Cutting edge artistic performances at the 2012 Drama for Life Africa Research Conference

Applied Drama as Social Intervention in Conflict and Post-Conflict Contexts’

The Drama for Life programme based at Wits University invites all researchers, practitioners, activists, Gov
ernment and NGO trainers and community workers to participate, debate and question issues surrounding ‘Applied Drama as Social Intervention in Conflict and Post-Conflict Contexts’ at the 2012 Drama for Life Africa Research Conference taking place at the University of Pretoria from 16-17 November 2012.

The 5th Drama for Life Africa Research Conference turns its attention to the growing international trend of conflict and intolerance. Besides paper presentations by keynote speaker, oraturist, actor and storyteller Mshai Mwangola from Kenya and James Thompson, Director of the Centre for Applied Theatre Research from the UK, participants of the 2012 DFL Africa Research Conference can look forward to three cutting edge artistic productions that are outstanding examples of ‘creative research’ in the field of Applied Theatre and Drama.

The Drama for Life Research Committee feels privileged to have Mmatshilo Motsei present What About Love? as a once-off performance on Saturday 17th November 2012 between 17h30 and 18h30 at the Skuros Venue on University of Pretoria campus. Complemented by a string of talented musicians and an interpretive dancer, Motsei will present a fusion of poetry, movement and storytelling with the heartbeat of drumming and the soulful sounds of the guitar and trumpet all blended synchronously to depict her story of love as a counter for separateness and violence. The performance style used by Motsei develops an intimacy with her audience that not only blurs the lines between stage and audience but demolishes the metaphoric fourth wall.

Wits student Gina Shmukler’s production The Line staged on Saturday 17th November 2012 between 14h00 – 15h00 at The Lier Theatre, is the culmination of the multi-award winning actor and director’s master research on trauma and theatre making. Having spent several months in areas affected by the xenophobic attacks that took place in May 2008 ‘The Line’ is constructed from a series of interviews with South Africans involved in the violent events. Delivered as spoken, verbatim style, the critically acclaimed play has been described as ‘powerful’, ‘chilling’- ‘a must-see’, earning much praise and enjoying commercial success earlier in 2012 at venues including The Market Theatre.

On Friday 16th November 2012 at 19h00 performance artist, director and drama teacher Myer Taub will present his site specific performance Die Boek at The Masker Theatre. ‘Die Boek’ deals with the hauntings of identity, displacement and love and daringly takes on assumed conventions of theatre and representation, in an attempt at activating new forms of storytelling superimposed on more traditional forms of storytelling. It is inspired by S. Ansky’s play ‘The Dybbuk’ which is regarded as a classic example of traditional Yiddish theatre.

Researchers, practitioners, activists, Government and NGO trainers and community workers can register for the conference online via http://web.up.ac.za/res.asp?ipkCategoryID=19770&ArticleID=316.

For further information on the 2012 DFL Africa Research Conference please visit our website http://www.dramaforlife.co.za/content/page/dfl-africa-research-conference or contact Malika Ndlovu on Malika.Ndlovu@wits.ac.za or call 011 7174731.