Pupils from five Gauteng schools get to tell their African stories on stage

More than 100 schoolchildren drawn from five Gauteng high schools had the unique experience this weekend of being able to tell their stories on stage in the presence of iconic theatre greats William Kentridge and Gcina Mhlophe.

The Grade 10 and 11 history pupils took to the stage of The Head and the Load, Kentridge’s latest opus, which tells the forgotten stories of the million Africans who served as porters in the various battles in Africa and beyond during World War I.

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The youth outreach was a collaboration between Kentridge’s Centre for the Less Good Idea and the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, which established the African History Oral Archive and funded Sunday’s outreach, as well as co-producing the premiere of the play.

It will run until 6 May at the Joburg Theatre.

Next generation of leaders

Explaining the initiative, foundation chair Ivor Ichikowitz said it was vital that the next generation get the tools to tell their stories and, in doing so, shape their own futures.

“The Head and The Load is an important and amazing piece of work that dovetails with our mission to inform the next generation of leaders.

“Because of this work, they will now have the opportunity to learn from the past tragedies and the missteps of history, which have helped forge our independent mindset,” said Ichikowitz.

“The world may have omitted our role in World War I, but make no mistake, it is imbued in our DNA and has helped foster a grit and tenacity unrivalled the world over and a drive to reshape Africa’s future as our next generation envisions it.”

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The outreach programme began with an interactive workshop at Kentridge’s foundation in Maboneng in downtown Johannesburg, where the pupils were able to learn and be introduced to dance, lighting, stage craft and story-telling by Philip Miller, Thuthuka Sibisi, Gregory Maqoma and Gcina Mhlophe.

On Sunday, they took centre stage on the specially built 50m stage backstage at the Joburg Theatre to take part in a conversation about story-telling and the importance of remembering forgotten histories, led by Kentridge, Ichikowitz and Mhlophe.

African Youth Survey

The foundation also created the unique biennial African Youth Survey, which is about to begin its third fieldwork programme, checking on the hopes, fears and plans of Africa’s next generation of leaders: youth aged between 18 and 24 across 15 countries.

“We have learnt a great deal from this project,” said Ichikowitz, “but perhaps the greatest lesson is that the youth want to be authors of their own destiny.

“To do so effectively they have to be given the skills to tell their stories in such a way that the current generation of leaders hear them – and adapt their policies accordingly.

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“Having the opportunity to learn from Kentridge and this incredible internationally acclaimed production is both a once in a lifetime experience and a lifechanging one.”

The play incorporates music, dance, film projection, mechanised sculptures and shadow play “to create a truly unforgettable 90-minute experience”, said Ichikowitz.