: History Through an Artistic Lens Sarah Latimer • St. Olaf College, MN, United States • June 4th - August 26th, 2018 • ,

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela

Goal: This project aims to educate 20-30 Hyde Park Primary music students on the history of apartheid through an ​ artistic lens, showcase a gallery of their creative responses, and ultimately empower them to achieve lasting peace in their community.

Background: Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that existed in South ​ ​ Africa between 1948 and 1991. The law classified four races – white, black, coloured, and Indian. The Group Areas Act of 1950 allocated living areas for each race, resulting in the forced removal of 3.5 million people from their homes over the course of 23 years. Non-whites were treated as subhuman and were often beaten and killed to secure white power. In one instance, the police opened fire on a peaceful high school student protest in Soweto; reports estimated 170 were killed. In the face of growing internal and international resistance and a failing economy, President F. W. de Klerk released anti-apartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990, and after much negotiation, officially ended apartheid. While much of the historical record emphasizes the violence of this era, the struggle against apartheid also sparked many profound and non-violent responses from artists like Miriam Makeba, Mongane Wally Serote, and Willie Bester. Encyclopedia articles provide basic facts and dates, but cannot convey the true depth of experiences held by apartheid victims and survivors. Creative forms such as poetry and music provide new insights and perspectives into the history of apartheid which are often not taught in Cape Town classrooms. An artistic and more personal approach to history impacts students in ways that traditional methods cannot and I believe all students should have access to this type of education at a young age. Hyde Park Primary (HPP) is a K-7 school in Parkwood – a low-income, predominantly coloured suburb of Cape Town described by some as one of apartheid’s “dumping grounds” for non-whites. This impoverished, crime-ridden area is a direct result of the Group Area Act. Despite its location, HPP has a thriving music program made up of many talented and dedicated students; but without enrichment which allows them to see their own place ​ in the arc of post-apartheid South Africa, many will not be able to fully appreciate their country’s historical struggle for peace and equality.

Personal Motivation: After graduating high school, I volunteered as a full-time music assistant teacher at HPP for ​ nine months. I forged strong connections with the students and wish to further develop these relationships through this new and exciting project. Since we have mutual trust, I am hoping to be able to delve deeper to learn more about their beliefs and experiences. These students have promising talent, unmatched work ethic, and endless creativity. They are at a crucial age of identity formation. All of these qualities make them the perfect candidates for this project. Both Ingrid Solomon, HPP’s music teacher, and Christopher Siljeur, HPP band director, with whom I worked and got to know extensively during my time at HPP, are dedicated to helping me complete this project. They believe that this experience will foster positive personal growth for the students while simultaneously planting seeds of peace in the school and community.

Project overview: This project will take place over the course of 12 weeks at HPP. Between 20 and 30 students in ​ grades 5 through 7 from the music program will be chosen to participate in this project based on commitment and dependability. Students will learn about the history of apartheid through a variety of instructional forms. Students ​ will conduct supervised research using a list of credible sources in groups of 4-5 using HPP’s computers. Each week will focus on a new 5-year time period of apartheid and the groups will rotate each week between different topics including law/policy, visual art, music, literary works, protests/resistance, and key figures. Students will ultimately create a timeline of dates and events they find most significant. Students will take guided tours at the District 6 and Iziko Social History Museums in Cape Town. Students will interview family members who have lived through apartheid to gain new perspectives of how apartheid impacts their community and connects to their own lives. I am also contacting professors Sean Field, whose PhD from University of Essex involved research on apartheid displacements, and Mohamed Adhikari, whose PhD from University of Cape Town involved research on various aspects of the coloured identity and politics in South Africa, to ask if they will give short presentations about their specific fields of research. In addition to learning about the history of apartheid through different forms, students will respond by creating their own art. The band students will rehearse music from the apartheid era and the drumline will take African drumming lessons from a hired professional. My collaborators and I will preface each new piece with historical context and background on the artist to help the students understand deeper meanings beyond the notes on the page. We will facilitate discussions throughout rehearsals in which the students are asked to reflect on how each artist portrays the struggle against apartheid. Students will be exposed to visual and literary art forms as well. I am in the process of finding collaborators ​ for these aspects of the project. Thus far, I have contacted Gabeba Baderoon, an award-winning South African poet who lives in Cape Town, to gauge her interest in instructing a poetry/creative writing workshop or on-going lessons for the students. Students will get instruction and guidance from professionals at the Art Jamming Workshop in Cape Town. My collaborators and I will supervise and assist students on visual art and literary workshop days. Each ​ student will create at least one visual art piece and at least one creative writing piece in which they respond to what they have learned, share personal experiences, and/or propose ideas for promoting and sustaining peace in South Africa. Throughout the project, we will create a short documentary to include the student-made timeline and a history of Apartheid as told by the students – via interviews, field trips, and their individual interpretations of peace – set to recorded music by the band and drumline. The project will culminate in a final showcase for families, community members, and friends to include live music, a screening of the documentary, and a gallery of the students’ visual and literary pieces. All of the aforementioned activities will take place after school for approximately 1 ½ - 2 hours per day. Field trips will most likely take place on weekends.

Weekly Schedule: Monday: History/Research – Students learn about the history of apartheid through research, presentations, and ​ interviews. Tuesday: Band – Band students rehearse and discuss music from the apartheid era. Non-band students will use this ​ time for further research and work on art and writing pieces. Wednesday: Drumline – Drumline students receive weekly lessons in traditional African drumming from a hired ​ professional, as well as learning about the history of African drumming. Thursday: Band – Same as Tuesday. ​ Friday: Art/Writing – Students participate in literary and visual art workshops. ​

Timeline: ​ Week 1: Introduce project schedule, expectations, and goals; distribute art materials and music. Week 2-3: Follow weekly schedule; conduct/film interviews; film students for documentary; field trip #1. Week 4-6: School break; work at home on art/literary pieces; conduct/film interviews; field trip #2 Week 7-10: Follow weekly schedule; record music in studio; field trip #3 and #4; showcase publicity Week 11-12: Finalize projects, documentary, and music for showcase; showcase performance; final reflections

Lasting Impact: In order to maximize the positive impact of this project on the surrounding community, my ​ collaborators and I will schedule multiple performances of the showcase at other primary schools in the area after the initial showing. We will also compile a website that will electronically preserve the showcase so that students ​ can share their knowledge with others for years to come.

Expected Outcomes: Through this project, we believe students will be able to better understand their own places in ​ South African history by connecting the past to the present. A greater appreciation for those who fought for peace and equality during apartheid will empower them to continue these efforts in their own lives and community. In terms of personal growth, we anticipate some students will discover and capitalize on new talents and interests in the arts that they would not normally have the opportunity to explore. This project will not only be a valuable learning experience but will also increase their ability to transcend and help dismantle the cycle of poverty and violence in Parkwood. Their education, as Mandela insisted, will be the “most powerful weapon” they can use to create lasting peace in their community and country, and their exposure to the arts will give them an outlet through which to accomplish this.