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UFS arts triumph at Vrystaat Arts Festival

01 July 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Rulanzen Martin

Michelle Joubert and Jane Mpholo will be seen in The Island which is directed by Dr Jerry Mofokeng Wa Makhetha and Charl Henning, a Master's student.

The arts are one of the most important building blocks of any country or organisation, and it is also an important aspect at the University of the Free State (UFS). Therefore, the partnership between these two Free State institutions is important for the promotion of the arts in the province.

The Vrystaat Arts Festival is taking place on the Bloemfontein Campus of the UFS from 1 to 7 July 2019. Various UFS departments are involved in the programme, as well as in the technical and artistic planning of the festival.

UFS Drama and Theatre Arts make big contribution

“I was involved in the planning committee and as artistic selector from the beginning of the festival, and in recent years also as member of the festival board,” says Prof Nico Luwes, Head of the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts.

This department makes almost the biggest contribution to the festival, with various plays, such as The Island, which is directed by award-winning theatre maestro Jerry Mofokeng and Charl Henning, and two former students, Michelle Joubert and Jane Mamotse Mpholo in the cast, as well as technical assistance from staff and students. “Without the expertise of Thys Heydenrych as technical organiser and Brandon Hewitson as technical manager, the festival would not be possible,” says Prof Luwes.

“Our theatres are world-class, and the work of our students as technical and theatre personnel is described as outstanding by all theatre artists.”

Thought-Leader Series, Sol Plaatje lecture, and several book conversations

Since 2018, the UFS has also been involved in the annual UFS Thought-Leader Series, which was launched by Prof Francis Petersen, the UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor. The panel discussions deal with contemporary issues; this year’s topic is Economic Growth and Entrepreneurship for a Growing South Africa. The UFS will also present the Sol Plaatje lecture, which will be delivered by Diana Ferrus. Prof Petersen will also be part of a panel discussion with Prof Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand, and Wandile Ngcaweni, about #FeesMustFall; the discussion will be facilitated by Ruda Landman.

The book by Prof Jan Coetzee of the Department of Sociology and Dr Asta Rau, from the Centre for Health Systems Research and Research, Narrating the Everyday, will also be discussed during the festival. So also, the book by Charl-Pierre Naude, research fellow in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French, Die ongelooflike onskuld van Dirkie Verwey.

News Archive

More international recognition for Vice-Chancellor

2013-09-27

27 September 2013

Two international awards will be bestowed on Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS), in the coming months for his dedication to Education.

These awards will add to the multiple international and local achievements and awards Prof Jansen has received this year.

He will join the ranks of laureates of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) during the organisation’s 49^th Biennial Conference in Dallas, Texas, from 24 to 26 October 2013. KDP is an international honour society in education, founded by Dr William Bagley at the University of Illinois in 1911. It was established to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching. KDP comprises 600 chapters and more than 40 000 members.

On 18 May 2014, the University of Vermont in the USA will confer an honorary doctorate on Prof Jansen for his passionate leadership in higher education and his contributions as scholar to benefit students across the world.

In June 2013, Prof Jansen received the Education Africa Lifetime Achievement Award for Africa in New York at a joint function of Education Africa and Brand South Africa. He joined a list of recipients including Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Richard Branson and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. The Education Africa Lifetime Achievement Award for Africa is a highly-regarded recognition on the world stage, awarded to individuals who focus the attention of the global community on the obstacles some of the poorest African nations face.

The University of California in the USA awarded him the Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and Tolerance. The award is made in recognition of persons who exemplify in their work the delivery of social justice, diplomacy and tolerance in the diverse local and global society.

Also in the United States, Prof Jansen has been invited to be Messenger Lecturer for Fall 2013 at Cornell University. He will give three lectures and interact with the students and staff of Cornell at various functions.

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