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19th Poetry Africa Workshops at Rivertown Beerhall

Media Release

19th Poetry Africa Workshops at Rivertown Beerhall

The 19th Poetry Africa Festival will be offering 3 insightful workshops which will be taking place on the 17th October at the Beerhall gallery from 10: 00 to 13:00. The workshops form part of a teeming line up of festivities to finalise the weeklong festival which begins on Monday, October 12.

The workshops include: Advancing Poetry through Events - Organisers of  Poetry events in Durban and South Africa (Thabiso Mohare, Vus’umuzi Phakathi and Mxolisi Mtshali) will be speaking about the impact of a growing literary society, Making Durban a liveable City – Through Arts Development -Representatives from the eThekwini Parks and Recreation (Themba Mchunu) and National Arts Council (Andrew Nkadimeng) will host a session promoting available  programs for the development and preservation of literature in KwaZulu Natal and Finding your Voice - Poetry Africa participants (Mthunzikazi Mbungwana, Nii Parkes and Aryan Kaganof) facilitate a session on finding your creative voice.

All workshops are free and open to the public.

Tickets for the festival finale at Rivertown cost R70 (pre-sale or R80 at the door) and can be purchased from www.computicket.com

For more information go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or like the Facebook page PoetryAfrica or follow on Twitter @PoetryAfrica. 

Presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and made possible by support from the eThekwini Municipality, KZN Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and the Goethe Institute. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter. 

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GENERAL ENQUIRIES: 
Phone: +27 (0)31 260 2506
Fax: +27 (0)31 260 3074 
Email:  cca@ukzn.ac.za

 

[see attached file: 1. Nii Parkes lr.jpeg] [see attached file: 1. Aryan Kaganof.jpeg] 


Poetry Africa 2015 Finale with Nakhane Toure

 

Poetry Africa 2015 Finale with Nakhane Toure

The 19th Poetry Africa international poetry festival, which begins next week on Monday, (October 12) will close next Saturday (October 17) with a festival finale with Nakhane Toure at the Rivertown Beerhall.

The programme begins at 4pm with the annual Poetry Africa Durban Slam Jam event where Durban slam poets will compete for the title of Poetry Africa Slam Jam champion.

Running for over a decade, the Poetry Africa Durban Slam Jam remains one of the festival’s highlights, providing the audience with a rush of rhythm and rhyme from both Durban and abroad. The Slam Jam participants for 2015 are: Sfundo Sibisi, Kgune Dlamini, Zethembile Nkabinde and Andile Nyembezi. 

DJ Rawkidd Mpangase will be in the house and there will also be performances by Many Moore and Lu Dlamini prior to the final performances from all the 19th Poetry Africa participants:

Africa Dlamini(South Africa), Aryan Kaganof (South Africa), Celiswa Majali (South Africa), Icebound Makhele (South Africa), Kat Francois (United Kingdom), Khanyi Shusha (South Africa), Kwazi Ndlangisa (South Africa), Lebo Mashile (South Africa), Lebohang ‘Nova’ Masango (South Africa), Lesego Rampolokeng (South Africa), Makhosazana Xaba (South Africa), Matt Vend (South Africa), Mbali Vilakazi (South Africa), Mthunzikazi Mbungwana (South Africa), Mutle Mothibe (South Africa), Nii Parkes (United Kingdom/ Ghana), Nokulunga Dladla (South Africa), Nosipho Magcaba (South Africa), Ntsiki Mazwai (South Africa), Thabiso Mohare (South Africa), Thando Fuze (South Africa), Tshebeletso Mohale (South Africa), Vonani Bila (South Africa), Vus'umuzi Phakathi (South Africa).

The programme concludes with a performance from award winning Johannesburg based artist Nakhane Touré.  His debut music video for the single, Fog was nominated for a Design Indaba ‘Most Beautiful Object’ award. And at the 2014 MTV Music Awards he received a Best Alternative nomination. His album Brave Confusion was nominated for four SAMAS at the 20th SAMA awards and went on to win the Best Alternative Album. Touré’s debut novel Piggy Boy’s Blue will be launched at 14:00 at 8 Morrison Street on 17 October.

Tickets for the festival finale at Rivertown cost R70 (pre-sale or R80 at the door) and can be purchased from www.computicket.com.

For more information go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or like the Facebook page PoetryAfrica or follow on Twitter @PoetryAfrica. 

Presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and made possible by support from the eThekwini Municipality, KZN Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and the Goethe Institute. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter.

19th Poetry Africa - Participants Announcement

Media Release

19th POETRY AFRICA - PARTICIPANTS ANNOUNCEMENT

A select group of poets from South Africa and around the world will gather together for a week showcasing the face of present day spoken word and storytelling at the 19th Poetry Africa Festival. The festival takes place in Durban from the 12 to 17 October 2015.

Hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, Poetry Africa provides a space for intercultural exchange and dialogue by hosting an extensive community outreach programme with poetry readings, performances and workshops in community centres, campuses and also participate in a programme of visits to schools across Durban to share ideas about poetry.

Evening poetry readings and discussions will take place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre (Howard College) UKZN. The festival finale will take place on October 17 at the Rivertown Beer Hall in Durban’s CBD, with a closing performance by soulful singer Nakhane Touré.

This year’s festival features 24 poets:

UK-based Kat Francois, is a comedienne, playwright, actress, performer, host, schools and youth facilitator and a well‐known performance poet both in her country and globally. Lebohang 'Nova' Masango, is a Swedish-born writer, poet, activist, feminist and speaker, and UK-based Ghanaian performance poet, writer and sociocultural commentator Nii Parkes.

From South Africa comes the celebrated and prolific poet and actress Lebo Mashile, who, was named one of the Top 100 Africans by New African magazine; Lesego Rampolokeng the  renowned hard-hitting South African writer, playwright and performance poet; Aryan Kaganof a filmmaker, novelist, poet and fine artist, who refers to himself as a project of African Noise Foundation; Ntsiki Mazwai the outspoken and incendiary poet, writer and musician and Thabiso ‘Afurakan’ Mohare one of the pioneers of the modern South African spoken word scene.

KZN-based poets include Africa Dlamini, a slam/spoken word poet who lives in Howick, Durban’s Celiswa Majali whose novel entitled Imbali yentombazanana is used by schools at grade 10 level in the Western Cape and Gauteng Provinces. Also from Durban are Khanyi Shusha a diviner, performance art poet, stylist, designer, facilitator, brown consciousness activist, feminist and writer; Kwazi Ndlangisa a South African award-winning performance poet, vocalist, creative writer and art activist; Matt Vend who is well known across South Africa for his poetically-driven songwriting, unique rhythmic guitar playing and engaging live performances; Nokulunga Dladla who is a passionate recording poetry artist and a storyteller as well as being an educator in the Pinetown District; Nosipho Magcaba, a former “prelude poet” at the festival, who returns this year to the main programme; Tshebeletso Mohale also a former “prelude poet” at Poetry Africa 2014 who is lives and works in Durban; Thando Fuze has twice been nominated  for Best Female Performing Poet at the Original Material Awards and Vus'umuzi Phakathi who  is an award winning South African poet, writer, performer, facilitator and producer.

Other featured poets include Icebound Makhele a spoken word performer, writer, cultural activist and events coordinator from Bloemfontein,Makhosazana Xaba the author of two poetry collections and is a feminist activist with experience in women’s health, philanthropy and the anti-apartheid struggle; Mbali Vilakazi the award-winning South African poet, performer, curator and speaker, with a dynamic style and collaborative experimental approach; Mthunzikazi Mbungwana a poet, writer and storyteller from a small village of Upper Indwana in Cala in the former Transkei;  Mutle Mothibe has spent the last 15 years honing his skills a writer and performer and is also an accomplished workshop facilitator who regularly engages both learners and educators and Limpopo-born Vonani Bila who is poet and musician, who has written eight story-books for newly literate adult readers in Sepedi, Xitsonga and English.

Tickets for the evening sessions, which take place at 7pm at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, are R40 (students/ pensioners: R25 at the door) and can be purchased at Computicket or one hour before the performance begins at the box-office. Tickets for the festival finale at Rivertown cost R70 (pre-sale or R80 at the door) and can be purchased  from www.computicket.com

For more information go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or like the Facebook page PoetryAfrica or follow on Twitter @PoetryAfrica. 

Presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and made possible by support from the eThekwini Municipality, KZN Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and the Goethe Institute. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter. 

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18th Poetry Africa Schools Poetry Writing Competition

18th POETRY AFRICA

SCHOOLS POETRY WRITING COMPETITION

DEADLINE: 19 September 2015

The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), with principal funding from the City of Durban invites all students to submit their poems as part of the 19th POETRY AFRICA Schools Competition.

