

with the grace of woman, not the grief of a child

and you learn

to build all your roads on today

because tomorrow’s ground is

too uncertain for plans

and futures have a way of falling down

in mid-flight.

After a while you learn

that even sunshine burns

if you get too much

so you plant your own garden

and decorate your own soul

instead of waiting for someone

to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure

you really are strong

you really do have worth

and you learn

and you learn

with every goodbye, you learn…

Spot the difference

 Take a look at this pictures and spot the difference 

The difference is that I I'm not in this picture........ LoL

It was real fun on choma s birth day wishing her all the best for her future and she may see many more to come hip hip hura hura boooooom

#pinkbath

Man on Ground

On Tuesday, 2 July 2013, Joule City held a screening of Akin Omotoso's latest film Man on Ground. Released by TOM Pictures in 2012 to critical and commercial acclaim, the film follows London based, Nigerian banker Ade (Hakeem Kae-Kazim) through Johannesburg as he searches for the truth about his missing brother Femi (Fabian Adeoye Lojebe). Inspired by the xenophobic attacks that shook South Africa and the world in 2008, and particularly the image of Ernesto Nhamuave, who's burning body came to symbolise the horror of the events, the story takes place over the course of one day and night as an intricate tale of deceit, betrayal and love is told.

Man on Ground Poster via NVFF

A midst the plethora of art and dialogue that has been documented as a response to the attacks, the film emerges in its own realm, instead of bombarding us with images of brutality and pain that have been depicted before in many different ways, the film appeals to our humanity through the love story between Femi and Zodwa, and the brotherly conflict that exists between Ade and Femi. Using the motifs of fire and shadows, we are constantly aware of the pain, the suffering, the violence and flames of fury that form the backdrop of the story, we don't need to see it, we feel it, which is difficult but Omotoso achieved managed to achieve this superbly.

The use of montage in the film proved disadvantageous, it gives a static feel to the film and disengages at times but overall, the film was beautifully made, the story incredibly told and more than anything, it's wonderful to see Africans telling their own stories in their own way.

In addition to Kae-Kazim and Adeoye Lejebe, Fana Mokoena, Bubu Mazibuko and Makhoala Ndebele all give stellar performances as well as new comer Thishiwe Ziqubu who plays Zodwa, Femi's love interest.

The making of the film is interesting within itself. A project that was four years in the making, from concept and research phase to final production, it almost didn't get made due to budgetary constraints. A conscious choice was made to go with crowd funding, to reflect the ethos of collaborative work but when a major funder dropped out when the film was already in production, Chris Don Productions came on board and the film was completed.

The film has received numerous awards and has shown at a number of prestigious festivals including the Toronto Film Festival. However, given the content of the film, it would be interesting to see how it is received by the communities that were most affected by the xenophobic attacks and how this film can contribute towards a dialogue that to this day, needs to take place.

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I've got it all

Tracey Emin- I've got it all
2000
Ink-jet print
124 x 109 cm

G-Fest

The 39th annual National Arts Festival is currently taking place in the small academic town of Grahamstown in  the Eastern Cape. Whilst we're incredibly sad that we're missing all the amazing productions and art show pieces taking place there, we're humbled and comforted by the fact that we are represented in a small way by the presence of our resident artist Gavin Krastin who is showcasing his work there as well as Mazwi Mahlase who is covering the festival for Joule City.

The festival takes place from 27 June to 7 July 2013 and showcases some of the best in South African theatre, film, art, comedy, performance and music. 

Gavin Krastin's work, Rough Musick, interrogates hierarchical social dynamics and explores the emotional effects of shame in a half performance/half social experiment piece.

Gavin Krastin's Rough Musick Photo by Cat Pennels

Some highlights of this year's festival include works produced within the Market Theatre such as Woza Albert, directed by Standard Bank Young Artist 2013 (Theatre) Prince Lamla, a graduate of the Market Theatre Laboratory; The Island, directed by the legendary John Kani; The Line, directed by Gina Shmuckler and Cadre, starring Omphilo Molusi.

University of Johannesburg Theatre, which is quickly becoming a leader in new and groundbreaking work makes its first appearance at the festival with "Cry Havoc" by Tim Coash which challenges notion of religion and patriotism. Another politically infused play is the Palestine/Israeli inspired piece titled "My name is Rachel Corrie". 

CEO Tom Lankester said that "Thematically there is a real sense of South Africanness - 

looking back where we came from forward to the kind of society that will emerge"

South African theatre is strongly present with Mbongeni Ngema's premier of The Zulu, a dramatisation of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, marking Ngemas return to stage as an actor. Soweto Theatre also features for the first time on the festival's main stage with the production of Asinamali - We have no money in Zulu, written by Ngema, depicting the 1983 rent strike in Lamontville, KwaZulu Natal. 

