Photographer: Ruvan Boshoff
On 26 April, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) Library Atrium, a typically quiet space, came alive with poetry, songs, and spoken word. The occasion? The UDUBS Open Mic hosted by the UWC Writing Centre and the Library. It was the first of a series of events the UWC Writing Centre organised to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
The UWC Writing Centre has supported students’ academic success for three decades by strengthening their academic reading and writing practices. Postgraduate tutors engage students in constructive dialogue, guiding them through their assignments and helping them refine their academic writing skills.
Workshops on academic writing across various departments and support faculty members are also offered to strengthen their students’ academic writing skills.
We aim to achieve our goal by cultivating a safe and supportive environment where students can build their confidence to express their voices. Open Mic events provide a platform for diverse forms of expression and have been an important avenue to achieving this goal. The Writing Centre has organised four Open Mic events since 2019 to encourage students to express their creative talent.
This year, as part of the anniversary celebrations, the event attracted over 80 students, filling the atrium with appreciative energy. The emcee (coordinator of ceremonies) encouraged performers to overcome anxiety about performing in such a large space. While 45 students signed up to perform at the event, we could only accommodate 17. It clearly indicates that students need a platform to express their voices.
The event was opened by two invited poets, Tsholofelo Lebese and Kirsten Deane, who are studying Creative Writing at UWC. Participants were encouraged at powerful moments by the snapping of fingers by members of the audience.
When she felt nervous, Nompumelelo Sebenzayo, one of the student poets, asked the audience to echo the word “word” like a pastor asking the congregation to say Amen. The call and response resonated both in English and seSotho, with the poet asking, “ke kopa lentswe” (please speak), and the audience responding “lentswe” (the word).
The creative pieces covered a variety of themes, including love and loss, mental health and sexual and gender-based violence. Although most of the pieces were in English, there was one in isiXhosa, and there was interaction in different languages between the emcee, the performers and the audience.
Amongst many moving and fluent performances, we were struck by the work of Sebenzayo, a third-year Law student from Bloemfontein. The following extract is from a poem that she performed:
Life is a siren
in my head
forbidding any attempt to rest
so I walk around with eyes bags as heavy as my heart carrying all the fatigue life robs me off
so when I say I’m tired
I mean I want to sleep
Never wake up and feel this heavy
I want to be a part of the universe
a number in the infinite possibilities of stars born
I want to be the sun
and never feel like my happiness is microscopic
There has always been a great need to develop students’ academic literacies. However, this year, students’ requests for assistance have increased substantially due to a growth in marketing and publicity.
While the Writing Centre initially focused mainly on individual and group consultations, we have expanded our range of activities to meet students' needs in varied ways, including writing workshops and collaborative work with lecturers. We have achieved this in spite of our limited resources.
To further open up space for students’ voices and establish a supportive learning environment, we have organised a series of activities to mark our 30th anniversary. Our recent ‘Come and Play’ event allowed students to engage with words playfully through games such as word puzzles, a word treasure hunt and a free writing exercise.
Looking ahead, we have planned other activities for students, including a second Open Mic event and a poster and reflection competition focused on students’ writing journeys. Additionally, we will host a colloquium for faculty members and develop a documentary reflecting our 30-year journey.
Dr Arona Dison is the Coordinator of the UWC Writing Centre and T&L Specialist in the Directorate of Learning, Teaching and Student Success.
Dr Phoene Mesa Oware is a postdoctoral research fellow at the UWC School of Public Health and facilitates the planning of the 30th-anniversary activities at the UWC Writing Centre.
On 26 April, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) Library Atrium, a typically quiet space, came alive with poetry, songs, and spoken word. The occasion? The UDUBS Open Mic hosted by the UWC Writing Centre and the Library. It was the first of a series of events the UWC Writing Centre organised to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
The UWC Writing Centre has supported students’ academic success for three decades by strengthening their academic reading and writing practices. Postgraduate tutors engage students in constructive dialogue, guiding them through their assignments and helping them refine their academic writing skills.
Workshops on academic writing across various departments and support faculty members are also offered to strengthen their students’ academic writing skills.
We aim to achieve our goal by cultivating a safe and supportive environment where students can build their confidence to express their voices. Open Mic events provide a platform for diverse forms of expression and have been an important avenue to achieving this goal. The Writing Centre has organised four Open Mic events since 2019 to encourage students to express their creative talent.
This year, as part of the anniversary celebrations, the event attracted over 80 students, filling the atrium with appreciative energy. The emcee (coordinator of ceremonies) encouraged performers to overcome anxiety about performing in such a large space. While 45 students signed up to perform at the event, we could only accommodate 17. It clearly indicates that students need a platform to express their voices.
The event was opened by two invited poets, Tsholofelo Lebese and Kirsten Deane, who are studying Creative Writing at UWC. Participants were encouraged at powerful moments by the snapping of fingers by members of the audience.
When she felt nervous, Nompumelelo Sebenzayo, one of the student poets, asked the audience to echo the word “word” like a pastor asking the congregation to say Amen. The call and response resonated both in English and seSotho, with the poet asking, “ke kopa lentswe” (please speak), and the audience responding “lentswe” (the word).
The creative pieces covered a variety of themes, including love and loss, mental health and sexual and gender-based violence. Although most of the pieces were in English, there was one in isiXhosa, and there was interaction in different languages between the emcee, the performers and the audience.
Amongst many moving and fluent performances, we were struck by the work of Sebenzayo, a third-year Law student from Bloemfontein. The following extract is from a poem that she performed:
Life is a siren
in my head
forbidding any attempt to rest
so I walk around with eyes bags as heavy as my heart carrying all the fatigue life robs me off
so when I say I’m tired
I mean I want to sleep
Never wake up and feel this heavy
I want to be a part of the universe
a number in the infinite possibilities of stars born
I want to be the sun
and never feel like my happiness is microscopic
There has always been a great need to develop students’ academic literacies. However, this year, students’ requests for assistance have increased substantially due to a growth in marketing and publicity.
While the Writing Centre initially focused mainly on individual and group consultations, we have expanded our range of activities to meet students' needs in varied ways, including writing workshops and collaborative work with lecturers. We have achieved this in spite of our limited resources.
To further open up space for students’ voices and establish a supportive learning environment, we have organised a series of activities to mark our 30th anniversary. Our recent ‘Come and Play’ event allowed students to engage with words playfully through games such as word puzzles, a word treasure hunt and a free writing exercise.
Looking ahead, we have planned other activities for students, including a second Open Mic event and a poster and reflection competition focused on students’ writing journeys. Additionally, we will host a colloquium for faculty members and develop a documentary reflecting our 30-year journey.
Dr Arona Dison is the Coordinator of the UWC Writing Centre and T&L Specialist in the Directorate of Learning, Teaching and Student Success.
Dr Phoene Mesa Oware is a postdoctoral research fellow at the UWC School of Public Health and facilitates the planning of the 30th-anniversary activities at the UWC Writing Centre.
