Final year syllabus

The following videos are a collection of assignments from my final year syllabus. They include:

One long form documentary
One investigative piece
One science and technology piece
One music video
Two news pieces

Ons is maar almal net mens

Ons is maar almal net mens is a highly personal film about negotiations of the “coloured” identity within two families and over three generations. Six people discuss whether or not they consider themselves “coloured” and what it means to them. As filmmakers we are members of the two families which made this film a highly personal one. We asked each character when they first found out that they were coloured and what this label meant to them.

Freedom

Freedom is a house track produced by Grahamstown DJ VonDirty featuring Saya that tells the story of two unrequited lovers. VonDirty is a well-known local performer who is the resident DJ at establishments in town. Saya is a Journalism Student who performs in her spare time.

Tik In Grahamstown

In the last four years, Tik (methamphetamine) has become a serious problem for Grahamstown. Tik abuse in Grahamstown is prevalent amongst scholars and students and thenaffects their loved ones and the wider community. We spoke to a police representative as well as a clinical psychologist regarding the effects of the drug on the community. We also spoke to a community leader and former tik user.

Nelson Mandela Memorial

On 28 February students from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, came together to honour ex-President Nelson Mandela through song, music and dance at the Nelson Mandela Memorial Concert.

Eskom at Scifest

South Africa's electricity crisis cannot be solely solved by reducing domestic consumption. Eskom's accountability and their monopoly position are put under the lens by Economics Professor Gavin Keeton and The South African Civil Society Information Service (SACSIS) columnist Glenn Ashton.

Puku Story Festival

The Puku isiXhosa Children's Story Festival invited members of the Grahamstown community to the launch of various isiXhosa books for children at the Fingo Library on Saturday 22 February, with a specific focus on reading in your mother tongue. Watch this video for a discussion on the close links between the psychology of language and identity.

CueTube

CueTube is the online video aggregator for Cue, the official newspaper of South Africa's national Arts Festival. The National Arts Festival held in Grahamstown South Africa is the world's second largest arts and culture festival and covers theatre, jazz, dance and the visual arts from South Africa, the African continent and abroad. Video content is produced by students of new media, TV and photography.

Any Colour you like

Cheaper than Roses and Happy at the National Arts Festival showcase individual stories of reclaiming identity. During the apartheid era, it was unsurprising that many 'coloured' people wanted to be reclassified as 'white'. Similarly, Happy Sindane wanted to re-identify himself as a white boy, after claiming to have been kidnapped by a 'black' family. CueTube brings together these two pieces to show the relevance of this peculiar race issue twenty years after democracy in South Africa.

HeLa

HeLa, written and performed by Adura Onashile recounts the story of Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta Lacks' cell samples were taken without her permission and used for some of the most important scientific discoveries of the past 100 years. With the use of sheer strength and emotion Onashile provides yet another way for Lacks to live on. A South African premiere from the Edinburgh festival of 2013.

Kyle Shepard

CueTube interviews Kyle Shepherd the 2014 Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz . Shepherd has been playing musical instruments since the age of five and has continued to grow as an artist since then. Shepherd discusses whether schools should provide a platform for young artists and gives his take on the state of Jazz music in South Africa at the moment. He performs with his quintet at Standard Bank Jazz Music Festival.

#omnomnom

Inspired 20th anniversary of democracy in South Africa as well as the performativity and kitsch visuals of birthday parties, anniversaries, celebratory customs, gluttonous festivities, Communions and the Last Supper, #omnomnom, a live art experience, critiques and explores notions of celebration and commemoration. Krastin invites his audience to pull up a chair, break bread and eat him.

Blah Ze Blah music sessions

Blah Ze Blah is an art brand that focuses on different mediums of artistic expression. CueTube spoke to the Founder Sinethemba on the origins of the company. Blah Ze Blah was officially started in 2011 as a performing group which later became a brand representing the arts in Grahamstown but more importantly the Eastern Cape province. The brand boasts two trademarked franchise sessions namely: Blah Ze Blah Music Sessions and Blah Ze Blah: Ladies Night.

Conversations about Richard Rive

Writer and performer of My Word! Redesigning Buckingham Palace, Basil Appollis and actress Denise Newman discuss the late author Richard Rive. Rive wrote about the forced removals which occurred in District Six. Rive's works were initially banned during the apartheid era. Appollis and Newman provide the audience with insights into the author's life. Although Rive's book, Buckingham Palace, is quite well known, not much is known about the author himself.

Louis Moholo Moholo

The last of the legendary The Blue Notes, Louis Moholo-Moholo performs at the National Arts Festival for his first time. Born in Cape Town, he lived in London for most of his life as exile during the Apartheid era. Moholo-Moholo is extremely passionate about jazz and talks about the current state of South African jazz. He performs here with the 2014 Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz, Kyle Shepherd, as well as previous winners of this award.

Adjusted

Sexual violence against women is a dominant issue in South Africa. A woman is raped every 17 seconds. Adjusted is a fringe drama at theNational Arts Festival that showcases stories of three women from differing backgrounds who have endured sexual violence. CueTube talks to the cast and the director who hope that this protest theatre opens the minds of those who often turn a blind eye to such crimes. The unnerving piece compels its audience to become a part of the conversations which condemns sexual related crimes.