Dear Artscape Patrons and Stakeholders,
As we embark on a new year together faced with so many uncertainties, I would like to impart a message of hope and courage.
2020 has not been an easy year for most. Many, myself included, have mourned the loss of loved ones as we witnessed how friends, family and neighbours have succumbed and are still succumbing to Covid-19 related illnesses. The despair we suffer brings to mind the following message of fortitude by one of our most iconic Nobel Peace prize laureates, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu: “I’m not optimistic, no. I’m quite different. I’m hopeful. I am a prisoner of hope.”
To be prisoner of hope means that you refuse to give up hope no matter what. As “The Arch” says, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite the darkness.”
Hope is powerful and so much more than mere optimism. For people of faith, hope is not connected to how we see the world, but how the world actually can be.
Thus, together, we can determine how 2021 unfolds and chart our collective karma – a concept often cited worldwide which has its origins in the ancient philosophy of Buddhism.
Often wrongfully associated with “fate”, its true meaning relates to an energy created by wilful action, through thoughts, words and deeds. Consequentially. we can change the course of our lives right now by changing our intentional acts and let positivity, hope and luminescence prevail through our collective humanity.
It is now more than ever that we need to show our altruism. Let us encompass humanity with acts of compassion and kindness and with integrity while expressing humility, too.
Thus, as we fight the darkness of Covid-19, and all other diseases, illnesses and atrocities throughout the world, we hope that light will, someday soon, triumph over darkness, that love will gain victory over hatred, that compassion will gain currency over apathy.
At Artscape, we will collectively strive to bring the positive energies of hope through a host of productions as we enter the 50th year celebrations of the building’s journey from the Nico Malan Theatre to Artscape. Celebrations originally scheduled to commence on the 30 January have now been postponed, due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, to 20 March, leading us into Human Rights Day. We will continue to present shows on our virtual platforms until it is safe and secure to open our venues once more to the public.
I trust that we will persevere through this year and beyond to emerge stronger, that we will be continuously energised and above all embrace the enduring spirit of Ubuntu to keep our hopes and dreams alive.
We are all in this together. Stay strong and stay safe.
With the most sincere regards
Marlene le Roux
CEO
Isi-Xhosa
Abasebenzi, aBazibandakanyayo naBaxumi base-Artscape Ababekekileyo
Njengokuba siqalisa unyaka omtsha sibe sonke sijongene nezinto ezininzi esingaqinisekanga ngazo, ndingathanda ukudlulisa umyalezo ozele lithemba nesibindi.
U-2020 ebengengonyaka ulula kuninzi lwethu. Uninzi lwabantu, kuquka nam, luye lwalahlekelwa ngabantu abasenyongweni njengoko besibona indlela izihlobo, usapho kunye nabamelwane besutywa kwaye basaqhubeka nokusutywa zizigulo ezinxulumene neCovid-19. Ukulahlekelwa kwethu lithemba kundicingisa ngalo myalezo ulandelayo wokomelela uvela komnye wezithwalandwe ezithandwa kakhulu ezombeswa ngeNobel Peace prize, u-Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu: “Andingomntu uphuphayo. Ndahlukile koko. Ndingumntu onethemba. Ndiya kuhlala ndilikhoboka lethemba.”
Ukuba likhoboka lethemba kuthetha ukuba uyala ukunikezela ngethemba lakho nokuba sekusenzeka ntoni na. Njengokuba “u-Arch” esitsho, “Ithemba kukukwazi ukubona ukuba kukho ukukhanya ngaphaya kobumnyama.”
Ukuba nethemba kunamandla kakhulu kunokuphupha nje. Kubantu abakholwayo, ukuba nethemba akunxibelelananga nendlela olibona ngayo ihlabathi esiphila kulo, koko kunxibelelene nendlela ihlabathi elinokuba ngayo.
Ke ngoko, sisonke singayimisela indlela esifuna u-2021 abe ngayo kwaye sidale ikarma (iziphumo zezenzo zomntu) yethu – ingcamango ekuye kuthethwe ngayo ehlabathini liphela eyaqala kwinkolelo endala yeBuddhism.
Ikarma idla ngokuphazanyiswa “nesiphelo somntu” (esingaphaya kwamandla omntu), kanti intsingiselo yokwenene yekarma inxulumene nemiphumo yezenzo zangabom, iingcinga, amazwi noko ukwenzileyo. Njengesiphumo soko, singayitshintsha indlela ubomi bethu obuhamba ngayo ngoku, ngokuthi sitshintshe izenzo zethu zangabom, sivumele iingcamango ezintle, ithemba nokukhanya zinkqenkqeze phambili, ngokuba nobuntu xa sisonke.
Lelona xesha kufuneka sibonise ngalo ukukhathalela abanye abantu. Masenze ubuntu obugcwele zizenzo zemfesane novelwano, nokunyaniseka ngeli xa sibonisa nentobeko.
Kuthi ke ngoko, njengokuba sisilwa nobumnyama obuza neCovid-19 kunye nezinye izifo, izigulo nobubi obenzeka ehlabathini liphela, sithembe ukuba kungekudala ukukhanya kuya kuboyisa ubumnyama, uthando luya kuyoyisa intiyo, imfesane iya kuxhaphaka ngaphezu kokusonga izandla.
E-Artscape, siza kuzungula ukuzisa iingcamango ezintle zokuba nethemba ngentlaninge yemidlalo yeqonga njengokuba singena kwimibhiyozo yonyaka wama-50 zephulo lesi sakhiwo ukusukela eNico Malan Theatre ukuze e-Artscape. Imibhiyozo ebicwangciselwe ukuqalisa ngomhla wama-30 kuJanyuwari kuqala ngoku iye yamiswa ngenxa yokunyuka kwamanani abantu abaneCOVID-19, imiselwa umhla wama-20 kuMatshi, osikhokelela kuSuku lokuBhiyozela amaLungelo aBantu. Siza kuqhubeka nokuba nemiboniso kumaqonga ethu e-intanethi de kube kukhuselekile ukuphinda sivule iindawo zethu ukwenzela uwonkewonke.
Ndiyathemba ukuba siza kunyamezela ebudeni balo nyaka nangaphaya kwawo ukuze siphumele ngaphaya somelele nangakumbi, kwaye siza kuhlala sinodlamko size ngaphezu koko samkele nomoya woBuntu ongapheliyo ukuze sihlale sinethemba kwaye sigcine amaphupha ethu.
Lo mba ujongene nathi sonke. Hlalani nomelele kwaye nikhuselekile.
Ngemibuliso engazenzisiyo
NguMarlene le Roux
I-CEO
Afrikaans
Geagte Kunstekaap Teatergangers en, Belanghebbendes,
Terwyl ons ‘n nuwe jaar met soveel onsekerhede begin, vergun my ‘n boodskap van hoop en dapperheid.
Vir die meeste van ons was 2020 ‘n uiters moeilike jaar. Soos baie ander het ek ook die verlies van vriende, familie en bure weens siektes wat verband hou met Covid-19 ervaar. En die einde is nog nie in sig nie. Die wanhoop wat ons ervaar, laat my dink aan die boodskap van ons Nobelpryswenner, Emeritus Aartsbiskop Desmond Tutu: “Ek is nie optimisties nie. Nee. Ek is heel anders. Ek is hoopvol. Ek is ‘n gevangene van hoop.”
Om vasgevang te word deur hoop beteken dat mens weier op hoop op te gee, ten spyte van jou omstandighede. Soos die “Arch” sê: “Hoop is om ‘n lig te sien ten spyte van die donkerte.”
Hoop is kragtig en soveel meer as net optimisme. Vir mense van geloof hou hoop nie verband met die manier waarop ons die wêreld sien nie, maar hoe die wêreld kan wees.
Daarom kan ons saam besluit hoe 2021 vir ons moet ontvou en ons kollektiewe karma uitspel – ‘n konsep met sy oorsprong in die antieke filosofie van Boeddhisme wat dikwels wêreldwyd geld.
Karma word dikwels verkeerdelik verwar met die noodlot, maar die werklike betekenis hou verband met die energie wat geskep word deur ‘n doelbewuste aksie van gedagtes, woorde en dade. Ons kan dus die verloop van die lewe verander deur ons dade en positiewe houding, en met hoop en helderheid ons gesamentlike menslikheid laat seëvier.
Dit is nou belangriker as ooit tevore om altruïsties te wees. Laat ons ons medemenslikheid omhels en met passie, deernis en integriteit nederig uitleef.
Terwyl ons die donkerte van Covid-19 en alle ander siektes en gruwels deur die wêreld beveg, hoop ons dat lig binnekort sal triomfeer oor die donker, dat liefde haat sal oorwin en dat medelye sal seëvier oor apatie.
By Kunstekaap poog ons saam om ‘n positiewe energie van hoop te bring met ‘n reeks opvoerings in die 50ste bestaansjaar van die gebou om die reis van die ou Nico Malan Teater tot die huidge Kunstekaap te herdenk. Die vierings is oorspronklik beplan om op 30 Januarie te begin maar is nou weens die nuwe vlaag Covid-19 infeksies uitgestel tot 20 Maart, net voor Erfenisdag. Intussen sal ons voortgaan om opvoerings op ons virtuele platforms aan te bied totdat dit veilig is om weer ons teaters aan die publiek oop te stel..
Ek vertrou dat ons deur hierdie jaar sal kom en sterker anderkant uitkom. En dat ons voortdurend energie sal kry deur die gees van Ubuntu om ons hoop en drome lewend te hou.
Ons is saam hierin. Wees sterk en bly veilig.
Met my innigste groete,
Marlene le Roux
Uitvoerende Hoof
