I-Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre - Inkundla Yamasiko

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Itholakakala ifihlekile ekhempasini yeHoward College yeSikole sezoBuciko beNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natali (UKZN), kukhona indawo yemidlalo yeshashalazi i-Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre (EST). Yasungulwa ngowezi-1981 uSolwazi Elizabethi Sneddon ongasekho, i-EST inedumela eliyigugu ngokuba yindawo yemidlalo yeshashalazi yokuqala ukusetshenziswa umnyango wemidlalo yeshashalazi esikhungweni sezemfundo.

USolwazi Sneddon wayeyinhloko eyasungula umnyango wezokulingisa nemidlalo yeshashalazi (speech and drama) kuseyiNyuvesi yaseNatali, kanye nomsunguli wendawo yeshashalazi ongumqondisi kanye nomlingisi owachitha isikhathi esiningi sempilo yakhe elwela izindawo zemidlalo yeshashalazi njengethuluzi loshintsho emphakathini.

I-Elizabeth Sneddon Threatre isibe yindawo eyigugu iminyaka engu-40, kanti iyisisekelo emkhakheni wezobuCiko eNingizimu Afrika, kubanjelwe kuyo inqwaba yemidlalo ebijabulisa futhi ifundisa izibukeli, ngesikhathi iqhakambisa ithalente lasekhaya.

Indawo yeshashalazi efudumele iyindawo ehlala abantu abangu-400 inika abasuke bezobukela ukuba bakwazi ukuba yingxenye yayo, ibenze bazizwe beyingxenye yemidlalo esuke ikhonjiswa. Isiteji siyindawo engakwazi ukujika ngokwesimo njengoba ikwazi ukusetshenziselwa izinto ezahlukene, kubalwa imidlalo, imidlalo eyimiculo kuya kumakhonsathi kanye nemidanso. Indawo igabe nangomsindo kanye nobuchwepheshe bokukhanyisa obusezingeni eliphezulu, ukuqinisekisa ukuthi yonke imikhiqizo iseqophelweni eliphezulu. 

Enye yezinto egqamile ngalendawo yemidlalo yeshashalazi ukuzinikela kwayo ukuthuthukisa kanye nokukhulisa ithalente lasekhaya. I-Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre iyindawo eyisiqalo samaciko amaningi eNingizimu Afrika, kubalwa nabalingisi asebenqobe izindodo, ababhali bemidlalo kanye nabaqondisi. Ibuye yadlala indima ebalulekile ekuthuthukiseni imfundo ngezindawo zemidlalo yeshashalazi ezweni, ngokweseka izinhlelo zemidlalo yeshashalazi zabantu abasha, ukuqeqesha okungakhokhelwa kulabo abafisa ukusebenza ngemisindo yasezindaweni zemidlalo yeshashalazi, kanye nokunika indawo yokufunda nokulingisa abafundi abenza izifundo zokulingisa e-UKZN.

UNksz Jackie Cunniffe, uMqondisi we-Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, uqhakambise ukuzinikela kwale ndawo ukuthuthukisa ithalente. ‘Sinentshisekelo yokukhulisa ithalente elisakhula kanye nokuqhakambisa amaciko aseNingizimu Afrika, ngokuwanika indawo yokusebenzela, engambi eqolo futhi eyamukelayo kubona ukuthi bakhombise umsebenzi wabo futhi baxhumane nezethameli.’

Ngaphezu kwalokho ukweseka abafundi base-UKZN abenza izifundo zokukhiqiza imidlalo, iSneddon (njengoba yaziwa) ibuye itholakale ukuze iqashwe izinkampani zangaphandle, futhi ibamba imicimbi ekhiqizwe ngokuzimela ehlukene. Ngaphandle kwalokho, indawo yemidlalo yeshashalazi, inobudlelwane obusondele nesikhungo seNyuvesi, iCentre for Creative Arts (CCA), ngokuthi kubanjelwe kuyo imicimbi ehlonishwayo yamazwe emhlaba okubalwa noba minyaka yonke i-JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience. Ngezinhlelo ezehlukene ezisunguliwe, iCCA ifuna ukukhulisa ithalente lezobuciko futhi yakhe indawo lapho kuzoshintshwana khona ngamasiko, kuleli kanye nasemazweni angaphandle. Ezinye zezinhlelo ze-CCA ezibanjelwe eSneddon eminyakeni engamashumi amabili eyedlule, kubalwa nefestivali yababhali yaminyaka yonke, i-Time of the Writer kanye nefestivali yosonkondlo i-Poetry Africa.

