Introducing Poetry Africa to the Media

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UKZN’s Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) hosted a Poetry Africa media launch at the Rivertown Beerhall in Durban.

The event was organised to introduce the poets to members of the media who engaged with them on a one-on-one basis. The journalists also used the opportunity to take photographs of the poets before the opening night of the 18^th Poetry Africa Festival.

Speaking at the event, Head of International and Governance Relations at eThekwini Municipality, Mr Eric Aplegren, lauded the poets for their grasp of the spoken word.

He highlighted the importance of freedom of expression and said without poets ‘life would be boring. There would be no movement, no change, no agitation’.

CCA Festival Manager Ms Tiny Mungwe said hosting events at venues like the Beerhall in the Rivertown precinct, which is undergoing an urban regeneration, contributed to giving ‘Durban a new face’.

Mr Guy Redman of the eThekwini Municipality’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit echoed Mungwe’s sentiments about the regeneration of the Rivertown precinct. Redman spoke passionately about the state-of-the-art central library which is set to open in Durban in 2019. He said the new space would serve as an ‘ideas store’ and allow artists and members of the public to share ideas in a fluid and collaborative way.

Redman added the City looked forward to strengthening links with the Centre of Creative Arts hallmark festivals, including Poetry Africa, The Time of the Writer, the Durban International Film Festival and JOMBA!

The 18^th Poetry Africa Festival is presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) with support from eThekwini Municipality; the Goethe Institut, South Africa; the French Institute of South Africa and the KZN Department of Arts and Culture. The Centre for Creative Arts is a special project of the office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities, Professor Cheryl Potgieter.

 Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer