Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
06 October 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi | Photo Stephen Collett
IIA Launch
From left: Prof Mogomme Masoga, Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities; Prof Anthea Rhoda, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic; Prof Hester C. Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal; Prof Millard Arnold, Member of the UFS Council; Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation; and Prof Alexander Johnson, Director of the International Institute of the Arts, at the launch of the International Institute of the Arts held at the Scaena Theatre on the Bloemfontein Campus.

The University of the Free State (UFS) officially launched its International Institute of the Arts (IIA) on 2 October 2025 at the Scaena Theatre on its Bloemfontein Campus, marking a pivotal moment in the institution’s pursuit of academic excellence, creativity, and global collaboration. 

The launch brought together university leadership, academics, artists, and art enthusiasts to celebrate a shared commitment to advancing human knowledge through creative enquiry and artistic innovation.

The launch of the institute, which falls under the portfolio of Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation Prof Vasu Reddy, is aimed at positioning the university at the intersection of creativity, scholarship, and societal impact. The IIA will serve as a collaborative space for artists, researchers, and practitioners to explore new ways of thinking, teaching, and creating – bridging the gap between the humanities, science, and technology in an increasingly digital world.

“The arts are not mere embellishments to life; they are, in fact, its very pulse,” Prof Reddy said. “The IIA is a space where the arts and humanities rise, not in defence, but in celebration of their enduring relevance.”

 

A beacon for creativity in a changing world

In her address, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Hester C. Klopper described the IIA as “a lantern illuminating paths towards responsible societal futures shaped by imagination, empathy, and human creativity.” She emphasised that in an era of artificial intelligence and automation, “our challenge as humans lies largely in our ability to dream, imagine, create, empathise, and transform vision into reality through artistic expression.”

The sentiment of creativity as a transformative force was echoed throughout the event. UFS Council member and artist Prof Millard Arnold said “creativity is that intangible force that sparks inspiration, enriches the imagination, and expands our appreciation of who we are and what we can become.” He added that the institute “will be more than just an institution – it will be a vibrant hub where imagination meets opportunity, nurturing creative minds who challenge convention and inspire change.”

Adding to this vision, Prof Mogomme Masoga, Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities, said the IIA represents an initiative that “significantly expands the footprint of the humanities” and aligns with the university’s Vision 130 commitment to “growing and extending its influence and impact”. He described the institute as an opportunity to bring scholars and industry experts closer together, fostering collaboration and dialogue that highlight human creativity while advancing research and teaching excellence.

The programme also celebrated artistic and intellectual excellence through a diverse line-up. Dr Ashraf Jamal, an educator, writer, journalist, and author, delivered a thought-provoking presentation titled ‘The Majesty of the Everyday: The Power of Culture in South Africa Today’, which explored the role of culture in uniting people and redefining contemporary South African identity. This was followed by compelling performances, including So Over the Rainbow, a satirical work by Zabesutu Rondo Mpiti-Spies, and Ditshomo – We Have Been Here Before, a choreopoem by Napo Masheane with Volley Nchabeleng featuring the House of Shakers. Each performance embodied the spirit of creative freedom and collaboration that the institute seeks to nurture.

 

Connecting African heritage with global innovation

Positioned in the heart of South Africa, the IIA draws inspiration from the continent’s cultural richness while engaging with global networks of creative scholarship. Prof Klopper noted that the institute “builds bridges between indigenous wisdom and modern art, between oral traditions and digital storytelling”, reaffirming the university’s commitment to combining local authenticity with global vision.

Prof Reddy emphasised that, “The IIA is not merely an institute; it is a living, breathing space for imagination, innovation, and inquiry. It is a crucible for interdisciplinary exploration – a home for scholars, artists, and visionaries who seek to challenge assumptions and reimagine futures.”

In his message, Prof Alexander Johnson, Director of the IIA, described the institute as “a space where the arts in the Free State can converge, grow, and flourish.” He added that the IIA aims to amplify the university’s global footprint through artist residencies, international partnerships, and interdisciplinary research collaborations.

More than a new academic entity, the International Institute of the Arts stands as a bold declaration of purpose – to champion creativity as both a form of knowledge and a force for human connection. Through its launch, the UFS affirms that, in an age shaped by technology and change, imagination remains our most powerful tool for building a just, innovative, and inspired future.

 

News Archive

Lecture focuses on how Marikana widows embody the transformative power of art
2015-08-11

Makopane Thelejane

"When I got the news of my husband is dead, I put my hands above my head, as you see me in this picture. I could not bear the ache in my heart." - Makopane Thelejane

A woman looks down on a canvas covered in thick layers of red, dark shadows falling across her face. A brief moment that captures the silently-devastating aftermath of the Marikana massacre that bled into the lives of 34 widows.

It is this silent trauma that was at the centre of the last instalment of the Vice-Chancellor’s Lecture Series for 2015. “These stories of the Marikana widows are important. It is these stories of silence that live behind the spectacular scenes of the violence,” Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Senior Research Professor in Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS) said at the event.

Panel
The lecture, which took place on Monday 27 July 2015 on the Bloemfontein Campus, took the form of a panel discussing the theme of “Speaking wounds: voices of Marikana widows through art and narrative”. The panel consisted of members from the Khulumani Support Group, including Dr Marjorie Jobson (National Director) and Judy Seidman (Sociologist and Graphic Artist), as well as Nomfundo Walaza, former CEO of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre.

Betty Lomasontlo Gadlela

"Then this dark time came, a dark cloud over me. It made me to have an aching heart, which took me to hospital, from losing my loved one, my husband, in such a terrible manner. " - Betty Lomasontlo Gadlela

Trauma made visible
In a project initiated by Khulumani, the Marikana widows were encouraged to share their trauma through painting body maps – in which the widows depicted their own bodies immersed in their trauma – and narrating their personal stories. Throughout the workshops, the focus always remained on the women. As Siedman put it, “the power of this process is rooted in the participants. The statements of what the participants experienced is what’s important.”

Initially silenced and isolated, this group of women has now moved “into a space where they have become connected to each, and stand up for each other in the most powerful ways,” Dr Jobson said. “Our work is conceptualised in terms of giving visibility and voice to the people who know what it takes to change this country; to change this struggle.”

The transformative power of art and narrative
During her response, Walaza pointed out “how art and narrative can transform traumatic memory and become integrated in the survivors’ life story.” This gives individuals the opportunity, she said, “to step into a space of mutual listening and dialoguing in which people bond together.”

Co-hosted by Prof Gobodo-Madikizela and the UFS Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice, the lecture series forms part of a five-year research project funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

 

 

 

 

 

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