I AM A WRITER, A PRODUCER AND A DIRECTOR- OH YES!

 

I must say even though putting together this radio drama is challenging but it is not as challenging as putting together a documentary. My observations are that the success of the radio drama lies in the actors and the ability of the director to cast great actors. This I say because radio drama is all about drama, it is about action, and it is about the flawless interaction between the actors. At the core of a radio drama lies the actors, they drive the story, they deliver the story they allow for the listeners imagination, they allow for the story to move from one scene to the next, they drive the story to reach the climax. As I am busy editing now, I find it easy to edit it because I’ve worked with people who understood what they were doing. Yes, there are parts that could still be improved, for instance parts where the voice could be raised even higher but I could not have asked for a better end product especially after the time constraints we have had.

One of the things I find challenging is editing one of the scenes where there is a telephone conversation. I find this difficult because there are times where they are both talking at the same time. The talking over each other however works well but it also becomes a problem because I only have to change one voice to sound like the other person is on the other side of the phone. I have tried to make this work by separating the conversation. This is one of the things that I could not think of at the time of the recording, I failed to realize that something like that was going to happen. There’s nothing I can do now, the actors are done and not intending to come back so as an editor I have to see how I work with that. This is one of those things that teaches you as an editor, those mistakes that become lessons because if I were to do this again I would avoid that, I would make sure that something like this does not happen again.

What I have noticed is that, there are things that you only pick up when you are editing, just like the one I have mentioned. The other thing is people moving on and off mic, sometimes this works but when you listen to it you realize that there was actually no need for that person to move off mic. When you are writing a script you imagine how you want it to happen or to sound like and then it becomes different when you listen to the actual recording.

This leads to my next point which is about the sound effects. I have recorded all the sound effects myself. I sat down at home with my recorder on and switched the TV on to record LIVE (music show) which is one of the shows that the actors talk about. I had to switch my radio on and stand in front of it with the recorder. I was a nerve to my housemates because I asked them to wash dishes even when they did not want to because I needed sound effects. I was happy to record these sounds myself and not look for them on the internet because I want this drama to sound believable. I went to the township to capture the sound environment; I went to one of the Grahamstown schools to record the school environment. With that said, I must also mention that I am aware that the ambient sound of the pots, the school environment, the cutlery, the television and radio that I am going to use do not tell the story, the actors do. The actors are what I can call ‘the cake’ and the ambient sounds are a ‘cherry on top’, they do not tell the story but they enhance this radio drama. They give it life and also help the listener understand what is going on.

I must also mention that I had a hard time finding the right music. The beginning jingle was the biggest challenge; I wanted something fresh and vibe(y) so as to adhere to the topic of my drama “Amaxesha ngamanye” Times have changed. I finally came up with the idea that I will start it with a slow song and then change to a fresher and youthful song. I tried it and it worked.

That’s all from me and this project, it has been fun. It has been a good learning experience. I’m out.

Ciao!  

THE FINAL STAGES- POST PRODUCTION

I am now at a stage where I am busy with post-production. After having clashes and problems with our time tables, the actors and I have finally recorded the final take. This could only mean one thing, that is, the radio drama that I have been writing about has been recorded. This was done on Saturday, it went well. What happened is that I promised to bring food (pizza) so that we can do it all in one go without people excusing themselves because they want to go out and have lunch.

Like any normal recording I put on my head phones, stood still as a director with the script on my hand. I made sure everybody has the script, the right script. I also had to make sure that we are all in the same page. Once that was sorted, they also put headphones and the game begun. This recording was different because it was no longer about reading the words but following the pointers in the script. If it is off mic, it has to be recorded off mic; if a person has made a mistake we all have to stop, discuss it, help that person if she needs help and do it again. Honestly it is an exhausting process but we all wanted something special, believable and listenable.

I must confess the professionalism of the actors has come in very handy in this process. One amongst the things I liked about them is the fact that they are not scared or afraid to say “let’s do it again, I did not feel good about this scene”. This is what made me happy and this is the same thing that I noticed when I was at uMhlobo Wenene, the actors respect what they do and they give it their best. They also said when they did not feel good about a particular scene. What I enjoyed watching was the fact that they corrected each other; they were not scared to say “no I think you have to do it again”. As a person who is not an actor I find this very interesting and it shows how personal people take their job or acting. They internalize it, it becomes part of them; it becomes a group effort. They are aware that a mistake made by one person will not do justice to the piece. As I had previously pointed out, I am learning a lot in this process, it teaches me different things.