Mbongeni Ngema's The Zulu: www.nationalartsfestival.co.za

Seminal playwright, Mike van Graan brings four productions to the festival, in association with the Artscape Centre; a world premiere of Writer's Block, as well as Brothers in Blood, Rainbow Scars and Panic

In the realm of dance, Indumba, a piece about cleansing rituals by Standard Bank Young Artist 2013 (Dance) Fana Tshabalala is a must-see. Biko's Quest, a collaboration of Jazzart Dance Theatre and the Steve Biko Foundation is another dance highlight.

Biko's Quest: www.portelizabethbuzz.com

Music features heavily on the program from musical theatre to jazz, classical, opera and commercial music. Some heavy weight jazz artists such as Jonas Gwangwa make appearances as well as emerging talents such as bassist Shane Cooper winner of the Standard Bank Young Artist Winner 2013 (jazz) brings together a quintet comprising of two past winners of the prestigious award, namely pianist Bokani Dyer, drummer Kesivan Naidoo and Justin Bellairs on sax accompanied by Reza Khota on guitar. Other notable musical inclusions are Mike Rossi Project, Rus Nerwich and the Wondering Who, and Mark Fransman, appearing at the festival as Makeson Browne. This year, a special feature includes the establishment of the Standard Bank Jazz and Blues Cafe at the Lowander at St. Andrew's College, showing the growing prominence of jazz in the country. 

Shane Cooper: www.standardbankarts.com

Standard Bank, The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Eastern Cape Government, Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council, City Press and M-Net sponsor the National Arts Festival. 

For a full programme: http://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/

Shh...., Samuel Beckett is whispering in my ear.

Shh...., Samuel Beckett is whispering in my ear.

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better."

Oh, now I can hear his utterance, but I am full of nonsense. 

The professional space that I currently find myself in, that of being an artist, constantly reminds me of the fact that I am indeed a human being. Overall, my thoughts and doings thus far, forcefully sharpen my perception to the fact that being human does not refer to a state of completeness. Rather, it refers to a fluid, ongoing and not necessarily harmonious process of becoming. Such a process is characterised by chaos. Normally, chaos has negative connotations within the context of society. It is likened to notions such as violence, tragedy, disaster etc. all which disrupt the familiar and mundane flows of manifestation. However, society tends to neglect the reality that most phenomena, be they political, economical, natural or otherwise are a form and/or result of chaos. Hence the need to understand and perceive chaos as the existence of countless possibilities that can or will shape and constitute a reality or outcome within time and space. In most cases, I would argue, such possibilities are hardly ever homogeneous or simple due to their unique qualities and nuances. Thus, chaos, which is the essential character of matter, disrupts and disqualifies the romantics attached to the notion of the singular and complete.

The volume of possibilities that constitute chaos maily purports that (human) nature's workings do not unfold through anything other than the activity of trying, which is utterly endless. In my understanding, such a trying means experimentation through movement within material/physical and immaterial/metaphysical time and space. Based on a consideration of the nature of my professional (arts) practice, which I consider to be a prototype of (human) existence and nature due its chaotic character, one can go to the extent of asserting that life is trying. Additionally, trying is failing. Failing, in this sense, is not indicative of incompetency nor does it refer to a lack of mastery in one practice or another. Rather, it refers to the fore-mentioned endless process of becoming in the form of learning and unlearning to move i.e. try within a particular time and space. Nature, which we and the world we inhabit are part of, functions through failing. It produces matter that does not matter to and of itself. Most probably, its capacity to create is not fixated on meaning. Its only function/intention is to relentlessly and continuously expand infinitely as its mode of becoming. I am certainly aware of the grounded scientific laws and philosophical meditations that explicate the 'why's', 'how's' and 'what's' of nature on earth and existence as far as humanity can materially fathom. I have also come across humanly meditations of various forms that clearly offer an explication of chaos as the primary denominator that pivots nature and existence as it has been conjured by our faculty of thought as a species or social memory complex inhabiting one plane within the endlessness of the universe. However, my (humanly) experiences point to the need for one to attempt to contribute to the meditations that seek to reveal the problematics contained the romance of completion, destination and singularity.

I do accept that this excerpt is potentially flooded by oversimplifications. It is, I hope, a complete failure. My hope stems from my need to endlessly try to fail again. Anyway, I am an artist. I fail.