Lisahluma

Proposal:

I am a storytelling and writing artists who wishes to showcase her work through a live performance . I would like to perform a piece which seeks to contribute towards celebration of the international literacy day in September while simultatneously raising awareness about abduction of girl children in our continent. It is entitled ” Zenithi Tsiyo-o, tsiyo-o” , meaning ” You must never give up”. The struggle to demonstrate the importance of indigenous languages and their contribution to social cohesion is ongoing. Its impact on multi-modality is what I seek to demonstrate each time I get a chance to perform as I also believe that storytelling is still undervalued by its own people. Obtaining entrance to the fringe shall ensure exposure to new spaces while generating new audiences and experiences. Lastly, I have also designed products which display my stories as a way of igniting new interest in indigenous stories while transferring it to contemporary contexts for sustainable preservation of our cultural knowledge and heritage

Biography:

Nompucuko Zakaza, also known as Hluma is a self-employed storyteller and writer (IsiXhosa) from the Eastern Cape. With a rural education and cultural background, she studied at Upper Nqolosa JSS, Daliwonga High School and proceeded to the University of Transkei where she qualified as a teacher. Having worked with several NGOs thereafter, she got exposure to the world of skills, literature ad language development through Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and ETDP Seta related entities until she registered with Rhodes University for her Honours & Masters Degree in African Oral Literature studies, researching on isiXhosa storytelling. She currently runs two projects in Zwelitsha (King Williams Town and Tsomo (Upper Nqolosa) while she facilitates community reading clubs for other areas in the Eastern Cape. She visited UK as a storyteller through the Swallows Foundation in 2014 . In 2015, she featured in the SABC1 Siyakholwa episodes 20, 33 &41. In 2016 January, she received support from DAC for Isangqa seNkcubeko in Tsomo. Exploring with isiXhosa storytelling in different contexts while contributing to the ideals of social cohesion is her passion!

Web site: http://www.facebook.com/lisahluma |