11th Drama for Life Conference and Festival call for applications
JOHANNESBURG – Children's needs in South Africa go unmet too often.
Drama for Life has announced its call for proposals, participation, and attendance at the 11th Conference and Festival from 8 to 17 August in Johannesburg.
This year’s theme seeks to explore the role arts can play in creating a child-centered society.
Early childhood development is the most crucial time for positive intervention, a process by which children from birth grow and thrive mentally, physically, morally, emotionally and socially.
The organisers claim that South Africa has made notable progress in developing children’s access to early childhood development and learning, nutrition and healthcare.
According to Warren Nebe, one of the organisers, children are wholehearted, compassionate humans with an extraordinary capacity to make meaning of the world they live in.
“Children are a reminder of who we are; they are the cornerstone of our society’s future; they are the litmus test of our humanity. Yet we continue to fail our children. Trapped by cycles of trauma, we forget who the real child is,” said Nebe.
Nebe said children’s needs in South Africa go unmet too often.
The country continues to face high levels of violence, disease, malnutrition and in some cases lack of access to early childhood development programs or educational facilities.
Too often children, more especially underprivileged children, face marginalisation in our social discourse. They are extremely vulnerable, discriminated against and isolated, said Nebe.
“It [the conference and festival] seeks to map developments in childhood research, and reflect on innovations in the performing arts, applied arts, arts therapies, arts education, and performance as research, with particular reference to children and democratic societies.”
It will present cutting edge research, performances, installations, dialogues, trainings and workshops that will enhance the knowledge-base and experience of artists, community artists, arts healers and art therapists, arts and cultural leaders and managers, arts educators, art academics and art researchers, and arts activists.
The festival is made possible by the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, the Embassy of Sweden, the Swedish National Arts Council, Wits Theatre, Business Arts in South Africa and the University of the Witwatersrand.
The application deadline was on 15 June. You can also visit www.dramaforlife.co.za for more information.
Details: Sneziwe Dube 011 673 0264.
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