UJ Arts & Culture is to present and host a very special event on Friday 16 November at the UJ Con Cowan Theatre, Bunting Road campus when the recipient of the 2012 Tunkie Award will be announced.
“UJ Arts & Culture has been privileged to be associated with the Tunkie Award since 2009,” says Ashraf Johaardien, Head of UJ Arts & Culture. “Last year’s event which was directed by Owen Lonzar started evolving the original lecture format to focus more on the accomplishments and work of the current recipient,” he explains.
Dr Ivan May launched the Tunkie Award in 2003 at the 25th anniversary celebrations of Moving into Dance Mophatong in remembrance of Xolani Nettleton (Tunkie) Dyusha (1961-1999). Since then the Award has been presented annually to a South African who has elevated the standard and visibility of dance in South Africa. Recipients of the award, which acknowledges strong leadership, vision, and dedication within the dance community, are selected annually by a working group comprising past winners.
Dyusha was a staunch friend and supporter of MIDM and the arts sector during his career at Nedbank where he was the marketing manager of the Nedbank Arts and Culture Affinity products. He came from a disadvantaged background in the Eastern Cape but despite enormous obstacles, he furthered his education at a tertiary level, completing qualifications in business, marketing and sales. He joined Nedbank and worked with the team that conceptualised and subsequently launched the Nedbank Arts and Culture Affinity programme. This culminated in the establishment of the Arts & Culture Trust of the President, with former President Nelson Mandela as its patron. He was involved in ground-breaking initiatives and arts sponsorships: the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the first post sanctions cultural tour and thereafter many others, more local and very significant arts sponsorships. The award honours Tunkie’s commitment to the development of the arts in South Africa.
The first recipient of the Tunkie Memorial Award in 2003 was David Thatanelo April, the then executive and Artistic Director of MIDM. He was presented with a statue, a Chiawara from Mali from May's personal collection.
Previous recipients of the award have included David April, Alfred Hinkel, the late Jackie Semela, Sylvia Glasser, Robyn Orlin, Jay Pather, Philip Stein, Nicola Danby, Adrienne Sichel, Georgina Thomson and the 2011 recipient Gladys Agulhas. Their names are engraved on the floating trophy, a Chiawara, a ceremonial headdress from Mali, which is on permanent display in the foyer of the UJ Arts Centre Theatre.
The 2012 event will be directed by Lonzar once again, who will also deliver the welcome address. The citation for the winner will be by Grace Meadows, Performing Arts Manager of UJ Arts & Culture and Georgina Thomson representing the selection panel will announce the 2012 winner.
UJ ARTS & CULTURE produces student and professional performing arts in three theatres as well as exhibitions, concerts as well as a range of cultural and creative activities across all four UJ campuses. Facilities include the UJ Arts Centre located on the Kingsway Campus which comprises the 436-seater Arts Centre Theatre, Art Gallery, dance studios and choir rooms as well as the UJ eXperimental Theatre on the Kingsway Campus and the 180-seater UJ Con Cowan Theatre and dance studios on the Bunting Road Campus. These venues also serve as receiving houses for professional South African and international productions, concerts, exhibitions, conferences and cultural events.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment