Amazing Success at the MDDF

Ubom! was inspired and intrigued as the young talent of eRhini revealed itself last week at the Makana Drama Development Festival (MDDF) where seven productions competed for the highly coveted title of Best Production in the Senior Festival.

The adjudicators for the evening, National Arts Festival Director Ismail Mahomed, former Festival Director Lynette Marais, and Arts Education Director Neville Engelbrecht, were treated to a selection of top-quality products tackling a variety of issues, from cultural loss and township poverty, to sub-standard education and lack of job opportunities.

The Best Production award went to Kwela with their production “Dreamers”. They won a R500 cash prize, and the highly sought after award of sponsored involvement in the 2011 National Arts Festival. Their story explored the troubles that the current generation experience trying to find work in a corrupt country with only basic education offered to most of the school-going populace. It was relevant and satirically exposed the feelings of today’s youth.

Kwela will join other community theatre groups from around South Africa in the Remix programme, an intensive ten-day day workshop process which includes performance skills, writing, as well as administrative and management skills.

Importantly, the programme also allows the groups to showcase their work and see a wide range of other productions, to develop their critical theatre eye and broaden their horizons, exposing them to a greater world of theatre. As part of the National Arts Festival, the groups get to experience this vibrant annual event in Grahamstown, and are accommodated at Rhodes University.

Nathanial Nyaluza’s drama group run by educator Steader Nkwinti, presented “The Fingos” a well-crafted and enriching presentation on cultural and historical narratives. They received a special merit award and special mention from the adjudicators. The runner-up award went to the newly formed Via Kasi Movers, who presented “Hustlers” a quirky show incorporating mime, exciting Pantsula, interesting lighting effects and a top-notch cast who brought it all together.

In the Junior Festival, groups from Nombulelo High School, NV Cewu and CM Vellum participated, with NV Cewu winning the Best Production category with “Spread the Word”, a fun story about water pollution awareness.

And most extraordinary, was the involvement of the Grahamstown Correctional Centre drama group. In May this year, they won many awards from the Eastern Cape Eisteddfod, and after continued workshops with Applied Theatre expert Alex Sutherland it was decided that the prisoners should join Ubom! at the Rhodes Main Theatre.

After much bureaucratic negotiation, they were included in a special programme and performed in the afternoon, although they adjudicated as part of the Senior Festival. Their story, “Influence” sent an inspiring and thoughtful message about not bowing to social pressures, avoiding the easy option of crime, and finding redemption through forgiveness. This was truly a momentous occasion.

The general enhancement in the productions’ quality and increased attendance at this exciting Festival is credited to the on-going dedication and commitment from Ubom! to constant development of drama and the arts in the Grahamstown/eRhini communities. Thanks to the Rhodes University Drama Department’s support, this fantastic event can continue to happen in an actual theatre environment and we can continue to see Grahamstown’s rising stars be recognised.

Ubom!, a non-profit organisation run by Rhodes drama lecturer Janet Buckland (and largely supported and sponsored by Rhodes), doesn’t only spend all year creating amazing award-winning works of theatre. They also put a lot of time and effort into training and nurturing the future theatre makers of South Africa.

Ubom! is made possible thanks to the generous funding and support of the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund, the National Arts Council, and Rhodes University.

Picture: Winning group, Kwela, with their production “Dreamers”.