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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Lots happening around Durban this week.


Quite a lot happening in and around Durban.


“Talking Hands”: First Deaf Theatre Festival of South Africa
25th to 30th September 2012
 
Catalina UnLtd proudly presents its first Deaf Theatre Festival in South Africa to promote Deaf Awareness Month (National Month of the Deaf in South Africa: 1st-30th September 2012) and its theme “Accessibility, Freedom of Expression and Opinion, and Access to Information”.  It also promotes public awareness of the potentials of Deaf people.

This festival provides a direct window into the experiences, perceptions and world-view of Deaf people.  It builds a bridge between the Deaf and Hearing worlds, so that hearing people can, for the first time, access the hidden lives of Deaf South Africans.  The festival encourages Deaf artists to rise above their challenges, promote public awareness of the potentials of Deaf people and reveal the unique culture between sound and silence, by sharing their artistic talents with diverse new audiences.

The festival is the first ever Deaf Theatre Festival in South Africa and it is envisaged that it will become an annual event so that this important dialogue can continue.

The festival has several different productions and workshops for the audience to enjoy.  "Talking Hands - The Play", Catalina UnLtd’s own production, and Ultimate Deaf Side Story, produced by the Universe Deaf Theatre, Cape Town (the only surviving Deaf Theatre company in South Africa) will give a diverse audience insight into the past and present life experiences of Deaf South Africans, as well as a glimpse into a future where Deaf and Hearing people focus more on what makes us the same and less on the differences.

Workshops have been planned during the Festival to help facilitate communication with Deaf people.  “Ensuring access for Deaf employees and customers” and “Introduction to talking with your hands” SASL (South African Sign Language) workshops will be run by the Kwa-Zulu Natal Sign Language Academy (Pty) Ltd.

The Deaf Federation of Kwa-Zulu Natal will host the first Deaf SA’s Got Talent.  The show will feature amateur dancers, magicians, comedians and other performers of all ages competing for a prize.  Mr Darren Rajbal (SA’s Got Talent 2009 winner) will give a dance workshop which will be an opportunity for aspiring dancers, both Deaf and Hearing, to come and hone their skills.

On the last day of the festival there will be a Short Film Festival with film screenings from all over the world, produced by Deaf filmmakers.

Catalina UnLtd looks forward to welcoming you to this ground breaking festival as we learn and laugh together and celebrate the potential within everyone.  For more queries please email Alison Swannack, the festival director, at catalinaunltd@gmail.com.

Booking is through the Catalina Theatre Box Office: (031) 305-6889 or online at www.strictlytickets.co.za.

Source - Pansa





Thousands celebrate Flip-Flop Friday!

The people of KwaZulu-Natal embraced this year’s Flip-Flop Friday with passion as people from crèche’s to car dealerships donned their flip-flops. Hundreds others turned out to help East Coast Radio and Tourism KwaZulu-Natal break the world record for the most number of people jogging in flip-flips at one time on 21 September.

Flip-Flop Friday is a celebration of the province’s all year round enviable laid-back lifestyle and what better way to ‘fly our flag’ than to try and break a world record. According to the Guinness Book of Records the largest thong sandal or flip-flop race saw 352 people running for 1 km in Austria in 2006. On Friday 421 people joined in the attempt and were full of smiles and laughter as they dashed down Durban’s promenade in their flip-flops. East Coast Radio will now be submitting Flip-Flop Friday’s fun to the record book for approval.

Last year the station hosted the very first Flip-Flop Friday initiative. This year, thousands joined in the fun and celebrated life on the East Coast by freeing their toes. The station’s Marketing Manager Lucky Sithole says, “We’re so thrilled that people from all walks of life took part in Flip-Flop Friday, whether they wore their flip-flops, sent in their photos or helped us with the world record. It’s fantastic to see so many people get behind this truly Funsunzi initiative and we’d like to thank everyone who took part.”

There’s no doubt that Flip-Flop Friday helped get KwaZulu-Natal into the holiday spirit ahead of the heritage long weekend and there is no reason that every Friday can’t be just as ‘Funsunzi’!

Source - East Coast Radio 









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