Poetry Africa is committed to nurturing a culture of reading and writing poetry, especially among the youth of KwaZulu-Natal. The festival invites primary to high school learners to take up this exciting opportunity of submitting material for the poetry competition which is held in conjunction with the festival. The poems can be written in either English or isi Zulu and since there is no topic, writers have the licence to get creative. The Festival will accept up to two poems per learner; - illegible entries will not be considered. 

Poems must be submitted either by hand at the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA), UKZN, Howard College Campus, Mazisi Kunene Avenue, Glenwood, Durban, 4001 or via email to poetryafrica@cca-ukzn.co.za or by fax to (031) 260 3074 - deadline is 19 September, 2015.

The Poetry Africa festival, now in its 19th edition, takes place from 12 to 17 October 2015 in Durban.

Winners will read their poems on the main stage of the Poetry Africa festival on the evening of 16 October. Prizes will be awarded by Adams Booksellers and the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN).

Entrants must ensure that the following information is on the front page of all submissions and that all pages are numbered:

Full name and surname.

School Name.

School Contact Details. (Email / Phone/ Address)

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Media enquiries:

Sharlene Versfeld 

Versfeld & Associates

sharlene@versfeld.co.za

 

August 30, 2015

Prelude Poets Auditions

Media Release

Prelude Poets Auditions

The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), presented with principal funding from the City of Durban, calls out to Durban’s emerging poets to take part in the 19th Poetry Africa Festival as Prelude Poets.

Poetry Africa,  which takes place from 12 to 17 October brings together some of the world’s finest poets and musicians to Durban, with artists from the African continent and beyond. 

Four Durban poets are needed to perform "curtain raisers” for the festival. The programme gives the city’s poets the opportunity to showcase their work to audiences at the country’s premier poetry festival. Many poets performing in this space have gone on to be invited as festival participants in Poetry Africa and other platforms in subsequent years.

Participants will be required to audition original works with a five minute limit. Auditions will take place at The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal Howard College Campus) on 3-4 September 2015. Auditions slots will be assigned by booking. To book an audition time, applicants must send an email with their full name and contact details with Poetry Africa Prelude Auditions in the subject line to poetryafrica@cca-ukzn.co.za.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University KwaZulu-Natal), the 18th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter. 

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Poetry Africa Schools Competition Winners

The Poetry Africa – International Poetry Festival, hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts UKZN announced the winners for the annual Poetry Africa Schools Competition on Friday, 18 October on the last evening at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre before the finale at the BAT Centre on Saturday, 19 October 19h00.

 The Schools Poetry Competition provides learners with the exciting opportunity to showcase their poetry-writing skills in the schools poetry competition, which is a popular component of the festival. Entrants from high schools in KwaZulu-Natal were invited to submit original poems in a theme of their choice, in English, isiZulu or Afrikaans and a panel of adjudicators that included Sakhile Gumede, Sphindile Hlongwa, Noxolo Matete, Carole Gumede, Mitchell Harper and Nomfundo Xolo selected winners for both the English and Zulu competition sections. “This year we had a total of 78 English, 93 isiZulu and 1 Afrikaans poems that were submitted from schools within Durban and the surrounding areas. The selection process was difficult as the scholars brought creativity, originality and inspiration in all of their poems and selecting the winners was difficult” said Tiny Mungwe Project Manager of the Festival. The winners who presented their poems and received prizes during the Poetry Africa evening session on Friday, October 18 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre are:

In the English section:

1st place: Yuvti Rampersad (Westville Girls High) for ‘We Poets’

2nd place: Amanda Hadebe (Westville Girls High) for ‘The Silent Spectator’

3rd place: Laura Pirjol (Durban Girls College) for ‘Guilt’

In the Zulu section:

1st place: Sibongile Ngidi (Mzingezi Secondary School) for ‘Impela Uyimpicabadala’

2nd place: Latha Philani (Umbelebele Secondary) for ‘Olukamageba’

3rd place: Lee-Ann Jantjies (Umlazi Commercial High) for ‘Awami Amaphutha Ma, Wami!’

The winners were presented with cash prizes and book voucher awards thanks to the long standing sponsorship with Adams Bookshop UKZN Howard College. A further component within the Poetry Africa – International Poetry Festival is the long-standing commitment to nurture a culture of reading and writing amongst the youth of KwaZulu-Natal. The schools’ visits initiative that took place during this year’s festival took place in over fifteen schools within Durban and the surrounding areas.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), the 17th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The CCA is currently a special project of the newly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

Website: www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

Twitter @PoetryAfrica

Facebook: Poetry Africa

 

17th Poetry Africa - International Poetry Festival Workshops

 

The 17th Poetry Africa – International Poetry Festival presented in partnership with the City of Durban and the KZN Department of Arts and Culture announced the festival line up, which promises to be an exhilarating showcase of diverse voices and sounds. Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) to take place from 14-19 October, this festival is a critical platform for self-expression that gives a platform for cultural exchange in the city of Durban.

