Wordwise: Hook Up to the Global Power of Poetry!

The City’s Arts and Culture Department – along with partners Iziko Museums, New Moon Ventures and Cape Town Festival - will be hosting “WordWise” poetry day at the Slave Lodge on 21 March 2007 from 10:00 to 16:00.

Human Rights Day and World Poetry Day will be celebrated through the medium of the spoken word, workshops and performances, conversations and screenings of film and video, focusing on SA poetry, literature, exhibitions and storytelling.

The guest speaker is Nigerian poet and UCT academic, Professor Harry Garuba, and performances and workshops will be hosted by Andrea Dondolo, Lucille Greeff, Khadija Heeger, Mavis Smallberg, Shameema Williams, Malika Ndlovu, Jitsvinger, Gus Ferguson, Shelley Barry, Ingrid DeKok, Deborah Steinmair and Gavin Minter.

World Poetry Day was declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in 1999, to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world.

The day also aims to "give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements."

Lesley Truter, of the City’s Arts and Culture Department says: “We decided to host a poetry component as part of our Human Rights Day activities to celebrate the ‘African-ness’ of this city. Through the medium of the written and spoken word, through our poets and other artists, we celebrate Africa and her wealth of talent.”

WordWise event co-ordinator, Malika Lueen Ndlovu, well known performance poet and arts project manager, says: “There are many public misconceptions and a serious lack of exposure to the diverse forms and traditions of poetry in Africa, past and present.

“Through this WordWise event we are offering visitors a compact feast of poetry on screen, moving from the page to the stage, into storytelling narratives, on the open mike and literally on the walls, with an exhibition of multi-lingual poetry by women poets and visual artists from across the country.”

Bookings for the workshops

Workshop 1: “What’s your story?”

Workshop 2: youth creative writing workshop (16-24 yrs)

Workshop 3: performance poetry workshops, “From Page to Stage,” (all ages)

 

Contact Person: Wandile Kasibe
Tel: 021 481 3804/3
Email: wkasibe@iziko.org.za

The event is free and open to all.

Issued by:
Communication and Marketing
City of Cape Town
Tel: 021 400 2201
Fax: 021 957 0023

Media Queries:
Lesley Truter
Project Developer
Tel: 021 400 4637
Cell: 084 800 7030