IT’S a month of rhyme, free verse and poetic presentation as Township Productions hosts World Poetry Month this April.
Facilitating a month of discussion and performance in partnership with the National Theatre of Namibia, the Goethe Centre, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, Spoken Word Namibia, the City of Windhoek, National Libraries and Archives as well as the College of the Arts, Township Productions will be at the helm of six sessions that join annual celebrations being held all over the globe to fete the form.
“In Namibia, celebrating poetry should be part of our oral tradition. We all grew up with proverbs, idioms, sayings and stories. Poetry has been part of the upbringing of the older generation and it had elements of both morality and entertainment. This should continue, even if one has to adapt to current technologies,” says Township’s Productions’ Keamogetsi Joseph Molapong.
“Poetry is a literary form that allows one to really analyse writing, encourage reading and helps with creating a platform on which people can express themselves. It gives you an audience for your thoughts, ideals and emotions. In Namibia we need to engage, share and at times confront the socio-economic disparities and poetry can be such a tool/vehicle.”
This year, Windhoek’s World Poetry Month celebrations will be launched at the NTN where professor Andre du Pisani will present ‘Poetry – A Movement in Words’ and a pride of poets will share their work with fellow writers, artists, musicians, politicians, students, pupils, academics, and enthusiasts.
Sessions will then be held once a week under the themes of ‘Poetry – A Feminine Voice in the Jungle’ with Hugh Ellis, ‘When the Verse is Childlike’ with Sheena Schwartz and ‘The Sound in Poetry’, which will expound on women in poetry, writing for children and poetry in indigenous languages.
The programme will also include ‘The Might of the Word’, a full length show featuring Playshis, Truth, Molapong and guest poet Prince K from Botswana as well as ‘When My Emotions Leak’ – a pavement poetry session in which invited poets will entertain the audience and an MC will facilitate the process of inviting spectators to write phrases and their thoughts on the pavement.
Poets will then try and create poems from some of the writing. Each of the six sessions will feature an open mic for audience members to share their work.
“Sessions will be fun, thought-provoking, entertaining and will include interaction amongst the poets and audience through formal presentations and discussions,” says Molapong. “Over 30 poets will share their creative work and poetry enthusiasts will present papers. All the poems and presentations will be collected, edited and published while previously published poets will showcase their publications and put them on sale.”
According to Molapong, all sessions are free and attendees need only bring three things: “A sound mind and open heart to take in poetry, presentations and discussions. An interest in the arts, especially literature. If you like, bring a poem to share with everyone else.”
The launch of World Poetry Month will take place at 18h30 on Thursday, 7 April in the NTN’s courtyard. ‘Poetry – A Feminine Voice in the Jungle’ at 18h30 on 14 April at the Goethe Centre and ‘When the Verse is Childlike’ at 18h30 at the National Library on 21 April.
‘Poetry in Indigenous Languages’ at the National Theatre of Namibia Courtyard at 18h30 on 28 April. ‘The Might of the Word’ at 18h30 at the Theatre School on 29 April and ‘When My Emotions Leak’ at the City of Windhoek Information Centre at Post Street Mall at 10h00 on 30 April.
