Spring School 2011 opens to public

By: Zongezile Matshoba

The rehearsals that went into the middle of the night the day before, as the 2011 Spring School participants were preparing for the Open Day on Friday on day seven (7) resulted into massive performances of dance, poetry, presentations and exhibition of the elective outputs.

The groups, representing the various provinces of South Africa, arrived for the 2011 programme on 30 September 2011, exactly when the Tourism and Heritage Month was ending. They were showcasing what skills have they acquired during the camp.

Nomatshayina Mfeketho addressed them after the opening by Luvuyo Ndzuzo.

“This opportunity has enabled us to explore, and begin to appreciate who we are, where we come from, and how do we move forward,” She said.

The participants were also addressed by Nozipho Madinda, one of the Museums Practitioners. She touched on what the Spring School meant to Museums Practitioners.

The address by the four media electives facilitators and the participants touched on how the skills imparted were going to benefit them and be utelised, was followed by a temporary exhibition at Number 40 that was showcasing the various groups’ work produced during the electives. Public Service Announcements, radio sound clips, printed copies of newsletters and framed photographs were all on display. 

Nomvuzo Maphumulo, the engine behind the whole camp, could not contain herself. She told the learners that Robben Island is a platform for life long learning.

“Coming to Robben Island means coming to sift that knowledge,” she said.

Every learner was awarded a valuable certificate as an indication of their contribution to the sustainability, conservation and preservation of tangible and intangible heritage both at Robben Island and from where each learner came from.

KwaZulu-Natal group, with Amanda Mnikathi as the chosen speaker, thanked the Spring School organizers by giving them an artistic flag and t-shirt symbolic of Mandela Day’s Making-A-Difference.