Another Drama For Life scholar gets important university lectureship
November, 12, 2010 – For Gift Marovatsanga, his academic and artistic journey has been nothing but interesting and his recent appointment to be a Drama Lecturer at University of Zululand has been nothing but a great and welcome opportunity to be at a place that will challenge him on all levels but also a place where he will get to teach the ‘applied’ in Applied Drama. From his grounding in having been a Drama for Life scholar in 2009, he will not find it difficult to do this. Speaking with him a couple of months ago before he got this opportunity, he was full of hope and expectation that something was about to give and ‘give it did’ with this appointment at University of Zululand.
In a short article aptly titled ‘A glimpse of my Zululand Experience’, Gift writes that being at this university will be ‘a very crucial part of (my) his learning curve’. We the current Drama for Life (2010) scholars and staff wish him a great, engaging, enriching and rewarding time at University of Zululand. For more, read the full article he wrote based on his own experiences so far at University of Zululand.
Interviewed by Tonderai Chiyindiko, M.A Drama for Life Scholar, 2010
A Glimpse of My Zululand Experience
Being appointed Drama Lecturer in the Department of Arts and Culture at the University of Zululand has been such an experience; interesting, challenging and above all, a very crucial part of my learning curve. Having had the privilege to study at Wits University, located in the very heart of Johannesburg, relocating to the rural-based University of Zululand built in the mountainous KwaDlangezwa community in Empangeni was such an interesting dynamic in itself. From my very first encounter with the institution, staff (academic and non-academic) and students, I could tell with no doubt that this was a different environment from Wits. Everything seems slow here, maybe not in a very bad sense, but mmm, the students drag their feet and come terribly late for lectures! Well, let’s see!
The Department of Arts and Culture at the University of Zululand has had a fare share of challenges in the recent past. Lecturers (Drama lecturers in particular) have come and gone and this has resulted in a number of challenges arising. Students have demonstrated, boycotted classes and of course, lost a lot of time out of school. Quite sad, some have lost hope, that which keeps us going!
This means those that have lost hope have given up and even when I come into the department, there is a strong sense of betrayal amongst the students and there is a large number of them that still believe that I am not here to stay!
In my first meeting with about a 170 first year drama students, I realise that I have more than just the teaching to do! I have to bring hope where it has died! I have to be firm! ‘I will not take this drama thing seriously anymore! This guy will soon leave us just like the others before him’ says one student. ’Of course he will leave’ replies his peer. ‘What’s the use of even submitting the assignment he is asking for?’ another one questions.
And finally, my response is: I am here to stay, I am here to make sure that you all get the education that you came here for. I am not leaving, so if you are of the impression that I am going to leave, you better change your mind now and begin to take your learning seriously! It’s unfortunate that you have had lecturers coming and going, but this one is here to stay, and we will work together rigorously, we will all be committed, we will all be focused, we will all move at a very fast pace and no-one should be left behind! This means that this habit of coming late for classes has to come to an end, TODAY.
If the lecture starts at 9am, it surely will start at 9. Because we have a lot of work to cover in a short space of time, we will have to waste no time!’ So there is silence, and then the learning begins! As I address the students, I rediscover how passionate I am about arts education and how I am willing to see the students achieve tangible results.
The long and short of all is this place is such a good place to begin one’s journey into a professional career. It is a place where you will have to take responsibility, where things are not in place already for you so you will have to work hard to get everything in place. This is a place where champions are made. This is a place where you will learn how not to do things.
This is a place where you have to wake up every single day ready to work. This is a place where you have to stay focused, full of energy, and ready to improvise. This is a place where leadership qualities ought to be exercised. Having gone through the intense Drama for Life training, I am ready to take this on. I currently teach all the drama modules the Center offers as we wait for the appointment of another drama lecturer, hopefully soon.
I see myself growing faster as a facilitator, as a tutor, as a leader and as a person. All things being equal, I would stay here for a couple of years and see myself grow as the Department of Arts and Culture expands as well. Look, we barely have a theatre here, neither do we have the required equipment, nor the relevant resources, but what I see is growth! There is room for growth and development and I would be honoured to contribute to that growth in any way possible. Professor Omotoso who for a brief period of time headed the Center for Arts and Culture had started a noble thing, donating books to the Department for students to use. Well, I say, let’s continue with this noble project and build a Resource Center for the students!
By Gift T. Marovatsanga
B.A (Hons) Theatre Arts (UZ)
M.A Applied Drama (Wits)
Lecturer in Drama, University of Zululand