What Are Your Words Worth? - SPEAK THE MIND POETRY SESSIONS at Artscape

Following a very successful five year run in Johannesburg as part of the Joburg Arts Alive Festival, Speak the Mind Poetry Sessions return to Cape Town for the second time from 2 to 5 September 2009 at the Artscape Arena. Performances on 2 & 3 start at 19:30 and on 4 & 5 Sept they commence at 20.00.

“What Are Your Words Worth” is the theme this year and promises another dynamic line-up of poets and performance artists from the Cape, Johannesburg and Nigeria. There is a free a panel discussion with esteemed members that include Hale, Iain Robinson and Melisizwe Moni as well as associates from diverse word industries such as advertising, film and print.

Live rAGE! - A living tribute to a living legend opens the sessions on Wednesday 2 September with a performance tribute to James Matthews, the original dissident poet. A writer, publisher and one of Africa’s most gifted cultural activists and intellectuals recently celebrated his eightieth birthday. Live rAGE! celebrates his life and honoures his contribution to South African literature.
The performance features interpretations of a selection of James Matthews’ poetry by a dynamic cast of poets, actors, musicians and dancers directed by the playwright Michael Wentworth with musical direction by Glen Arendse and choreography by Leanne Göhse. To complete this unique tribute a live work of visual art will be created by Garth Erasmus as a backdrop to the performance in keeping with the idea of collaborative creation which was the underlying motivation for the establishment of the collective known as Vakalisa of which both James Matthews and Garth Erasmus were a part.

The tribute features Glen Arendse, Garth Erasmus and Jethro Louw from Khoi Konnexion; Chris Ferndale, Zenariah Barends and Primrose Mrwebi from the Cape Cultural Collective; the poets Khadija Heeger and Angelo Lackay; musicians Dex Goodman, Darren English and Sakhile Moleshe; and the actor Tauriq Jenkins.

This tribute has been developed by Two Brothers’ Art and is realized through the commitment and passion of a host of individuals and organizations including Artapart Productions and Events, Six-Nine, Artscape, Tagore’s, SAtoritech, the Cape Cultural Collective and District Six Museum.

The performance is at 19.30.Tickets are R100 or R160 with a copy of ‘Age is a Beautiful Phase’. Book through Computicket outlets.There is free preview at 12 noon the same day.

On 3rd September is the free panel discussion and on the 4th Speak the Mind presents “Spit Fire” (hot from the Grahamstown festival) by the Durban bred MC Creamy Ewok Baggends; graffiti writing head from the WK? crew, Illuminating Shadows, Slam champion, Hip Hop activist and a proudly South African rapper.

The four day programme culminates in a finale on Saturday 5 September with a line-up of highly acclaimed and respected artists from South Africa and the African continent that include - Sage Has.son who hails from Nigeria, Napo Masheane, Mak Manaka from Johannesburg and Cape Town based poets : Melisizwe Moni emcee and poet, Dajavu Tafari, Nobuhle Ketelo, Kanyi Mavi, Ronelda Kamfer, Jon-Arthur Lewis and Sjaka September.

And by popular request multi-instrumentalists Madala Kunene with his steel string acoustic guitars and mouth bow presents his original compositions sung in Zulu, English and Fanigalo.

Speak the Mind is an all-inclusive form of urban beat and spoken word escapism Book now through Computicket outlets, Artscape Dial-a-Seat 021 421 7695, Pick’n Pay, Checkers and Shoprite outlets. Or on line http://www.computicket.com/

Entrance to the Panel Discussion on Sept 3 is free and the events on 4 and 5 September cost R50. Block bookings for 20 or more, Pensioners, Students cost R30 and Schools per group of 60 learners R25 each. These prices do not include the performance on 2nd September 2009 - Tickets for Live rAGE! on the 2nd cost R100 (without the book) and R120 with a copy of ‘Age is a Beautiful Phase’.

For more information contact Teba Shumba 083 758 2136 / teba205@yahoo.com

Brought to you by LNM Entertainment in association with Artscape’s Indeginous Arts Department and generously supported by the National Arts Council of South Africa.

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