Poetry is one of the oldest forms of artistic expression. The first poetic text entitled “Hymn to the Death of Tammuz” dates back to 2500-3000 BC. In a world where art forms are ever evolving and transforming, it is important to uphold traditional art forms that are the foundation of our artistic expression.
Poetry Africa is an annual international literature festival with a focus on Spoken Word Poetry curated and presented by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It is a week-long program that takes place in October each year. It features engagements with poets through campus visits, poetry exchanges, book launches, open mic sessions, evening performances, and the ever-popular slam jam poetry competition.
The Poetry Africa festival provides a vital opportunity to reflect, celebrate, and critically reflect on the role of poetry in the movement for social change, both nationally and internationally. The festival also presents an opportunity to contribute to academic scholarship at the University. The festival serves as a vibrant South African cultural platform and as a movement for social change, as it contributes to the cultural economy of the broader eThekwini Municipality.
The project implementation began with two memorial lectures, one being a physical lecture held at the University of Johannesburg and the other held virtually. The purpose of the lectures was to celebrate and educate audiences on prominent literary figures from South Africa’s cultural history. Additionally, a total of 15 workshops were held at community art centres and universities in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Bloemfontein.
With the support of the National Arts Council, a series of live events were also held at the Poetry Africa festival, which included live poetry readings and performances. Poets were also allowed to apply for the Poetry Africa Annual Slam Poetry competition. A panel of judges selected 10 artists to compete in Johannesburg and Durban, and the selected winner is chosen to represent South Africa in the World Poetry Slam Championships.
The Centre for Creative Arts writes, “The project went very well, the program attracted a diverse audience as there was a lot of collaboration with poets, musicians, theatre practitioners, and dancers. The festival hosted over 100 poets from the continent and the rest of the world. The festival has a strong focus on development and has worked continuously with community arts centres.”