This is what Toffee Zitshu, the uMhlobo Wenene producer said to me. She said as a producer you do not only show people how to do it but you also learn from how they do it. I have learnt the importance of communication; I have learnt the importance of team work, I have seen the support that actors give each other. I have learnt that as a director and producer I have to give actors their freedom, I have to give them a room for improvisation. I saw this happening when I was at uMhlobo Wenene where an actor would ask “can’t I change this sentence to this? I think it sounds better like this”. It happened to me as well; I remember one of the actors, Anelisa said “I am glad you said we can alter some of the words or lines because when I read through the script I also realized that there are things that need to be rephrased in order for this to be better understood by the listener”. I found this very helpful because as a writer I sometimes think that something makes sense when it does to me without thinking about how everyone is going to understand it. IsiXhosa language is broad and different isiXhosa speakers use different words but there is also standard isiXhosa which is the accepted one. Working with people like Anelisa who have studied isiXhosa at University level as I have done myself made a difference because she also became part of the script, she contributed both as an actor and as an editor.
Moving on, having recorded the final show, I told Toffee that the drama has been recorded and she was excited and told me she cannot wait to hear it.
On the other hand, all along I thought this drama has to be 15 minutes; I had no doubt in my mind that Toffee had said this drama has to be that long but after recording it I realized that there is absolutely no ways that this drama is going to be 15 minutes. It is going to be more than that. I called and told her about my biggest worry and to my surprise she said the drama must be 30 minutes long. I was so happy, in fact I was relieved.  Therefore now I am producing a 30 minute documentary. At the moment I am sitting on 23 minutes excluding sounds effects and music. I hope to fill the remaining time with sound effects, music and the credits at the end.
Ciao!

PERFECTION IS A PROCESS

This is a commentary on the rehearsal process as a whole. Producing a radio drama requires patience and understanding. What I have observed so far is that as a producer you have to have a plan B. It is advisable that you cast more than the expected number of actors so that when one of the actors cannot make it one of them can because the thought of losing a character is scary. I have previously pointed out that I am working with a group of great actresses. This has been the advantage of this whole process because as much as there are delays, they are able to make up for the time lost. Yes, I cannot deny the fact that the time lost never returns but what is important is to use the available time wisely. We started last week with the rehearsal. The first day as expected did not go smoothly but this was due to the fact that the actresses were still familiarizing themselves with working together.

We all gathered in the studio and all the actors had their scripts as I had emailed it to them two weeks in advanced. When we met for the first time in the studio we decided on the positions, for instance who must stand where and who comes after who and so forth. This is very important because there are scenes where the other characters must move off mic and give others a chance. We also had to decide on the positions because the mics in the studio are not enough for three people, there is only two of them. Those are the kinds of things that we were still trying to figure out. I must say these this was not difficult to do. Two of my actors have done radio and are aware of the rules of radio, for instance mic distance, popping and so forth which makes things easier.

Moving on, the second day showed lot of improvement, the actresses came prepared because I noticed that they did not stumble over words as they did the last time we rehearsed. This was a sign of improvement. So far we have met three times which I still think is not enough but there’s nothing we can do because they are also busy. I want the actors to sound as fluent as possible because at the end I want the story to be believable and most importantly to be listenable. I want to produce something that I will be proud of and this is only possible when we make time to meet and rehearse.

I chose to work with them knowing that they are busy people but I trusted that they will give me what I want and they are. That is, a good interpretation of the script and a great portrayal of the characters in the story. For instance I want Pumelela Nqelenga who plays maDlamini to represent the following character: a 65-year old woman. Her husband passed away 15 years back. She lives in Joza with her grandchild. She has a daughter, Nobantu who is Namhla’s mother. She is a pensioner. She cannot speak English properly but she is not that bad because at least she reached standard 6. I want Avuyile Maselwa who plays Namhla to represent a 16 year-old, who is doing grade 10 at Nyaluza High School. She lives in Joza Township, Grahamstown. She stays with her grandmother because her mother spends most of her time at work.  Lastly I want Anelisa Mente who plays Nobantu to represent a 35-year old woman. Nobantu is Namhla’s mother, Madlamini’s daughter. She is also from Joza but she does not live here. Nobantu passed grade 12 but could not further her studies due to financial reasons. She works very hard to provide for her family. She stays in a flat and she has a car.

