A LOCAL performer with a passion for the arts is inviting local, creative youth to share where they stand on important social issues through the submission of art pieces in a new online youth arts festival entitled #WhereIStand.
Glenwood’s Leah Mari, whose parents are both musicians, has been singing and composing music for as long as she can remember.
“I spent nearly all my time as a toddler ‘playing’, or rather trying to play, the piano. As soon as I could play chords and create a melody line I started composing music and it has become my biggest passion in the arts. I am also very involved in the drama and music department at my school, Crawford College La Lucia,” she said.
This campaign is Leah’s first community project, however, the idea of using the arts as a platform to spread a message, communicate or just express herself is not something new to her. In 2011, she won a songwriting competition with her song South Africa, Siyakhanya (We Are Shining), which celebrates the diversity of South Africans and the beauty of the South African landscape. She was also involved in the Young Performers Project and performed in the recent project, Curtain Up!
“#WhereIStand actually started out as an idea for a Grade 12 Life Orientation project but was inspired by an experience I had when applying to a particular South African university. I wasn’t given a tick box that accurately described my race. I’m a mixed race South African – my dad is Indian and my mom is white. There was no box for me to tick – not even ‘other’. I was disappointed, but fortunately for me, I used a high school poetry festival to vent my frustration and wrote a slam poem called Boxes which expressed exactly how I felt about that experience,” she said.
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Leah realised she was fortunate to have this platform to voice her opinion and the opportunity to use the arts as a mode of expression and to voice her concern.
“It made me wonder whether all youth have the same opportunity. Many young South African creatives might not be given the opportunity to share their concerns or even their compliments, ideas or pride with a listening audience. This is why I decided to create #WhereIStand. I think it’s important that the youth engage with each other and the rest of society on everyday issues and global issues, to voice ‘where we stand’ on matters that will affect our futures. Most people enjoy the arts, in all its various forms, so it made best sense to combine the act of engagement with the act of making art, along with social media which is already quite familiar to the youth!” she said.
Through this project, Leah aims to create awareness and more space for activism or debate through the arts and social media, for the youth.
“I hope that this online festival with a purpose will remind the youth that in amongst the memes and selfies can also be purposeful content. It doesn’t matter to me how many submissions there are – because just one entry means one more empowered voice, and that is how we bring about change – by getting people to engage with each other,” she said.
The youth can email their contribution – be it performance art pieces, visual arts, digital arts, writing, compositions, poetry, a dance, essays, short stories, or photos – to whereistandsa@gmail.com by 14 June. All submissions will be posted on Facebook on 16 June in celebration of Youth Day. Visit Where I Stand on Facebook.
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