The Sakhuluntu Cultural Group has organised a week of events in honour of Heritage Month that is bound to get you dancing and singing.
Based in Extension 9, Sakhuluntu is an informal community organisation that aims to keep the youth of the area off the streets by coaching them in the skills of dance, drama and song.
The Sakhuluntu Cultural Group has organised a week of events in honour of Heritage Month that is bound to get you dancing and singing.
Based in Extension 9, Sakhuluntu is an informal community organisation that aims to keep the youth of the area off the streets by coaching them in the skills of dance, drama and song.
But Sakhuluntu is more than just a drama club and the events they’ve got lined up for the week are testament to that.
Their programme starts tomorrow with a workshop called ‘Heritage, Human Rights and Cultural Activism’.
Calling together representatives from non-governmental organisations, youth leaders, local artists and cultural activists, Sakhuluntu hopes the workshop will create greater solidarity among community workers and organisations.
The workshop will start at 2pm in the Duna Library Hall. On Thursday Sakhuluntu has organised a Heritage Day Youth Festival that will start at 2pm at Recreation Hall in Albany Road.
Local youth groups and artists will provide the entertainment and there will be various goodies on sale at the craft and food stalls.
In addition, several members of the community will speak about the challenges today’s youth face. Rhodes University Politics lecturer Peter Vale will give the opening address, Nicole Viljoen from the Student HIV/Aids Resistance Campaign (Sharc) will talk about the youth and HIV/Aids, and Prince Shapiro will talk about a project called Sounds of Edutainment.
The entrance fee will be R2 for children and R5 for adults. But the festivities will not end there. On Friday the group will travel to Hamburg where they will spend the day with the Keiskamma Arts Trust.
Sakhuluntu will be treated to a traditional meal and ceremony at a local heritage site, a tour and a performance.
According to Sakhuluntu chairperson Merran Marr, the group will spend part of the day discussing and trying to understand some of the factors that contribute to these children’s circumstances.
The week’s events are just part of what has already been a very exciting year for the Sakhuluntu Cultural Group. The group participated in Art Factory workshops during the National Arts Festival and performed at the end of term concert at the International Library of African Music (Ilam).
Recently, they sang and performed at the opening of the Community of Mandela Rhodes Scholars Conference where Zackie Achmat, well known HIV/Aids activist, was the guest speaker.
For more information, contact Vuyo Booi at 072 328 3845 or Merran Marr at 072 237 7341.
