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Medu Art Ensemble Consolidation Project With digital objects
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Culture and Resistance in South Africa

In this paper, Keorapetse Kgositsile argues that art and culture play a role in the struggle against Apartheid. Kgositsile, a poet and acclaimed writer, regards literature as being a key site of struggle. He suggests that literature "must serve the interests of the people in their fight against a culture which insists that they should be robbed". Kgositsile reflects on the contributions of literature to the struggle which he believes are both artistic and "functional" to the needs of the people.

Medu Art Ensemble

Musicians are part of the people

In this paper, Barry Gilder argues that it is impossible for musicians to be separate from the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa. He suggests that musicians have two options; to be part of the struggle against Apartheid as "revolutionaries who make music" or as musicians who participate in the "revolution as musicians". Musicians can fight Apartheid through holding benefit concerts, creating their own record labels, organising into a collective musical organisation and boycotting the Apartheid state. These methods of resistance and artistic expression, the author argues, will all contribute to a necessary and genuinely popular and progressive musical culture.

Medu Art Ensemble

Role of Culture in the Process of Liberation

Culture and liberation are intimately related. Life, according to the authors, is a process of struggle to reach higher levels of civilisation, a process in which art is deeply embedded. The struggle against Apartheid and different forms of colonial violence is one which is intertwined with culture and artistic expression. Even once equality is reached within society, a further cross-pollination of cultural ideas and forms will occur leading to a richer, popular and more universal culture.

Medu Art Ensemble

Role of the Black Writer in South African History

The black writer holds a key position in liberating South Africa. Richard Rive believes that black writers personalise individual experience and that this plays a role in showing what society was, what it is and what it is heading towards. Rive argues that black writers owe allegiance to their own writing, their society and to their humanity.

Medu Art Ensemble

Song and Struggle

What is a progressive song? In this paper entitled "Song and Struggle", Muff Andersson argues that musicians (primarily lyrical musicians) should write songs that "keep the cogs of the struggle moving on". This can be done through writing progressive songs or ensuring that a communities' consciousness is reflected in a song and its ideas.

Medu Art Ensemble

Amsterdam Conference

This speech given by Thami Mnyele entitled "Observations of the State if the Contemporary Visual Arts in South Africa" was presented at Amsterdam conference in December 1982. Mnyele gives his impression of the state of the graphic art in South Africa. He explains how he got involved in politics while he was a student and how he wanted to understand his role as an Artist in the struggle. Mnyele contends that struggle and strife that manifests in the arts is linked to broader socio-political issues and thus, any art that is produced must not be "blind" to the "social stream from which art feeds: the community".

Medu Art Ensemble

Programme

Programme provides exhibition details on the opening and closing of exhibition. Conference sessions that took place at Hector Pieterson Museum, Johannesburg Art Gallery and Constitutional Court Conference Centre.

Medu Art Ensemble

Thami Mnyele and Medu Art Ensemble Retrospective

Pamphlet of Thami Mnyele and Medu Art Ensemble Retrospective at Johannesburg Art Gallery. It covers topics about Thami Mnyele's biography, various Units of Medu which includes the relevance and commitment of Medu that provided training workshops in a range of arts skills including creative writing, theatre, music, photography, film and graphic art. Medu had The Graphics Unit which was responsible for producing Medu newsletters and posters with political messages. in addition, the Publication and Research Unit as a centre of Medu to contact with South African arts groups.

Medu Art Ensemble

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