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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.
Young Communication student publishes second book
2014-09-03
Most people get to 90 and never publish a book. Some people at 19 have not even read a book.
But 19-year-old BA Communication student at Kovsies, Grace Nthebe, has already published two books, only in this year...
Grace writes poetry and her first book is called Reflections by Grace.
“It is a personal book and it was only by the grace of God that I could do this reflection,” says Grace.
“Reflections take a look at four aspects of myself:
- Me as a beginner in my life;
- Being a believer of love;
- Looking at critical conditions in life;
- And then finally, taking a look at myself as an African woman.”
Grace became fascinated with poetry in Grade 10. She developed as a poet more and more when she was in Grade 11 and started relying on her writing as a means to express the unexpressed.
“A friend of mine took a look at my writing and asked why I don’t have it published?”
“That was not easy, but I covered everything smoothly and took my time with it.”
More recently, Grace’s second book called Tribute to Love was also published.
“This is more of a motivational book,” she says.
“Young women often have to pretend to be ‘okay’ when going through tough times like a break-up. In Tribute to Love I go through ten basic steps to recover fully after a break-up.”
“A lot of times recovery starts with forgiveness and if you have social support, it eventually ends with learning to let go and being willing to love again. Relationships and break-ups are often phases every person goes through, but it is important to go through it in the right way…”
Grace’s books are self published by Quick Fox and available online at amazon.com