Litnet

"And secondly, I keep asking this: why should anyone bother to read or come watch a play written by an unknown young man who lives in the outskirts of Cape Town, where everything is far from him and the city lights are supposedly fantasies? And who lives every day looking up hoping to see a billboard of a role model in the township, but only gets to see the walking, unsung heroes who once tried and failed, the many who sought stability and did everything right, yet still crashed?"

Ahead of Shorts: A festival of pocket operas at the Artscape Arena, Naomi Meyer spoke to composer Conrad Asman about his new work, Trial by media, which revolves around the media’s impact on the Oscar Pistorius trial: "Reeva’s voice has often been forgotten during various portrayals of this trial, and it is my hope to rectify this, while highlighting the effects of domestic violence present in this story."

"The best part of the residency is the uninterrupted time to write, in a heavenly location, and the inspiration one gets in such a historic place. The town is quiet, the views are calming; this is honestly the best place to write."

"Here’s a walk through the corridors of South African horror, from early ’70s thrillers to modern, local zombie films."

"Midway through my second passion fruit and lemonade, I said that a region so rich in literary history deserves a literary festival of its own. To which David [Attwell] replied: 'Why don’t we do it?'"

The South African premiere of Shakespeare’s Othello, adapted and directed by Lara Foot with a stellar cast and creatives, premieres at the Baxter on 6 April 2024. In this South African production, performed in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans, Foot focuses on Othello’s inner life, wanting to add an African perspective, staging the play in several languages and relocates it to the time of German colonialism, to the time of the Herero uprising in German Southwest Africa, to present-day Namibia.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 30 May.

The winners of the 59^th Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards, sponsored by Heineken Beverages, were announced at a glittering ceremony at the Baxter Theatre Centre in Rondebosch, Cape Town. Read the full list of winners here.

Die KKNK vind van 23 tot 31 Maart 2024 in Oudtshoorn plaas. Hier is nog inligting vir lesers wat die fees vanjaar wil bywoon.

For the second year running, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has been ranked as the leading producer of accredited research outputs in South Africa. Sarah Gravett, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation at UJ, emphasises the importance of research that impacts communities and society.

In this video, he asks the viewer to consider how the hunger and humiliation of concentration camps forced individuals into unethical behaviour. Then he turns the spotlight to decades of poverty and humiliation in South Africa.

"A common discourse in Islamic and Cape Malay households here in Cape Town is the severe disdain projected onto those who place their parents in old-age homes. My goal with Mercy was to portray the subtle nuances and complexities as to why people make those decisions."

This autumn, Cape Town Opera will present SHORTS: A festival of pocket operas, a captivating series of concise operas at the Artscape Theatre from 11 to 21 April, 2024. This dynamic festival promises to be a celebration of operatic innovation and storytelling, including the world premiere of Conrad Asman’s Trial by media, a compelling new South African opera, Francis Poulenc’s La voix humaine, and Mozart’s comedic opera The impresario, presented in English.

Spring awakening, directed by Sylvaine Strike, is back by popular demand. Based on the original play by Frank Wedekind, Spring awakening first opened on Broadway in 2006 to great acclaim. Hailed a masterpiece, the groundbreaking musical has consistently pushed boundaries.

"Creators should be incentivised to keep making art, while at some point in time it should be enjoyed by the public at large so that new ideas can be expressed."

"If you’re lucky, once in a while a truly luminous soul will cross your path."

Amazwi is hosting its annual Literature, Heritage, Ecology Conference on 19 and 20 March. There is no charge to attend the conference.

"The future of our political direction depends on those with enough courage to venture out into something new and convince the majority of eligible voters, who are in a stupor due to political choice despair. My friend counts himself among these, whom he amusingly terms the 'electile dysfunctions'."

"Growing up, I did not have books. People around me didn’t buy books, and libraries were far from where I lived in Soshanguve. .... I eventually went from not having books to writing them."

"Representation really matters. When you see yourself represented on film or in books, I feel that it sends the message that you are worthy and your stories are worthy of being told. You belong in this world. You are seen."