By Langelihle Elsie Skade The 2025 National Arts Festival, hosted in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, featured national and international works that provoked thought, happiness and sadness. It was a platform for artists and the audience to connect and engage, sharing cultural experiences. There are many faces behind the Festival preparations, such as producers, directors, the technical crew, and various sponsors. One of the faces behind the Festival is Rucera Seethal. Since 2020, Rucera Seethal has been the artistic director of the National Arts Festival, and this year, she and the artistic committee were very specific in the kind of productions they…
Author: Langelihle Elsie Skade
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The Seed of Healing – Storytelling Workshop on Indigenous Knowledge, ArtTalk Venue: Albany Natural Science Museum Next workshops: Saturday 5 July 10:00 and Sunday 6 July 10:00 Review By Langelihle Elsie Skade It is time to open our hearts and to acknowledge the existence of indigenous medicine. What I mean is that we need to learn more about the skills and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of our societies and how these practices help heal our people. The Seed of Healing workshop at the Albany Museum provided insight into the importance of traditional medicine. The exhibition highlighted the value…
Unveiling the legacy: The Intergenerational Odyssey of Uhadi Music, Music Venue: Beethoven Room Next performance: Friday 4 July 18:00 Review By Langelihle Elsie Skade Unveiling the legacy: The Intergenerational Odyssey of Uhadi Music begins with traditional healers wearing beads and cloths worn during ancestral ceremonies, the scent of imphepho (incense) and the sounds of ighubu (drum). It reminded me of the last gathering I attended where my elders gathered in a ceremony we had back at home. The traditional attire worn by the performers, the beads, drums, chants, instruments, and strong vocals gathered together commanded the presence of ancestors into the…
Freedom Next Time, theatre Review By Langelihle Elsie Skade From the Ga-Rankuwa campus in Gauteng, a group of Tshwane University of Technology students curated a play to highlight the injustices of our country, freedom and equality took centre stage as they reminded us of how, despite more than 30 years of being a democratic country, there was still so much are severely lacking. The plight of unemployment, lack of infrastructure, high crime, and hierarchy in our country was bought to the forefront by the students in their 90 minute performance. Our citizens still question the justice system and what it…
Makhanda Igwijo competition: A celebration of youth and song, Music Report By Langelihle Elsie Skade Makhanda hosted its first – and highly successful – Igwijo competition at the Guy Butler Theatre on Tuesday. And it was an upcoming local group, the Makhanda Combined group, formed last year, that won first place with their signature song, “Unojaholo”. Igwijo is an underrated genre that offers healing and joy to humans. It is a form of music that allows one to express thoughts and feelings through song. Most commonly in South Africa, it is sung during sports matches, gatherings and celebrations. In partnership…
Echoes of Silence, Theatre Review By Langelihle Elsie Skade The Johannesburg Actor Spaces Club delivered a phenomenal experience with Echoes of Silence, a theatrical production that digs deep into the hidden fractures of family, faith, identity and silence. Set against the backdrop of a township home, the production brought a rich cast of characters. Each one of them wrestled with personal battles that reflect our fractured social fabric. From the beginning of the show, the cast drew me into an emotional journey that oscillates between heartbreak and moments of warmth and humour. The production is a linguistic tapestry, with dialogue…
Black Sash: Seven Stories over Seven Decades, Exhibition Venue: Albany History Museum Next walkabout: 29 June 14:00 Interview By Langelihle Elsie Skade The Black Sash began as a political protest organisation founded in 1955 to oppose apartheid government policies and to protest against the segregation of South Africans. In commemoration of 70 years of activism, the Albany History Museum has mounted an exhibition honouring the Black Sash. Yesterday Rosemary van Wyk Smith and Gus McDonald, two former Black Sash women who stood at its heart, visited the exhibition. Van Wyk Smith, originally from England, arrived in South Africa at the…
By Langelihle Elsie Skade In a country that continues to struggle with the after effects of apartheid, South African theatre has a crucial role to play in freeing us from these struggles. In theatre, there is freedom of expression, and no hierarchy. It’s all about doing what you love and sharing it with the rest of the world. Mike van Graan, one of South Africa’s most innnovative and prolific theatre makers, says theatre is not just a space for performance but it can also be used to educate each other. “Theatre is a form through which you can humanise characters…
Echoes of Silence, Theatre Venue: Amazwi South African Museum of Literature Next performance: 27 June 2025 18:30 Preview By Langelihle Elsie Skade Echoes of Silence is a theatrical production by the Actor Spaces club, a group of young South African artists. Curated from scratch, the play serves as an artistic breakthrough and a social commentary. Set in a two-bedroom home in Soweto, Echoes of Silence unpacks the silent struggles within a black South African family. The story moves between a rollercoaster of melancholic and joyful emotions. It reminds the audience that silence, although seen as brave and strong, can ruin one’s…
By Langelihle Elsie Skade and Thubelihle Mathonsi After more than a decade of service, Justice Lex Mpati is stepping down as Chancellor of Rhodes University, marking the end of an era defined by resilience, dedication, and unwavering commitment to education. Justice Mpati’s rise to prominence is a narrative of perseverance. Long before becoming a judge, he worked as a petrol attendant and began to pursue law at the age of 30 years. His deep connection to Rhodes University dates back to his early years when he worked near the campus at a local motel. These experiences shaped his decision to…