Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
30 May 2018 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Rulanzen Martin
Future of MT Steyn statue discussed-Prof Johann Rossouw and Dr Luvuyo Dondolo
Prof Johann Rossouw and Dr Luvuyo Dondolo were also on the panel.
The Faculty of the Humanities hosted a panel discussion on the future of the MT Steyn statue on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS). Panellists who came from diverse backgrounds with opposing viewpoints discussed the current position of the statue in front of the Main Building on the campus.

Panellists included academics, student leaders and activists as well as government representatives. They were, Prof Johann Rossouw from the UFS Department of Philosophy; Asive Dlanjwa, SRC president; Mohama Dipolo and Jani Swart, both UFS postgraduate students; Prof Matie Hoffman from the Department of Physics; Mr Ben Mazinga from the South African Heritage Resource Agency(SAHRA); Kelebohile Palane, a UFS student; and Dr Luvuyo Dondolo.

A special task team made a submission to the Free State Heritage Resources Authority (FSHRA). They proposed three options   to cover the statue, fence it, as well use it as a point of engagement. The FSHRA proposed that the statue become a point of engagement. “That is why the Faculty of Humanities decided to host the panel discussion. We are Humanities and we have to talk about it,” said Prof Heidi Hudson, Dean of the faculty. 

The panel discussion took place on 29 May 2018 and was facilitated by Mr Willem Ellis, research fellow at the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies.


An old conversation on future of the Steyn statue
The first speaker, Dr Dondolo, said MT Steyn was a symbol of Afrikaner nationalism. “The values Steyn represents and the values of the UFS and South Africa do not correlate,” he said. Prof Rossouw added that the Steyn statue stood in the way of healing and transformation. 

SRC president Dlanjwa said conversations regarding the statue had started back in 2015 and it was not a new discussion on its future.  

“We are covering the statue because it is a subject under discussion but we have unfortunately lost that battle,” he said. He added: “The removal of the statue has nothing to do with purging a particular section of society. It has everything to do with recognising the existence and humanity of the people that share the space of the UFS.” 

Dipolo said: “We must move away from historical figures to something non-offensive.” This was a step to transform public spaces. 

Mr Mazinga said there had to be an alternative perspective regarding the debate. “It shouldn’t necessarily be about removing, but to also speak to an alternative past.” It was important to transform public spaces as there was an over-representation of one group from the past, he said.

News Archive

Anchen Froneman selected for NY post-grad programme
2015-04-29

Anchen Froneman

Anchen Froneman, PhD-student at the UFS Odeion School of Music (OSM), has been accepted into the Modular Certification Programme in Laban Movement Studies at the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS), in New York (USA). 

This programme is a postgraduate certificate that is considered the equivalent of a master’s degree programme. Successful completion earns the title of Certified Movement Analyst (CMA).  Anchen’s attendance at the first module of the programme from 1 to 17 June 2015 has been made possible by a Postgraduate Scholarship granted by the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust.

Participation in the CMA Programme stems from her multidisciplinary doctoral research project as well as a personal interest in the ways that body movement contributes to a holistic musical performance.  In her research project, she investigates the application of Laban Movement Studies to obtaining embodied, integrative piano performances.  Laban Movement Studies is an approach whereby both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of body movement is analysed, codified, and developed, using specific considerations. This somatic approach uses a framework based on the personal uniqueness and complexity embedded in human movement, explaining and developing the organisation of the body, the position and relation of the body to itself, space, and other objects as well as the dynamic range of body movement. 

CMAs contribute to various areas of human development, including leadership development, cross-cultural communications and management, interpersonal skills and conflict management, team development, self-awareness and performance improvement, performing arts as well  as movement therapies.

Anchen uses the foundation of the Laban approach in her hypothesis that the development of both functional and expressive movement will enhance musical performance.  She also centres this on the literature findings on body movement in the disciplines of music performance, neuroscience, psychology, and physiology. With this project, she aims to make a scholarly contribution towards raising awareness of the importance of integrating functional and expressive movements in performance.

Anchen completed her previous music qualifications at the OSM.

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept