Wits School of Arts (ETDs)

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Start date: 1995Subject: search.filters.subject.SDG-4: Quality education

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    Seeming, being and becoming: an intimate, autoethnographic rasa-led performance art exploration
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Maharajh, Reshma; Khan, Sharlene; Munro, Allan; Andrew, David
    This thesis focuses on the interplay of "Seeming," "Being," and "Becoming" as it relates to past experiences, present moments and future potentialities. In this project, I delve into the concept of my South African ‘Indianness’ from a personal perspective. As a researcher, I engaged performance art and the aesthetic theory of rasa from the Nātyashāstra a treatise on dramatic theory or the science of drama in Sanskrit (a language of scholarship and philosophy across ancient ‘India’) to explore this concept further. The research encompasses three interconnected practices: rasa, autoethnography, and practice-led research and how central living strategies and concepts are used to define body- mindedness as a life force as emergence in performance strategy. Rasa serves as a guiding metaphor, representing the emotional essence of the artmaking strategies and creative process. These pursuits were not merely cathartic but were about reaching a Transcendental Emotional Moment (TEM) in which "being" and "becoming" converged. Rasa has been proven to be an effective tool in exploring my own identity, subject formation and artmaking, with therapeutic benefits. The second line of inquiry delves into my lived experiences as a widow, mother and practising Hindu, highlighting the complexity of South African Indianness and seeks to bridge the gap between "seeming" and "being" while anticipating what might "become" through the lens of rasa. The third line of inquiry revolves around the practice of performance art (combined with autoethnographic reflection), exploring the tensions between two philosophic models of Integrity and Intimacy as proposed by Kasulis (2002). As the artist (both creator and subject), my life and body became the canvas upon which the artwork unfolded. Performance art allowed for a moment of being when the artwork and I came into existence for each other. This process required cognitive and creative engagement with the project’s content, drawing on past experiences, culture, relationships, politics and religion, guided by rasa. The goal created an environment in which the ‘Oneness of Being’ emerged, leading to a TEM in performance. This moment invited the potential for refreshed, emergent insights and meaning through autoethnography and practice-led research. The “Seeming, Being and Becoming” trajectory and the efficacy of the rasa roadmap is proposed as a cultural philosophy that promotes human flourishing, culminating in the moment of TEM.
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    So, where to (So-we-to) with audiences? An explorative inquiry into audience development strategies at Soweto Theatre in the period 2019-2023
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mogotsi, Ratanang; Mavhungu, Johanna
    Theatre does not exist without an audience; it is imperative that theatre’s find new and innovative strategies that will develop audiences as the sector continues to face a drop in theatre attendance. Through a qualitative inquiry and Soweto Theatre as the case study, this research explores audience development strategies implemented at Soweto Theatre between 2019 and 2023. This period saw the biggest decline in theatre audiences across the theatre sector in South Africa and abroad due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings reveal the necessity of organisational restructuring, improved internal and external communication among the staff, clear task allocation and role management, as well as strategic management alignment in order to improve its audience development strategies. Storytelling is introduced as one of the key concepts to audience development. Storytelling integrates more process-related content into marketing initiatives such as social media which allows for audiences to get a taste of what to expect and to be a part of the storytelling process. Soweto Theatre, symbolises a catalyst for cultural democracy, fostering social cohesion and community empowerment. This research report concludes that digital platforms such as social media can be used to disseminate information, for outreach, arts education and cultural inclusion. Furthermore, nurturing young talent, and forging sustainable partnerships is pivotal in democratising the arts and cultivating a more inclusive cultural space. Collaboration among arts organisations and youth development programs across various theatres can further enrich experiences and heighten opportunities for emerging artists, contributing to the growth of audiences in South Africa's dynamic creative and cultural industries.
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    Enabling Authentic Learning Experiences for Indigenous Knowledge Acquisition in a Digital Environment: A Case of Zulu Beading Practice
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Dlamini, Phiwokuhle; Bristow, Tegan
    The Zulu beading practice is a well-known example of an indigenous art form that has been passed down through generations in traditional communities for cultural continuity. Research shows that Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer is a fundamental component of the epistemological system (Iseke & DesMoulins, 2015, p. 31). Elders impart knowledge using indigenous pedagogies, which promotes understanding and learning about communities and their local knowledge. With the increasing globalisation and modernisation of societies, social relationships, and cultural knowledge have become increasingly scattered. The contemporary generation often lives behind indigenous learning practices and adapts to new ways of learning in digital environments (Newman & Hatton-Yoe, 2008, p. 31). Consequently, there is a risk of traditional knowledge such as knowledge about Zulu beadwork becoming extinct when the knowledgeable elders pass away. Therefore, this indigenous knowledge needs to be documented and stored in the present digital learning environment where it can be retrieved and shared across generations. This study, therefore, explores ideas for enabling authentic learning experiences and accessibility of indigenous knowledge in a digital environment, with a focus on the Zulu beading practice. Using the Zulu beading practice, as a case study, the research investigates a potential digital learning environment to enhance the learning experience of cultural knowledge. The researcher also explores the potential of embracing digital learning environments to promote the continuity of traditional knowledge. A qualitative research approach was followed to explore the documented experiences of teaching and learning Zulu beading in a digital environment. Furthermore, a literature review was employed as a research methodology to establish the existing traditional approaches followed to teach the artistry of Zulu beading to aspiring practitioners as well as the practices needed to teach Zulu beading knowledge and skills to these practitioners in the digital environment. The findings revealed that the Zulu beading artistry is tacit knowledge, which comprises the Techne, Phronesis, and Episteme as the three knowledge categories. To create an authentic learning experience, the three knowledge categories are taught holistically. Therefore, this study aims to use the research outcomes to suggest a learning management system that could help facilitate the authentic learning experience of learning Zulu beading knowledge and skills digitally. The process of enabling authentic learning experiences in a ii digital environment requires the inclusion of indigenous viewpoints from knowledgeable elders who are skilled beadwork practitioners, linguistic engagement, and the integration of professional digital practices for developing learning solutions.
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    A self-revelatory performance study on the use of storytelling with puppets to explore the experience of a daughter with an absent father
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Wites, Nontsikelelo
    This research aims to explore the use of puppetry in addressing the impact of an absent father on their daughter through self-revelatory performance. Self-revelatory performance is a hybrid of therapy and theater, where a performer draws on personal experiences or existing social issues in need of therapeutic exploration. I conducted eight workshops where I created puppets and used those puppets to explore through narration and performance to reflect on my experiences of how growing up without a father has impacted me. This research has highlighted rejection as the main impact of a father's absence on his daughter ‘s life, which leads to confidence and trust issues. Furthermore, the study argues that the use of puppetry within a therapeutic space functions similarly to psychodrama by aiding individuals in examining their unresolved present challenges. Moreover, it suggests that the exploration of symbols and metaphors through puppetry encourages individuals to thoroughly investigate, engage with, and express their emotions regarding the issues that led them to therapy, ultimately progressing toward healing. I hope this study helps to build knowledge, can be beneficial to scholars and professionals in the field of drama therapy, and may help shape therapeutic practices in this field.
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    The search for ‘Ichambawilo’ (an encounter) with refugee and asylum-seeker parents whose children are vulnerable: an African Drama therapy intervention programme
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Busika, Nonkululeko Faith
    Refugees and asylum-seeker parents in South Africa usually find it difficult to adequately fulfil their parental responsibilities because they face many challenges. ‘Three2Six’ is a project in Johannesburg, which focuses on refugee and asylum-seeker children’s right to education and psycho-social well-being. I, as a drama therapist, have personally observed that drama therapy makes a meaningful contribution to the ‘Three2Six project’ because it assists teachers to address the therapeutic needs of refugee and asylum-seeking children who are manifesting psychosocial and behavioural problems at school. Unfortunately, the parents of the children I rendered drama therapy to did not seem to be able to help their children make good progress. The main purpose of the study was thus to design an African Drama Therapy intervention programme with the ‘Three2Six’ parents so that they could adequately fulfil their parental responsibilities. The need to engage the parents of these learners increased even more because the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged children to be at home. The research methods selected to fulfil the study's main purpose was action research in the field of Drama Therapy. The study used multiple approaches in three different phases. Participants were purposively selected and included the parents and school staff members at the Holy Family College and Sacred Heart College, where the Three2Six project is housed. The main theoretical and conceptual frameworks underlying the research were Moreno’s Role theory, the concept of African spirituality and Ubuntu. Data were gathered during the three phases of the research process by conducting personal, semi-structured interviews with school staff members and a Visual Mapping discussion with parent participants using drama therapy techniques, role embodiment and a recorder. The study findings are an African Drama Therapy Intervention programme, (the API-R5), that takes into consideration Ubuntu and Spirituality being central to African well-being. The findings further demonstrate how the Western approach to Drama Therapy, can be adapted to the African context
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    The Awakening: Makudlalwe. A study on how play awakens the inner child in black Indigenous African adults
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ncanana, Nomfundo Innocentia
    Our inner child speaks to the stories of ourselves that we carry around either knowingly or unknowingly. These stories may come in many forms and this research aimed to awaken these early experiences through the method of play. Neuro-dramatic play is a frame of play in Drama Therapy that was used to frame the activity choices. The method of guided play was used as a container to carry out the neuro-dramatic play techniques. These methods also set a frame for understanding how the inner child can be awakened. A way to activate these memories is through using our bodies as a vessel that allows the flow of experience to take place. This is why play is an important element of this research as it assists us in traveling to and navigating that space in time, using our bodies. The colonized African child growing up under post-colonial times may have the experience and memory of being deprived of play due to colonial factors that include Apartheid, land displacement, and but not limited to slave labour. These colonial factors were introduced to hinder the black mind from remembering and consciously being aware of who they are. The system continues to serve those who are oppressors as play factors have not been clearly defined in the African context. This study investigates how the use of play in the context of Drama Therapy, can be used to awaken the inner child of the black Indigenous African adult.
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    Composition and Decomposition: On Thornton Dial’s Aesthetics
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Siyothula, Nomalanga; Andrew, David
    In this study I explore how Composition and Decomposition: On Thornton Dial’s Aesthetics can be theorised and understood within black studies but based on three selected assemblages in his art practice. The study will engage in three forms of Dial’s aesthetics: The aesthetics of the black social life, the aesthetics of ruins and disposability and the aesthetics of revitalisation and care. It is in this form that Dial’s work will be meditated upon. It will do so by centering Composition and Decomposition as the analytical tools. It is a study that will engage in the protocols of black aesthetics, making and unmaking for there to be generativity. So, for this to come into being it is important to understand Dial as a figure in order to arrive at new ways of decolonising black aesthetics.
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    Ndim Lo, Masidlale: A critical exploration of the importance of culture and diversity in South African Drama Therapy spaces
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mkhize, Mawande
    The Anglo-Saxon word “plega” is the concept of playing which means battle, fight, game, or sport (Weiskopf, 1982). In most cases play is believed to have a biological, cultural, and psychological function that is seen as essential to the development of a person from a young age (Cohen, 1987). The founder of psychoanalysis known as Freud describes play as having an important role in the emotional development in people, development that is seen to take place from their early years of life and throughout their lifespan (Johnson, Christie, & Yawkey, 1987). Johnson (1987) states that in relation to Freud's view that suggests that play has its place that takes place mainly in childhood and is abandoned in adulthood, in the name of one being too old for playing. Evidence shows that playfulness in both children as well as adults plays a role in personality characteristics essentially for mental health, imagination, and creativity (Johnson, et al, 1987). Research has shown (Cohen, 1987) that play is not just activities done for fun, but rather there is more to it, it goes as far as having influence on the growth and development of those who choose to partake in the process of play. People play in different ways, in most cases the environment(s) that they grew up in expose them to the way that they are familiar with or may prefer to engage. For instance, for the Black Indigenous community, indigenous games to many may seem more preferable than other methods of play because of their familiarity. According to Burnett and Hollander (2004) indigenous games are viewed as being recreational and characterized by organized play that follows a certain structure and works in accordance with the rules that those involved agreed on that reflect a socio-cultural dimension of reasoning and behaviour. The term indigenous has a strong connection to cultural and historical context (Burnett & Hollander, 2004: 11). Playing indigenous games has an influence on developing positive character traits from an early age by reinforcing African values such as cooperation, communication, strategy, and problem-solving abilities. In South Africa, there are various people with varying beliefs and cultures, these differences are part of what makes the country unique (Gibson, 2003). I believe that none of these matters more than others, and they are all part of what makes it special. People's stories are affected by these differences (Gibson, 2003), these stories can be told based on how they were raised and 6 | M . M k h i z e how they have experienced life. This study explores the various ways in which Black indigenous people engage with play, and ways in which it can be implemented in South African Drama Therapy spaces. Understanding the various forms and ranges of client experiences is very important in order to develop effective therapeutic skills (Elliot, 2008), this process can also help therapists improve their understanding of their clients.
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    Seeking joy – Between Secrecy and Silence in a white Afrikaner Home
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Greyling, Marcia Elizabeth; Goliath, Gabrielle; Christopher, Natasha
    This mapping practice reveals how biomythography, theoretical enquiry and making can reveal a complex narrative of Afrikaner whiteness and its relationship to silence and secrecy. Themes of secrets and silences indicate the discomfort of witnessing discrimination and by virtue of speaking out, facing rejection and alienation along with those you defended. The image of the unhappy queer child speaking out at the dinner table against the “in group” is employed as visual metaphor. Self-portraiture finds expression in self-writing, performance and transgressive acts representing the tools acquired in my search for a self-affirming identity. My practice is an intentional repetition symbolising therapeutic disclosures; often repeated through voicing in order to work through trauma. A confessional divulges itself, both hidden yet exposed. A haunting insidiousness manifesting as what is not disclosed relates to concealment, protecting family secrets and the silencing repercussions of truth seeking and fearless speech. Opening up a conversation, this writing does not desire to suggest answers about changing whiteness as bad habit. Rather, I bring what is lurking in the background of white actions to the family table for an open disclosure. I am the source of the family’s dis-ease as I reveal a difficult, painful and uncomfortable conversation in which we must face our whiteness. In this explorative manner I keep open the force of this critical engagement and invite participation in this reparative work. I examine how we are stuck in the bad habit of whiteness as a study of self. Through this self-determined act, may I find joy.
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    Composing Speech: Investigation and Application of Musical Expression Embedded in Spoken Language
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Du Plessis, Marc; Harris, Cameron; Crossley, Jonathan
    This dissertation explores the musical potential of emotive expression in cut-up speech sounds. Cut-up is a twentieth-century technique with roots in Dadaism in which one cuts “pre-existing material into radical juxtapositions” (BBC, 2015), made popular in literature by William Burroughs in the 1950s and 60s. Speech is used primarily to communicate information relating to the world around us, but it operates sonically. Therefore, it has inherent parameters that can be manipulated to inform how information is received. The ability to manipulate the inherent sonic parameters of speech is one way in which it can be emotively coded. Sung vocals with lyrical content in music differ from speech in that the roles of information communication and the manipulation of the sonic parameters are reversed. Where speech relies on the manipulation of sonic parameters to augment or diminish the information being conveyed, sung vocals that utilise lyrical content rely on the semantic content to augment or diminish the sonic characteristics of the voice. Sung vocals could therefore be thought of as sonic utterances that are semantically coded. These inherent parameters are shared by music as it also operates in the sonic realm. The researcher used electronic music production techniques to isolate the shared parameters between music and speech (pitch, rhythm, timbre, and dynamics), and composed expressive, accessible, and engaging musical works based on these parameters. Digital music technology has the capacity to explore the limitations of sonic expression, due to its capacity to manipulate recorded sound waves. Therefore, it equipped the researcher with the necessary tools to manipulate cut-up speech sounds with compositional intent. The objective of this research was to compose musical works that drew from popular music styles, with an aesthetic focus on rich, timbrally expressive vocal material created from recordings of speech, to understand the expressive capabilities of the chosen raw material (speech sounds). The methodological procedure was to record speech from various sources, edit (cut-up) the phrases to create brief clips that were divorced from semantic signification, present the edited clips to an audience, and analyse their responses. The researcher used the insights from this analytical process to inform the use of the same speech sounds in the compositional practice. The researcher presented 26 examples (brief composed cut-ups of speech sounds) to 45 participants in a survey group and eight South African music industry professionals in one-on-one interviews. The responses yielded qualitative data that was analysed using thematic coding, followed by statistical analysis using Spearman’s rank v correlation (1904). The results provided vague answers to the primary research questions, but ultimately supplied the researcher with various qualitative interpretations of how the speech sounds expressed meaning in a cut-up context. This informed the researcher’s creative practice in the musical application of cut-up speech. Although the interpretation of the qualitative data did not result in definitive answers to the research questions, the aim of this research to explore the musical application of emotive expression in speech was achieved. The understanding that a listener experiences music in an inter-subjective and inter-contextual manner, combined with the expressive nature of the raw materials, liberated the researcher to compose expressive music without the need to know each listener’s subjective experience of expression.