The Poetry Africa festival, now in its 17th edition, takes place from 14 to 19 October 2013. The event brings together some of the world’s finest poets and musicians to Durban, with artists from India, Benin, Nigeria, Ireland, Italy, Canada and The United States of America.

The Pre-Festival Creative Writing workshops taking place from 7-11 October, at the Centre for Creative Writing (University of KwaZulu-Natal) offers 15 aspiring writers an extensive week-long programme which offers to develop their creative writing tools to hone their craft. The department which is headed by poet and Poetry Africa alumni Poppy Seed, who is a lecturer in English Literature and Media, with 25 years of experience, as well as a songwriter / composer, playwright and is an internationally acclaimed performance poet.

Our extensive workshop programme also includes a pre-festival tour of Durban by the festival finale musical act, Canadian hip-hop and spoken word poet Ian Kamau.  The interactive week-long workshops will take place in various venues across the city, and is a must for all poetry lovers. Kamau is a writer, visual artist, hip hop and spoken word artist from Toronto whose discography lists five collections, including the popular album One Day Soon (2011).

Kamau’s Rhythm, Rhyme & Reasons workshops will take place on the following dates: 

Tuesday 8 October:  Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre, 14:00-15:00.

Wednesday 9 October: BAT Centre, 17:00-18:00.

Thursday 10 October: Lindelani Arts Centre, 13:00-14:00.

 Friday 11 October: Alliance Francaise, 14:00-15:00.

To take part in the workshops presented by Ian Kamau, contact poetryafricaworkshops@gmail.com.

Along with a diverse line-up of performers, the festival has an extensive workshop programme taking place before and during the festival. Aspiring poets and poetry lovers have the opportunity to engage with Poetry Africa participants, past and present to help hone their craft with creative writing workshops that they will be hosting. The Poetry Writing Workshop at the BAT Centre Saturday 19 October, headed by Raphael D’Abdon (Italy) and Kobus Moolman (South Africa), offers poetry lovers an opportunity to discuss reading, writing and the performance aspects of poetry. D’Abdon is an Italian scholar, writer, editor and translator and a post-doctoral fellow in the English Studies Department at UNISA. As an editor D’Abdon recently published Marikana - A Moment in Time as well as an anthology of poetry about the massacre as well as his own collection Sunnyside Nightwalk. Kobus Moolman is a lecturer of creative writing and languages at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and author. Moolman has a diverse portfolio of published work and his latest collection Left Over is currently enjoying rave reviews is the press.

This year the festival will also host a workshop in partnership with Poetry Potion on Saturday 29 October at the BAT Centre, to discuss and analyse the work of their third quarterly publication Poetry is not a Luxury. Inspired by Audre Lorde’s work of the same title, this anthology of poems written by respected poets Tereska Muishond, Ayabulela Tutuse, Morula wa Kutukgolo, Mandy Mitchell, Monique Barnard, and Saurell Boyers; contemporary poets using their words to tackle and engage topics of every-day life, while discovering who they are through the art of poetry. Our panel discussion will feature 17th Poetry Africa participants Natalia Molebatsi, Malika Ndlovu, and Mandi “Poefficient” Vundla, creating a dialogue about the work and influence of female poets in the country.

For more details about this year’s Poetry Africa, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call (031) 2602506

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University KwaZulu-Natal), the 17th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and The French Institute. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The CCA is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

Caption: Canadian Poet and Hip-Hop Artist Iain Kamau will be in Durban hosting workshops as part of the Poetry Africa International Poetry Festival prior to the opening of the Festival. 

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17th Poetry Africa - International Poetry Festival

The 17th Poetry Africa – International Poetry Festival presented in partnership with the City of Durban and the KZN Department of Arts and Culture is proud to announce the festival line-up, which promises to be an exhilarating showcase of diverse voices and sounds. Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) to take place from 14-19 October, this festival is a critical platform for self-expression that offers a space for cultural exchange in the city of Durban.

