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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

Book Prize for Distinguished Scholarship awarded to Dr Christian Williams

2016-03-24

Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State and Dr Christian Williams, senior lecturer at the UFS Department of Anthropology.
Photo: Johan Roux

When Dr Christian Williams moved from the United States to Namibia in January 2000 as part of the WorldTeach volunteer programme for teachers, he had not anticipated an award-winning piece of scholarship in his future. It was during these visits to Namibia, though, that the seeds for his highly-acclaimed book were sewn.

While volunteering at the St. Therese Secondary School in Tses at that time, Dr Williams – now a senior lecturer at the University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Anthropology – became acquainted with some of the school’s alumni. The stories these individuals started sharing with him soon revealed personal histories of exile and violence by fellow SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organization) members.

These experiences ultimately resulted in Dr Williams’ book, National liberation in postcolonial southern Africa: a historical ethnography of SWAPO’s exile camps, published last year. Due to the book’s literary impact, the university awarded Dr Williams the UFS Book Prize for Distinguished Scholarship on Friday 19 February 2016. Dr Williams is the second academic to be awarded this prize.

Politics of the past

In the 1960s, Namibians mobilised and retaliated against colonial rule under the liberation movement known as SWAPO. This created political tension which resulted in the flight of many SWAPO members to exile camps administered by the party.

“Over its three decades in exile, SWAPO was responsible for the welfare of roughly 60 000 Namibians. This was about 4% of the total Namibian population at independence – most of whom lived in camps,” says Dr Williams. The research originally used as a basis for his doctoral thesis was subsequently developed into this prize-winning book.

Advancing the Human Project

“It’s an honour to receive recognition from the university; it means that they value the kind of work that I am doing. I think it’s great for universities to have such prizes,” Dr Williams says.

Supporting the UFS Human Project, Dr Williams will donate a portion of the R25 000 prize money towards the UFS Student Bursary Fund Campaign, as well as the school in Namibia.The rest will subsidise the purchase of the book for distribution to libraries and as gifts.

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