At the end this radio drama tries to show the generation gap that exists between the old and the new generation. It seeks to show the challenges and the clashes that exist and these clashes are shown through the above mentioned characters, maDlamini and Namhla. The tradition vs. modernity idea becomes visible through interaction and conversation between these two characters. They are different and therefore have different ways of doing things.

We are slowly but surely getting there. The story is coming together pretty well because they are really getting to understand their roles and what is expected of each character. It is now the matter of getting used to pronouncing some of the words because one of the characters did not do isiXhosa at school. She is the one who needs practice and the one that I’m working closely with. I always ask her to read to me before we start just to get used to the words and so far it is working pretty well. We also need to work on improving things like projection and tone. Once they get this right then we will be ready to record the final take. The final recording is this week and the post-production as well. This is going to be one hell of a week but I’m looking forward to it anyways. I am training myself for days like these that are yet to come in the not so far future where I will be working under pressure. We are now trying to perfect this and as you might know, perfection is a process.

On that note, what I have noticed about the actresses is that they enjoy what they are doing, they are having fun. We all are, we laugh together and we help each other out. We are working together as a team which I find great. I am crossing fingers that things come together perfectly.  I must confess that even though there are challenges and problems that arise during this process, I’m still excited to hear the final product. I still have the drive, nothing has changed and the struggle continues. It shall be well. Catch my next update on post-production.

Ciao!

JUST A FEW GLITCHES

Things are not going as smoothly as I had imagined they would. The rehearsal process has been very slow. I do not blame anyone for this, not even myself because when you are working with people a lot of things happen. And in most cases the things that happen tend to hinder the process. On Friday last week we were supposed to meet and have our rehearsal session as usual but we couldn’t because one of the main actors fell sick, she had to be admitted to the hospital. So we couldn’t meet. This is exactly what I am trying to say, you cannot really blame anyone for this because things JUST happen.

Having returned from uMhlobo Wenene FM last week, I came back refreshed and ready to produce my drama; little did I know that this would happen. Being at uMhlobo Wenene made things seem so easy because the actors were always there, they came in time and they were always available. I somehow thought it was going to be like that with me as well.  This is when I realized that I lied to myself when I thought things were going to be the same. Things are not the same; I am working with students who are also very busy.  

I started losing hope, there was a lot going on in my mind. On one hand I was thinking of looking for somebody else to play her part but at the same time I was worried because she is a brilliant actress and the thought of losing her scared me. I have seen her during the rehearsals, she is good and her voice fits her character in the story. Her voice sounds like that of an old woman, one of the reasons I asked her to play the part. I thought losing her now would make things even worse because the new person will first have to familiarize herself with the script. Oh wait, let me say the thought of looking for another person at this stage was my main worry. I had no idea who I was going to cast. I had to keep calling and checking on her. Fortunately by the end of the week she told me that she was feeling much better and she’s ready to rehearse on Sunday. I was happy.

I knew there were going to be challenges because all my actors are senior students who also have their own responsibilities to their studies. Well, the good news is that we finally managed to meet on Sunday for the rehearsal and it went perfectly well. I started regaining hope.  Not that I had ever completely lost hope, because I knew I had to stay strong and keep on keeping on but there were times when I felt as if it is not going to be possible. What I decided to do was to keep myself occupied by looking for sound effects and music to enhance this drama. At least I did not just sit with nothing to do; I felt as if I was doing something which is also part of this production. At the end I’m a happy person and at the moment things are looking great.  Now let’s talk about the rehearsal process ---------------->on my next update.

Ciao!

A WEEK WELL SPENT (at uMhlobo Wenene FM)

As promised on my previous blog, I will give you all the details about my visit at uMhlobo Wenene FM in Port Elizabeth. Let me start off by saying; the idea of going to uMhlobo Wenene was a brilliant one. I have never produced a radio drama before, thus spending time with uMhlobo Wenene’s drama department has taught me a lot. It has been an eye-opening experience.  Let me take you through what went down on each day…

Day one: this was the most exciting part as I was being introduced to everyone. I felt special and more than that I felt very welcomed. I went there in a week when they will be celebrating their 200th episode, and they planned to record this episode live. That is, they were going to do it live, raw and unedited; there were no “cut, take two”. I was then introduced to all the actors, who seemed very passionate about what they do. My special interest was to see the studio arrangement, that is, how the props are arranged and mostly how everything works. I was interested in this because as a person who will be doing this for the first time, I needed to see it.  I needed ideas for my own project and this was the essence of my visit; to see how I’m going to go through the same process   with my actors as well.

The day was filled with rehearsals because they wanted to make sure that they do not make any mistakes when they record live. I was lucky enough to be given a script and be part of the rehearsal. Strangely enough this was not difficult for me to do; the only thing I had to do was to read the script over and over again in order to sound as natural as possible. Being the ‘natural’ that I am, that was pretty easy for me to do. By this I mean that as a person who’s able to read isiXhosa fluently getting used to reading the script did not take me that long. So I can say that being familiar with the language worked at my advantage.

More than that I felt included; by taking part I gained understanding of how the actors read and interpret their scripts. For instance, I learnt things like improvisation, that as an actor you do not always have to stick word for word to the script but at the same time do not improvise entirely because the gist will be lost I found this very helpful because even though I will be the director for my own project but at least I have gained understanding of how the acting must be done.  However I am aware that different broadcasters have different approaches to how they want things to be done, in some environments, directors are pretty strict about sticking to the script- while in others, a little bit of interpretation is expected.

What I am trying to say is that being involved in this process has given me a sense of how, as a director of the play, I need to manage my actors. All of this means that with the knowledge that I have gained, I will be able to help my actors where needed. I am willing to give them a bit of space to rephrase the script where necessary. I have no doubt that this approach might very well strengthen my script because they will add things that will enhance it. Moreover, they are also isiXhosa speakers which means they are familiar with the language and the phrasing.

Day two: this was the second day of the rehearsal, and probably the busiest day of them all. We were pushed hard because the live recording was going to be the next day. I loved the experience. I felt like this is what I’m also going to go through because I cannot deny the fact that the time I have to produce this drama is limited. So this for me was great because I at least saw and experienced working under pressure. We rehearsed the whole day until we all felt ready for the following day.

Day three: this was the day of the recording, all the actors came and they rehearsed. Strangely enough, none of them were very nervous; in fact, they were relaxed. It made me realize that they are professionals. This was the best day, watching people do their thing live, the stings coming in, sound effects and spot effects all in that moment. It was something truly beautiful to watch and be part of. It was great, it was fun, it came with a lot of pressure but it came out quite well. I was amazed. The actors left me wowed.

Day four: on this day there were no rehearsals, Toffee the producer and Phumelela the technical producer were editing and packaging episodes for the next two weeks because they record in advance. So I watched as they do this.  This was something that I am used to because they also use Adobe Audition, which I’m familiar with. On this day I also had an opportunity to meet with Phumzile Mnci the station manager, and  he asked me about my experience and what I have learnt in that week.

On that note, let me say that I enjoyed this week; it was very refreshing. Now I can confidently say that I will be able to produce my own drama with the knowledge that I have gained. I appreciate and acknowledge the opportunity that I have been given by both my lecturer, Jeanne du Toit and Toffee Zitshu of uMhlobo Wenene FM. I came back from this visit inspired and ready to roll.

Look out for my next update on the rehearsal process because we have started with the rehearsals already.

Ciao!

ALLOW ME TO TELL MY STORY

It doesn’t get more exciting than this. For this term I am producing a radio drama. The tittle of the drama is ‘Amaxesha ngamanye’ translated the times have changed. This drama is inspired by what is going on in and around the world in contemporary society. It is undeniable true that the times have changed, this means that new ways of doing things have emerged and the way South Africa operates is sort of different from how things were back in the days. Let me spare you the lecture and tell you more about the process thus far.

