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Langalakhe Mabena
Sometimes, it is hard for Literature in English and even Ndebele candidates to fully understand their set books or relate to the thematic concerns, as well as the characters.
Even after reading and discussing, knowledge is stuck in one’s mind when they watch or see the stories in the book with their eyes through performances that are characterised by high body-language emphasis.
Dedicated to making learning Literature easy at schools while engaging with students entertainingly is the Centre for Talent Development (CTD) which came up with the idea of portraying set books and plays on stage, for learners to understand Literature discourses.
CTD was founded by celebrated teacher Thabani Hilary (TH) Moyo and veteran thespian Gift Chakuvinga, and one of their major aims is to assist O and A-level pupils in exam preparation through literature-based performance workshops done at the Bulawayo Theatre.
Moyo said the idea started as a simple project of sharpening young talent into fully-fledged theatre practitioners.
However, along the process, CTD developed into an educational initiative that has employed the performers at the same time entertaining and sharpening candidates in preparing for their literature exams.
“The idea of performing literature set books came about when we were running a project of training young people to be theatre performers. But at the end of the project, we discovered that there was nowhere these young people would take their theatre skills.
“We then decided that for them to utilise the skills we taught them, let us embark on a project which is relevant to the educational sector and audience building, leading to the creation of literature-based performance workshops.
“We did market research and we found that there was a gap in the education system, where plays were just being read at schools, hence we came up with the idea of turning the plays into stage performances and help learners to fully understand their set books,” said Moyo.
Plays that have been performed by CTD are A Doll’s House, Lion and the Jewel, Importance of Being Ernest, The Rain of my Blood, The Ties That Bind, Black Boy, Romeo and Juliet, Every Stone That Turns, among others.
“The plays have had a positive impact because after the performances we normally have discussions with the learners. The current Zimsec results (A-Level) Literature in English have improved because we have performed and engaged with these local candidates at some point.
“With such success as CTD, we are now looking at other options on how we can reach a wider audience. To reach as many students out there we are considering putting these plays on national television.
“However, we have challenges because we have to package the plays into compatible packages that can be shown on TV at the same time maintaining the stage feel.
“We are also looking forward to partnering with schools because they are our main target. If they don’t respond to these plays then our project won’t move. The Ministry of Education has been our pillar because they allowed the project to progress for the past two years but we still need more support from them,” said Moyo.
On a fresh note, CTD are excited to be working on their first Ndebele full-length performance as they are gearing up to pay tribute to the esteemed literary figure, Gogo Barbara Clara Makhalisa-Nkala through a captivating staging of her novel, “Umhlaba lo!”
They have her blessings as they have partnered with Barbara Clara Makhalisa Nkala Literary Trust (BCMNLT) in spearheading the project.
“This is going to be our first full play in IsiNdebele as we try to revive the interest in Literature in Ndebele among learners. I am worried that the number of learners taking up literature in isiNdebele is going down.
“So, we need to bring back the excitement at schools. We want to promote arts in schools, that’s why we took this play to Founders High School on 24 January,” he said.
One of CTD’s aims in 2024 is to deliberately promote indigenous languages, fostering an appreciation for literary works in these languages, for “our language is our identity and is a vehicle by which we express who we are as a people.”
Chakuvinga stressed the importance of language mastery for thespians and the broader growth of artistes.
He also acknowledged the significance of honouring Gogo Barbara Nkala through this unique presentation.
“Presenting this play is a way of growing the artistes we have in terms of language commandments. They need to grow in every aspect of being an artiste, and that’s where our “D” in CTD comes from.
“We need to appreciate our indigenous languages as a people and appreciate the works of our indigenous authors. We appreciate Gogo Barbara Nkala through the presentation as well,” said Chakuvinga.
CTD is proudly supported by the Culture Fund through its CreativeActions2 and the European Union.
They have established the Amphitheatre as their creative hub, staging numerous plays primarily in English.
Apart from Umhlaba Lo, another Ndebele project that CTD will perform this year is Ugqozi Lwezimbongi to be first performed at Eveline High School.
Online Reporter