WALE at Wits
June 7, 2010 - German DFL intern Eliana Schueler tells us about her time at the Wits Arts and Literature Experience (WALE).
The WALE opening parade was packed with cheerleaders, giant puppets, jugglers, stilt walkers, drummers and lots of students and staff members, making for a powerful festive atmosphere.
Besides the official opening I enjoyed several theatre pieces, particularly Miss Margarida’s Way, a reflection on the machinations of power written in a politically fraught Brazil of the 1970s. The audience acted as Miss Margarida’s class and I have rarely enjoyed a classroom setting that much.
Another highlight was Staceyann Chin, a spoken word poet, who draws on her experience growing up as Jamaican lesbian within a Chinese-Jamaican family to explore issues of gender, race and sexuality. She presented her book, The Other Side of Paradise, in several performances, prompting long audience discussions.
All in all, WALE brought together a diverse group of artists and offered a great space to experience interdisciplinary performances. Those four days of theatre, music, fine art, photo exhibitions, film screenings and discussions were highly enriching - both entertaining and educative.