The festival’s line-up features a ground-breaking poetry project – a 12 track recorded album entitled Insurrections – featuring poets and ethnomusicologists from India and South Africa. The project sees the rich sounds of the Indian music tradition blend with African instruments accompanying radical poetry from both continents. The Insurrections ensemble will be performed by musicians Sumangala Damodaran (India), Jürgen Brauninger (South Africa), Neo Muyanga (South Africa), Pritam Ghoshal (India), Brydon Bolton (South Africa), Bettina Schouw (South Africa), Sazi Dlamini (South Africa) and Paki Peloeole (South Africa). The poetry contingent for Insurrections will comprise of Ari Sitas (South Africa), Malika Ndlovu (South Africa), Sabita TP (India) and Vivek Narayanan (India). The ensemble will perform on Thursday, 17 October.

Keeping with the musical theme of this year’s edition, the festival will feature five poets who also work as recording musicians. Kabomo Vilakazi is a singer, songwriter and actor who also features in South African poetry circles. Nominated four times for the SAMAs and a former editor of youth culture magazine Y-Mag, his credentials in the entertainment industry are indeed formidable. Kalawi Jazmee artist Busiswa Gqulu returns to Poetry Africa in the middle of her impressive reign on the music charts throughout Africa. She first graced the Poetry Africa stage as part of the all-women poetry collective Basadzi Voices in 2008 and has also performed solo in 2010. South African poet Natalia Molebatsi is also a writer, facilitator and programme director who recently founded a South African-Italian music project with the band Soul Making. Her poetry is published in the books We Are. (2008) and Sardo Dance (2009). Durban-born poet, performer and MC (Ashleigh La Foy) is well-known on Durban stages for both her poetry and her musical prowess. Having earned her stripes as a female rapper, she will indulge Durban audiences with her poetic oeuvre ahead of her much-anticipated debut album. Hailing from the Eastern Cape, Pura Lavisa is a writer, performer and poet whose musical arrangements incorporate percussion and African sounds. Lavisa will be presenting a collection of poems mostly in isiXhosa.

Returning to the Poetry Africa stage, well-respected Soweto-born dub-poet and writer, Lesego Rampolokeng, will deliver an infectious brand of poetry influenced by Black Consciousness and rooted in the lived experience of people on the margins. Also from Soweto, Khulile Nxumalo will present works from his first title ten flapping elbows, mama and his latest collection fhedzi, published by Die Hard Press. Critically acclaimed, Nxumalo was twice named the recipient of the DALRO prize for poetry. Nigerian-born poet Kole Odutola will also be reading his latest work at the festival. Odutola teaches at the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Florida and has published extensively both in academia and literature. Another participant with a background in teaching languages is Kobus Moolman, based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Moolman’s latest collection Left Over is currently enjoying rave reviews in the press and his performance will allow an eager Durban audience a chance to celebrate his vast canon of works.

Johannesburg-based performance and slam poet Mandi Poefficient Vundla forms part of the Word n Sound collective and is featured on the online and print publications of Poetry Potion. Crowned ‘Queen of the Word and Sound Mic’ in 2012, she has graced numerous poetry stages including Arts Alive and Jozi Book Fair. Another young female voice featured in the line-up is Sanelisiwe Ntuli, a wordsmith from Hammersdale who writes and performs in isiZulu. Ntuli is a graduate of the Kwesukela Storytelling Academy and regularly features as a storyteller and voice artist on educational programmes of Ukhozi FM. Also writing in isiZulu is Professor Langalibalele F. Mathenjwa is holding a Doctor of Literature and Philosophy from UNISA. He is a published writer of isiZulu poetry, novels, short stories and folklore and has chair Usiba Writers Guild, South African Geographical Names Council, IsiZulu National Language Body and the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names-Africa South Division.

Four poets from the Irish poetry collective O’Bheal will present their work at the festival. This contingent consists of Paul Casey, Afric McGinchey, Billy Ramsel and American-born Raven. Completing the international line-up will be Ian Kamau (Canada), Barnabe Laye (Benin) and Raphael d'Abdon (Italy/ South Africa). Kamau is a writer, visual artist, hip hop and spoken word artist from Toronto, whose discography lists five collections, including the popular album One Day Soon (2011). He will be presenting additional workshops in advance of the festival. A poet and novelist, Laye has published a dozen books and is the recipient of the Nelligan Prize his lifetimes work. His most recent work is entitled Poems in Absent, a long wait (2010). D’Abdon is an Italian scholar, writer, editor and translator and a post-doctoral fellow in the English Studies Department at UNISA. As an editor, D’Abdon recently published Marikana - A Moment in Time, as well as an anthology of poetry about the massacre and his own collection, Sunnyside Nightwalk.

