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The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State, Prof Francis Petersen, is pleased to invite you to the launch of the Artists in Residency Programme. This event marks the exciting start of a new initiative at the university.
We are honored to have Mike van Graan, a distinguished independent artist and playwright, as our inaugural artist and playwright in residence. Van Graan boasts an impressive career, having authored 36 plays and contributing significantly to the cultural landscape. His expertise extends beyond playwriting, encompassing cultural policy, artist network development (both locally and across Africa), and advocacy work. Notably, he held leadership positions within esteemed organisations such as Arterial Network, the African Arts Institute, and the STAND Foundation. Van Graan's dedication to cultural activism and artistic creation is widely recognised.
Please join us for this momentous occasion:
Date: Thursday 27 June 2024
Time: 15:00-17:00 (followed by a cocktail reception)
Venue: Scaena Theatre, UFS Bloemfontein Campus
For further information, contact Alicia Pienaar at pienaaran1@ufs.ac.za.
Programme highlights include:
- Staged Reading: An excerpt from Return of the Ancestors, a play that pays homage to the satirical South African political play, Woza Albert, explores themes of democracy and sacrifice through the return of figures such as Steve Biko and Neil Aggett.
- Closed Premiere: The Good White, set against the backdrop of the 2015/16 student protests in South Africa, delves into contemporary issues such as race, social justice, and the complexities of human relationships.
Library opens new horizons for Bloemfontein-Oos School
2012-11-27
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Storyteller Gcina Mhlophe is hugging a learner at the Bloemfontein-Oos Intermediary School.
Photo: Kaleidoscope Photography
27 November 2012 |
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Dr Seuss says that in his book I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!
It is hoped that this will also be the experience of learners at the Bloemfontein-Oos Intermediary School where a library has been stocked and unveiled with our assistance. Bloemfontein-Oos is one of the schools that the UFS renovated in partnership with the Free State Department of Education.
The learners also had the rare opportunity to listen to a doyenne of South African storytellers Gcina Mhlophe. She is one of the best storytellers, writers, publishers, directors and international poet.
Tessa Ndlovo, coordinator of the UFS Schools Partnership Programme, said she thought it was important for the school to have a library in order to cultivate a culture of reading. She asked publishers and libraries to send books and in the process, more than 2 000 books were donated by the UFS-Sasol Library, staff and students. New books were sent by publishing houses.
The office of Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, sponsored the renovation of the library by donating shelves.
Bloemfontein-Oos became the first school in the UFS’s Extreme Makeover intervention. Attention has been given to fencing, electrification, renovation and the bathrooms. Three truckloads of furniture were donated and more will follow in future. The Calculator Project (Project of Peace) was introduced to the school by students from the United States of America.
The library is part of the Culture of Reading Project.