Gcina Mhlophe is South Africa’s most celebrated oral storyteller. She has worked since the early 1980s, as an actress and director for theatre, film and television, as a writer of plays, poetry and story (which are published extensively) and as a performance poet and storyteller. She is also involved in training and directing storytellers and other narrative based artists.
Gcina passionately combines ancient and contemporary stories, poetry and songs into programmes of great emotional depth. Her performances reflect a profound cultural re-awakening within South Africa and it is thanks largely to her efforts that African Storytelling is now experiencing a huge resurgence in the country.
Gcina tours both within South Africa and internationally. In 2004 alone she was visiting lecturer at University of Cape Town, conducting Storytelling workshops with second year drama students; she visited schools and universities in Brazil on the invitation of the RSA High Commissioner; participated in the hosting of iBbY Congress in South Africa; undertook an Italian tour to promote the 'Story of Mazanendaba' and toured the UK for the promotion of South African literature, as part of the celebration of 'Ten Years of Democracy'.
In 2005 Gcina performed her show 'Touch the Past, Feel the Future' as part of the 'Thrones of Freedom' series of storytelling for adults, at the Barbican Centre in London.
Gcina has won numerous literature, storytelling and heritage awards, including a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for her 'Contributions to Traditional Arts' in 2004, and she sports two honorary doctorates for literature, from the London Open University, and the University of Natal, RSA. Gcina Speaks Zulu, Xhosa, English, Sotho
No comments:
Post a Comment