The festival’s community outreach programme will see poets visit over twenty community centres, campuses and tertiary education departments across Durban and beyond. In addition, participating poets will visit twenty schools to discuss reading, writing and the performance aspects of poetry.

 

For more details about this year’s Poetry Africa, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call (031) 260 2506.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), the 17th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The CCA is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

17th Poetry Africa International Poetry Festival - Schools Poetry Writing Competition

The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), with principal funding from the City of Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, calls out to high school pupils to submit poems as part of the 17th POETRY AFRICA Schools Competition.

The POETRY AFRICA festival, now in its 17th edition, takes place from 14 to 19 October 2013. To set the Durban stage alight this year, are a range of popular international poets including Ari Sitas, Malika Ndlovu, Lesego Rampolokeng, Kabomo Vilakazi, Busiswa Gqulu, Natalia Molebatsi, Kobus Moolman, Khulile Nxumalo and many more.

With its long-standing commitment towards nurturing a culture of reading and writing poetry, especially amongst the youth, Poetry Africa invites high school learners to take up the exciting opportunity of submitting material for the poetry competition which is held in conjunction with the festival. There is no particular topic for the poems and they can be written in English, Zulu or Afrikaans. No more than two poems per learner will be accepted, with a maximum length of one A4 page per poem - illegible entries will not be considered.

Poems must be submitted to the Centre for Creative Arts or faxed to (031) 260 3074 by 20 September 2013. Winners will read their poems on the main stage of the Poetry Africa festival on the evening of 18 October. Prizes will be awarded by Adams Booksellers, with the Mazisi Kunene Foundation awarding the prizes for the Zulu winners.

Participants can send their poems to the Centre for Creative Arts via e-mail on cca@ukzn.ac.za or can post their poem to the Centre for Creative Arts on: Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus, Durban, 4041, South Africa. For more details about this year’s Poetry Africa, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call (031) 260 2506.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), the 17th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban and the KwaZulu Natal Department of Arts and Culture and the French Insitute of South Africa. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The CCA is currently a special project of the newly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

Caption: Last year’s winners in the isiZulu Poetry Competition Zoleka Maluleka (Umbelebele Secondary School) for Isibani Sami, Nombulelo Gumede (King Shaka High School) for Thingo Lwenkosazane, Zizikazi Dlamini (Durban Girls High) for Zikhohlisana Zihlomile. English winners in the schools Poetry Competition Julia van der Riet (St. Annes College) for Preparation for a Poem (A work in progress), Zamangwane Zikhali (Durban Girls High School) for Cold Sunlight and Jenna Dunford (Westville Senior Primary School) for The Graveyard

 

Poetry Africa - Prelude Poet Programme

17th Poetry Africa

International Poetry Festival

14-19 October 2013

Poetry Africa Prelude Poet Programme

The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), with principal funding from the City of Durban and the Department of Arts and Culture, calls out to the Durban’s creative and undiscovered poets to take part in the festival Prelude Poets programme as part of the 17th Poetry Africa International Festival.

The Poetry Africa festival, now in its 17th edition, takes place from 14 to 19 October 2013. The festival brings together some of the world’s finest poets and musicians to Durban, with artists from India, Nigeria, Ireland, Italy and The United States of America.

The 17th Poetry Africa, International Poetry Festival is looking for four of Durban’s brightest undiscovered poets to take part in Poetry Africa Prelude Poet programme. The programme gives the city’s creative and original poets the opportunity to showcase their hidden talents to audiences at the country’s premier poetry festival.

Participants will be required to audition original works with a five minute limit. Auditions are to take place at The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal Howard College Campus) on 13 September 2013. Auditions and will be assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis. To book an audition time, please send an email with your name and contact details with the Poetry Africa Prelude Auditions in the subject title to paprelude2013@gmail.com

For more details about this year’s Poetry Africa, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call (031) 2602506

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts(University KwaZulu-Natal), the 17th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The CCA is a special project of the newly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

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General Enquiries:

Phone: +27 (0)31 260 2506/1816

Fax:+27 (0)31 260 3074

Email: cca@ukzn.ac.za

Media Enquiries:

Kwazi Ngubane/ Nolwazi Magwaza

Mobile: +27 (073) 442-9347/ + 27 (076) 638-3546

Phone: +27 (031) 811-5628

Email: kwazi@versfeld.co.za or nolwazi@versfeld.co.za

Website: www.versfeld.co.za