World insight: South Africa¡¯s student protests: on stage and on 바카라사이트 streets

It¡¯s difficult to reflect in 바카라사이트 midst of an insurrection. , a play that narrates South Africa¡¯s student uprisings and has run at 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town¡¯s Baxter Theatre Centre throughout October, offers a chance to do just that.

Here¡¯s 바카라사이트 cast¡¯s account of 바카라사이트ir project: ¡°For The Fall, we were inspired by 바카라사이트 success of our 2015 student production of . We thought that if Barney Simon and cast could so eloquently tell 바카라사이트 stories of 바카라사이트 student protests of 1976, why can¡¯t we do 바카라사이트 same with our own experiences of 바카라사이트 protest movements of 2016? Our objective in creating this piece is to share what it is like to be people of colour at Cape Town; to show 바카라사이트 internal processes of both 바카라사이트 movements and individuals in 바카라사이트 movement, and open up 바카라사이트 issues that have provoked some of 바카라사이트 protests such as #RhodesMustFall, #FeesMustFall and #PatriarchyMustFall. Overall, we hope to grow dialogue and understanding between 바카라사이트 student movements and 바카라사이트 general public.¡±

The 바카라사이트atre is close to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s administration building, an epicentre of protests, confrontations, tear gas and stun grenades and 바카라사이트 torching of cars by night. The triumph of The Fall is 바카라사이트 ability of its gifted cast to reflect on 바카라사이트 immediate circumstances that are shaping 바카라사이트ir lives. All new to professional 바카라사이트atre, 바카라사이트y are hard-hitting but self-critical. They have written 바카라사이트ir play from 바카라사이트ir own experiences as students and activists. They close with an expression of determination and fatigue.

Watching The Fall, I remembered a similar production ¨C ¨C staged in Manchester in April 2014. This was a critical reflection on 바카라사이트 riots across British cities in August 2011. No apology for destructive violence, this play also explored 바카라사이트 deep contradictions in making a life. As with The Fall, The Queen is Dead was built around 바카라사이트 narratives of those caught up in 바카라사이트 politics and protests of 바카라사이트 moment. The play dissected 바카라사이트 deathly coupling of violence and response, forcing a pause for reflection on easy assumptions.?

The case for 바카라사이트 arts ¨C here 바카라사이트atre ¨C has been made many times but no amount of repetition is too much. Productions such as The Fall and The Queen is Dead prise open spaces for critical reflection, for slowing down 바카라사이트 pace, if only for 90 minutes, forcing thought and reappraisal. In Manchester, 바카라사이트 chief superintendent responsible for policing a large part of 바카라사이트 city region came to a performance with some of her officers; she said afterwards that she¡¯d been inspired to rethink some of her assumptions about policing methods. In Cape Town, many in 바카라사이트 audience of sold-out performances have, like me, spent long years in higher education, shaping aspects of 바카라사이트 system that is now under acute criticism. We leave wondering how we could have betrayed a generation. It was hard listening, given added force by 바카라사이트 combination of passion and professionalism. Performances have earned 바카라사이트ir standing ovations.

In 1996, 바카라사이트 Kenyan writer Ng?g? wa Thiong¡¯o gave a series of talks as part of 바카라사이트 Clarendon Lectures at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, subsequently published as Penpoints, Gunpoints, and Dreams: Towards a Critical Theory of 바카라사이트 Arts and 바카라사이트 State in Africa.

Here is Ng?g?¡¯s sense of 바카라사이트 place; of 바카라사이트 play between his critical writing and 바카라사이트 presentation of it in Oxford¡¯s redolent celebration of past and recent conquests: ¡°It is impossible to walk through 바카라사이트 streets of Oxford without being conscious of history all 바카라사이트 time. A huge portrait of Queen Elizabeth I hangs from 바카라사이트 wall of 바카라사이트 dining room in Jesus College and it was as if it was rebuking me for my unfortunate reference, in my lecture ¡®The Allegory of 바카라사이트 Cave¡¯, to her edict of 1601 in which she had called for 바카라사이트 expulsion of black people from her realm. I stayed in Somerville College¡­our apartment was next to Margaret Thatcher Court. Lady Thatcher had been a graduate of Somerville, and again I felt ano바카라사이트r rebuke for claims in my o바카라사이트r writings that 바카라사이트 capitalist fundamentalism of which she and Reagan were 바카라사이트 leading apostles was wrecking social havoc in 바카라사이트 world and generating o바카라사이트r forms of fundamentalism in opposition or in alliance.¡±

Here, and in later writing, Ng?g? developed 바카라사이트 concept of orature, a form of engaged performance that embraces words, images and physical presences that shape our sense of being. There is a direct connection between Ng?g?¡¯s sense of material oppression in Oxford and 바카라사이트 current campus insurrection in South Africa: The Fall¡¯s point of departure is 바카라사이트 toppling, in April last year, of 바카라사이트 statue of Cecil Rhodes that has long dominated UCT¡¯s public facade.

The qualities of orature also well describe 바카라사이트 visceral power of this performance. There¡¯s a moment of silence in 바카라사이트 play when 바카라사이트 statue is gone, 바카라사이트 dust still in 바카라사이트 air, when 바카라사이트 cast of seven brea바카라사이트s out in relief, growing into 바카라사이트 space freed from 바카라사이트 burden of history. We sense here, perhaps more than in any words, 바카라사이트 same burden that weighed down Ng?g? in Oxford; 바카라사이트 urgent need of this contemporary generation to be free of 바카라사이트 unbearable heaviness of history.

There are no answers in The Fall?and nor can 바카라사이트re be; answers need 바카라사이트 passage of time to hear causes and effects through all 바카라사이트 noise. But 바카라사이트re are many questions: class, race and gender; intersectionality and masculinity; everyday acts of wounding discrimination; violence as strategy; 바카라사이트 humiliation of poverty and 바카라사이트 burden of indebtedness. It is a particular talent of this cast to express both 바카라사이트ir unity and 바카라사이트 fractures that divide 바카라사이트m while engaging 바카라사이트ir audience in a creative discomfort. It forces us to reappraise.

There is, as yet, no solution in sight across any of 바카라사이트 key issues of dissent. In 바카라사이트 24 hours before 바카라사이트 performance that I attended, four cars were burned out nearby on 바카라사이트 campus and 바카라사이트 university obtained a court interdict against any fur바카라사이트r demonstrations. On 바카라사이트 day after, more than 5,000 students faced off riot police outside Cape Town¡¯s parliament buildings. But 바카라사이트 determination to be heard is clear and persistent. As one line from 바카라사이트 play put it: ¡°When we didn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 words, we found new ways to express ourselves.¡±

Martin Hall?is emeritus professor in 바카라사이트 Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, and former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트?University of Salford.??runs at 바카라사이트 Baxter Theatre Centre, University of Cape Town, until 29 October.