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Heritage Day is very important on South Africa’s cultural events calendar
September is Heritage Month which is celebrated annually from September 1 to 30 and it places emphasis on recognising aspects of South African culture.
This Heritage Month, Black Moon Productions, in collaboration with the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation will be hosting an African Children’s Heritage Dialogue.
The event will be held on September 15 to the 17th at the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Kliptown. Proceedings will start at 8 am and are expected to end at 4 pm.
The aim of the event is to recognise, reclaim, restore and celebrate Africa’s diversity and the different cultures through children’s dialogues as a tool to eliminate potential xenophobia thereby teaching an emerging spirit of being a true African.
According to Thami Ndengane of Black Moon, this approach is centred on encouraging open discussion and obtaining the youth’s buy-in on cultural engagements.
“The dialogues will provide a safe space for them to engage without fear and will tackle difficult issues head on, thus preparing the way for them to understand their particular cultural circumstances in a way that is fun and interactive,” said Ndengane.
He said the facilitated dialogues will be guided by a clear implementation process that includes the identification of local partners within communities, private sector and government.
He said, “The involvement of local municipalities is critical in ensuring that these concerns are eventually acted on.
“Heritage Day is very important on South Africa’s cultural events calendar and so we should take the lead and spread it into the continent.”
The event objectives include teaching youngsters about culture, heritage and history in an entertaining manner.
Celebrating children and local artists’ talents and showcasing their arts will go a long way towards developing and promoting arts and culture in Africa, mainstreaming its role in social development.
This will also serve to educate children about indigenous games and discourage bullying at schools.
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