Ukuhlelwa kwezinhlelo zendawo yemidlalo yeshashalazi kuhlukile futhi kubandakanya wonke umuntu, ngemikhiqizo ethinta izethameli ezehlukene. Kusuka ekubambeni imidlalo enomlando njengokaWilliam Shakespeare uHamlet kuya emkhiqizweni womculo womdlalo weshashalazi ofana neSweeney Todd kanye neCabaret, imidlalo yesimanje kubalwa Isidlamlilo, amakhonsathi omculo okukhona kuwo abaculi bama-SAMA kanye nabaqokiwe okubalwa uGuy Buttery kanye noMadala Kunene, kanye nomdlalo osakubhuqa wepolitiki woqweqwe uPieter - Dirk Uys, i-Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre inika indawo yemikhiqizo ehlanganisa futhi ethatha izibukeli. Indawo yemidlalo yeshashalazi iphinde ibe indawo yezindaba ezithinta ubulungiswa bezenhlalo, ngemikhiqizo ethinta izihloko ezifaka nodlame lobulili, ukungalingani kanye nokucwasa.

‘Indawo yemidlalo yeshashalazi inamandla okwenza umuntu ukuthi abe yingxenye futhi nokuvusa imizwa, ukufundisa kanye nokugqugquzela. Siyakholwa ukuthi imikhiqizo esiba nayo inendima eyidlalayo ekusunguleni ubulungiswa kanye nemiphakathi elingene, okunye ukwehlisa ukhwantalala, ukunika ithemba kanye nokugqugquzela ukuhleka ezikhathini ezinokhwantalala,’ kusho uCunniffe.

I-Elizabethi Sneddon Theatre idlale indima ebalulekile kwezamasiko jikelele eNingizimu Afrika. Iminyaka eminingi, indima yezobuciko kulelizwe beyinqindwe amandla imithetho yepolitiki eyayinqinda inkululeko yokubeka imibono kanye nokungatholakali kwezinsiza. I-Sneddon Theatre yaziveza njengenhlansi yethemba ekukhululekeni kwamaciko, kanti inika indawo lapho amaciko ezokwazi ukuzwakala khona ngokukhululeka kanye nokuxhumana nababukeli abahlukene, iyaqhubeka nokwenza ukuthi kube nokuxhumana kubantu abanemibono eyehlukene kanye nokuchumisa ukuba yingxenye yomphakathi kumaciko kanye nakwizithambeli.

Eminye yemidlalo ebalulekayo eyakhonjiswa kule ndawo yemidlalo yeshashalazi eminyakeni edlule kubalwa umdlalo kaBarney Simon, Mbongeni Ngema kanye noPercy Mtwa, iWoza Albert! - umdlalo osakubhuqa odlale indima ebalulekile emzabalazweni ongahambisani nombuso wobandlululo; oka-Athol Fugard iMaster Harold and the Boys okukhona kuwo umlingisi obungazwayo uJohn Kani, kanye nekhonsathi yeqembu lasekhaya eKZN iLadysmith Black Mambazo.

Kumaciko amaningi, i-Elizabethi Sneddon Theatre kanye ne-CCA bekubalulekile ekuthuthukisweni kobuciko babo. UNksz Sbonakaliso Ndaba, ongumdansi okhombise umsebenzi wakhe kule ndawo, ukhuluma kahle ngayo. ‘I-Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre ihlale njalo iyindawo ebalulekile kuthina singamaciko. Iyindawo lapho sihlola khona imibono emisha futhi siqhakambisa umsebenzi wethu kwizethameli ezehlukene. Ukwesekwa esikutholayo kwi-CCA kubaluleke kakhulu, futhi kuwumuzwa omkhulu ukwazi ukuthi sinomphakathi osesekayo emuva kwethu.’

I-Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre iyindawo yamasiko futhi iyindawo efunwayo eNingizimu Afrika. Ngenxa yokweseka iSneddon, i-UKZN kumele ngokulinganayo iqhakanjiswe njengomnikelo obalulekile futhi omqoka emkhakheni wezobuciko bokulingisa eNingizimu Afrika. Njengoba u-Elizabeth Sneddon wake wathi, ‘indawo yomdlalo weshashalazi ingubuciko obuphilayo, isibuko sempilo.’ 

Nabasebenzi bayo abasebenza ngokuzikhandla nangentshisekelo, iSneddon iyaqhubeka nokuthi yileso sibuko, ikhombisa ubuhle, ukuxhumana kwezinto eziningi kanye nokwehlukana kwempilo yaseNingizimu Afrika.

Lolu daba luphume kushicilelo lwangoJulayi lwe-Pulse. Funda ushicilelo oluphelele la.

Amagama: Melissa Mungroo

Izithombe: Melissa Mungroo, Sethu Dlamini and Val Adamson