By Rozelle Hartzenberg
A crowd sits gathered in the Botanical Gardens despite the gloomy weather. They are waiting and watching as a high pitched voice sings from behind. It is the Burning Rebellion, an ecological protest poem performance with a message to inspire the youth. Produced by Well Worn Theatre Company, the production arrived in Makhanda on the 23rd of May as part of their South African tour.
It is a public space, community-based performance that seeks to build connections in the face of the current climate crisis. The performance is free, but their message profound. “This is not a poem, but a plea…this is about you, us, we and community to change our ideology”.
The performance is staged in collaboration with the Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC) at Rhodes University; members of the Makhanda community; input from various schools and NGOs; all gathered to take part in the day’s activities. The performance is only part one, with the actors hosting a workshop for the audience afterwards on how to create a theatre.
“We hope that by engaging the youth we make a socially conscious generation. We wanted a space for people to feel angry about the fact that we are here. Young people are being told they have a hopeless future, meanwhile, they are not the ones who have done the damage, that’s why we also speak about climate justice instead of just climate change, “says Kyla Davis, director of Well Worn Theatre Company.
Through the use of singing, rapping, the spoken word poetry, performers Sanelisiwe Yekani, Lerato Sefoloshe, Mlindeli Zondi, and Jaques de Silva capture the attention of the audience. There is no set, no props, and no costumes. Only four voices with a message – a message that is both inspirational and urgent.
Lucky, a 17-year-old student from Nathaniel Nyaluza Senior Secondary School, stands up at the end of the performance to add his own words, “And from the mines they are digging they go down, down, down into the ocean. As they go down, the whole world will flood, and then, where will we live?” The audience applauds – this is the burning rebellion our country and our world needs.
Join the rebellion here or follow them on Instagram @burningrebellionza.
The post Burning Rebellion fires up Makhanda youth – By Rozelle Hartzenberg appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News.
A crowd sits gathered in the Botanical Gardens despite the gloomy weather.
The post Burning Rebellion fires up Makhanda youth – By Rozelle Hartzenberg appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News. Read More
