SOFTCOPY MAGAZINE

 Convenors and speakers of 2018 Faculty of Arts and Design (FoAD) Dean’s Seminar. The Faculty of Arts and Design hosted its annual Dean’s Seminar at DUT Courtyard last Friday, 27 July, to reflect on Africa’s higher education progress after post-colonisation. Held under the topic, Decoloniality as the Future of Higher Education, the seminar which was attended by DUT academics and students, provided insight on the colonisation’s impact on higher education systems on the African continent- with South Africa as a key focus country. Addressing the seminar, the Head of Archie Mafeje Research Institute for Applied Social Policy (AMRI) and Acting Executive Director of the Change Management Unit (CMU) in the Vice-Chancellor’s Office at the University of South Africa (UNISA), Professor Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni said the first step of decoloniality should be the reconsideration of the languages used for teaching, learning and research. “We really need to consider using indigen...

Thando Mbulelo Mbanjwa The sky is definitely not the limit for third year Drama & Productions Studies student, Thando Mbulelo Mbanjwa who was announced as one of the winners of the 2018 Standard Bank Ovation Awards at this year’s National Arts Festival Fringe.    The awards are a celebration of artistic innovation, excellence, the exploration of new performance styles and the courage to open new conversation through the arts. The budding actress and choreographer won the award for her edutainment dance theatre performance titled I’m HIV and Living. Mbanjwa’s piece was aimed at tackling the stigma around the Human Immune Virus (HIV) and change people’s perspective on how they look at this virus.   The outstanding performance illustrated the endless possibilities of living with this disease and aimed at encouraging young people to test for HIV and to stop living in the fear of what the outcome of testing will be. “What inspired my piece is that there...

File Picture: Fine Art student, Shamil Balram.  Second year fine Arts students Shamil Balram and Sihle Seme showcased their work at the Annual Essence Festival 2017 at the Durban ICC.  Both students were invited to showcase their work at the festival, for both exposure, recognition and most importantly views & opinions on how to perfect their work by artistic critics.  “I was happy to have been invited to exhibit my work for exposure and getting an understanding of other people opinions about my work, furthermore was to meet different artists and gain some ideas in order for me to be more critical and practical as well,” said Seme. Balram said, the work focuses on questions of land ownership in post-Apartheid South Africa and unpacking our surrounding and their complex relationships to history to memory and to politics. “One of my strong characteristics are my majestic interracial background which allows me to interact with diverse communities and ...

Banele Nqetho.  Durban University of Technology’s (DUT) Bachelor of Education (B Ed) former student and entrepreneur, Banele Nqeto wrote, directed and acted in his own movie. The movie titled, “Ngidlalile Ngethuba Lami” is based on a true story. It is about a boy named Xolani who is originally from eQuthu, a rural area in KwaZulu-Natal, moving to the big city of Pietermaritzburg (PMB) where he came to study his B Ed AT DUT Indumiso campus. Xolani (Played by Nqeto) had a bursary from the Department of Education of which he lost due to his academic results not being up to standard with the bursary requirements. He left university because he could not pay his tuition fees. As acting is also Nqeto’s passion, he acted in his film to pursue such dreams of being an actor. “The movie is a true story of my life, I needed to drive out the message of my reality and I felt that I would act it out best as I am the key person who understands the story of my life,” said Nqeto. ...

File Picture: Language Practice and Translation & Interpreting Practice students performing at DUT Africa Day celebration 2017. The Department of Language practice and Translation & Interpretation held its annual Awards Day recently where a significant number of top performing students for the year 2017 were recognised for their hard work. Excited students packed the hall where awards were given out to high achievers in General Language Dynamics, Applied second language and Most progressing award, appreciation awards just to name a few. Philiswa Mncube Intercultural studies lecturer, said the awards are done so as to motivate students as it is a way of recognising excellence in their academic performance.  “On the day we invite people from relevant fields and have them give the students ideas on what awaits them in the business world and how to get there”, said Mncube. Snehlanhla Khanyile 3 rd year student took three awards away namely; General Langu...

Digifest's opening ceremony.  The digital festival hosted by the faculty of Arts & Design is just around the corner with the opening night yet to kick off on the 6 th of November. Acting Director of Alumni Relations Zwakele Ngubane said, The Development and Alumni Relations office has decided to get involved in Digi fest by providing support to the festival organisers in order to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. “We are providing financial support as part of our strategic objective of engaging our DUT community”, said Ngubane. We will have an opportunity to share our fundraising initiatives at the festival for which we hope to garner support as well, Ngubane said. “We will also be involved in raising funds for future Digi fests because fundraising for various worthwhile DUT projects is part of our mandate”, added Ngubane. According to an article written on the skills portal, In order to qualify for NSFAS, your household income needs to be...

Digifest's Manager, Steve Jones.  The 4 th annual digital arts festival kicked off at the Arthur Smith hall at DUT’s City campus with Key note speaker Kate Spacek. Radio DUT’s own Nkulee Mbatha was the MC for the opening ceremony at the Arthur smith hall. With Steve Jones doing the welcoming, Vice Chancellor Thandwa Mthembu saying a few words and Dr Rene Smith doing the closing. Festival manager Steve jones, said that the digifest this year will run over six days and the key note speaker is from Columbia. “The digital arts festival this year is more committed to showcasing students work and engaging in student conversations in bettering the arts,” said Jones. DUT’s own vice chancellor Prof Thandwa Mthembu, said he is very happy to be a part of the digital arts festival 2017. United Nations educational scientific and cultural organisation (UNESCO) declared Durban the city of literature and culture. “I’m very excited tonight because it is a demonstra...