I’m now at a stage where I have finished writing the script and I have sent it to my mentor, Toffee Zitshu, uMhloboWenene drama producer. She looked at the script, made a few corrections and she liked it a lot: “I’m looking forward to listening to the final product,” she said. Last week Friday I met for the first time with the actors (Pumelela Nqelenga, Avuyile Maselwa and Anelisa Mente). They are the three main characters in the story and the drama consists of five characters in total. I was very pleased to see the excitement in their faces; this in return brought a smile to my face. Any writer will tell you that there is nothing as humbling as seeing people appreciate the work that you have done. It was like that with me as well, in fact I still feel good.

In our meeting we discussed how things are going to work, with regards to the rehearsals and we also set down and looked at each other’s time tables. Speaking about time, I think this will be one of the challenges because all my characters are senior students with very busy schedules. However this is not much of a problem because I would like to believe that they are professional actresses because they have done drama. This means that it will not take them a lot of time to read the script as they are used to reading and writing scripts. This drama is written in isiXhosa; one of the things on the agenda was to get a sense of how they feel about the use of language and using the language to record. Fortunately they were happy and very excited to do it in their mother tongue as they believe that it will not be difficult for them to improvise where needed. This makes things a bit easier for me.

I explained each character to them, I spoke to them about the inspiration behind this drama and they also agreed that the way contemporary society works and the way households operate has indeed changed. One of them, Pumelela asked me a very interesting question – she wanted to know whether this story falls under comedy or not, because she finds some parts a bit funny. Mmm well, I never thought of it as comedy. I cannot say it is a comedy; it is a fictional story that has a deep message embedded but there are comical scenes. On that note, that is where I am for now and I will be spending the next week working closely with Umhlobo Wenene’s drama department in Port Elizabeth. I shall tell you about that as well; look out for my next update!

Ciao!

FROM ONE PROJECT TO THE NEXT

From one project to the next; the uMthathi chapter has been closed. Allow me to introduce a new chapter to you. I am now in a process of producing a radio drama. The project involves the production of a radio drama, in isiXhosa, for the public broadcaster, uMhlobo Wenene FM. The drama will be based on a script that I have written as part of the coursework requirements for the JMS (journalism and media studies) 4 advanced audio production course. It is a story about three women of different generations who live in the same house, in a South African township. It highlights the difference in their world views and behaviour.  It is based around tradition vs. modernity; this drama shows the generation gap that exists between the old and the new generation; the challenges and the clashes that exist.

ZIYASONGWA, IT'S A WRAP!

On Tuesday we had a debriefing session with uMthathi, this was our last meeting as we are letting go of the handle bars of the bicycle. The meeting went well, in the meeting we discussed what we (students) have achieved so far in terms of generating content for uMthathi. It became pretty clear that we have managed to create a lot of things, for instance we have designed a poster for uMthathi as a way of advertising for the project. We have managed to record PSAs, adverts, stings and the how to’s. In the meeting, me, Alex and Chris told Xoliswa and Sicelo that we are going to put everything we have created-including all the shows- in one CD so that they can keep this for future purposes. Xoliswa liked the idea and she even asked us to make a separate copy for her.

We also used this time to discuss what worked and what did not work. Xoliswa and Sicelo said so far, they cannot think of anything that we have not done in terms of giving the project exposure and also advertising for them. Shockingly Sicelo told us that he did not know that we were leaving them to do things on their own. He thought that there was another group of students coming after us. I find this very shocking because during the course of the journey we kept reminding them that they must learn to do things themselves whilst we are around so that they won’t suffer when we are no longer there. I guess he did not understand that, he thought that we were leaving but another group is going to come after us. In retrospect I think Sicelo is the only one who did not know because if my memory serves me well; a couple of weeks ago Xoliswa asked us “when are you guys leaving?” this means she knew that we were leaving. We (students) however explained it properly to both of them and they understood.

In the meeting, we (students) also emphasized the fact that they must know that the slot that they have at Radio Grahamstown is theirs, it is for uMthathi. They can therefore do anything they want, they can discuss any topics that they want to discuss but they need to negotiate and communicate with Thenjiwe so that she will know what their plans are. We told Xoliswa and Sicelo that, the slot is theirs; they must not feel threatened by anything or anybody. I saw smiles on their faces after we told them this, it became clear to me that they were not aware of the fact that they have to take charge and be in control. This signals the value, importance and above all how necessary it was for us to have this meeting because we all got a chance to sit down and clarify things to each other. When we asked Xoliswa and Sicelo what is it that they wish the next group could do differently, they said they cannot think of anything for now but they will let us know so that the next group will follow up on that.

In terms of what still needs to be done, Alex, Chris and myself said they must try as much as they can to find people from the community who have benefited from the project. People who have been helped by uMthathi to open or enhance their small or big businesses, with that said last Friday we managed to have community members as studio guests. There were four of them, and they talked about their experiences and their feelings on the project. This was great because it was very nice to hear their different views and experiences. We (students) however suggested that next time they must minimise the number of studio guests because we noticed that due to time, they could not talk freely and they did not talk about everything. Sicelo agreed and he said he likes the idea because he also noticed that there was not enough time for each person to share his or her story.

What also came up in the meeting is the importance of communication, me, Alex and Chris suggested that since we are no longer going to be there as mediators; they must make sure that they keep communication going. This is very important. We then suggested that they must at least call Thenjiwe once a week and update her about their plans for the next show, the guests and the topic to be discussed. Xoliswa agreed and she said she will try her best. Communication is a key factor, if they master this; surely they are going to work very well together. For the next group of students, I think from the word go, they must emphasize on the importance of communication. They must be strict in terms of how they want things to go, and most importantly from the beginning they must sit back and let them drive everything so that it won’t be difficult for the uMthathi people to continue on their own.

Last Friday, we had a debriefing session where students and their community partners met to talk about different things and to also wrap up everything. I am disappointed because we (Chris, Alex and I) presented without anyone from uMthathi or Radio Grahamstown present. Xoliswa had lots of meetings to attend and Thenjiwe agreed to meet but she forgot to come. This was a bit disappointing but we presented nonetheless. We presented in front of Shireen Badat from Upstart (community project), Masixole Mdingane, Rhodes music radio station manager and our fellow classmates. They all gave us great feedback, they applaud us for the great work that we have done.

Before the presentation, whilst we were at Radio Grahamstown for our last show, Thenjiwe thanked us and she gave us an opportunity to say goodbye to the listeners. She told her listeners that we were working behind the scenes and that we are the ones who made the Masakhane feature possible. This was a very nice.

Well, I cannot believe that we have come to the end of this journey. It has been wonderful. I recall what I wrote in my very first blog about the project; where I said I am looking forward to everything that is going to happen. Indeed I have enjoyed every part of it. Even though there were days when I felt as if what we are trying to facilitate is not making any progress but I have come to understand that those were the strongest parts. Here we are now, we persevered and indeed our perseverance was worth it.  

I am very happy with what we (Alex, Chris and I) have managed to do. We said we wanted to produce audio for the uMthathi project and we have managed to do that. On that note let me jump in and say, I am so happy, actually I am extremely happy that we have managed to record the PSAs with members of the community. As I have previously mentioned, on Friday we had about four community members as studio guests. They were there to talk about their personal experiences and what they have learnt from uMthathi. This is what I have always wanted for the rest of this semester so that even other members of the society will see how uMthathi can help them, and how the project can change their lives.

So after the show we asked all four of them to record the PSAs, I first explained to them what they need to say. That went well. What a good way to end the project, at least we have something that we can pride ourselves with. Me, Alex and Chris have worked hard to make things happen. As facilitators I think we have done our job because we have managed to build a relationship between uMthathi Community Project and Radio Grahamstown. Of course we did not do this alone; we managed to pull this through with the help of our partners, uMthathi and Radio Grahamstown. I must applaud Thenjiwe for a job well done; I must applaud her for giving the Masakhane a chance on her show and for allowing the show to be broadcast in the station. Special thanks go to uMthathi for working very well with us. They were very co-operative, they know what they want and they also value their work.

I must say, even though our partnership officially ends here, I will continue to go to Radio Grahamstown every Friday to listen to the show and to just keep the relationship going. Not as a journalist, not as a student but as ordinary Pumeza Zaza Mabusela. I have worked very hard, I refuse to let go.

THE WAY FORWARD>>>>>>

We have got only two Fridays left with our community partners, the uMthathi Community Project. It has been a rough but controllable ride. As a team (students, uMthathi and Radio Grahamstown) we have managed to form a good relationship and we have improved a lot communication wise. Even though we have improved a lot, I think this is still one amongst the important things that Thenjiwe and Xoliswa have to master when me, Alex and Chris step back. In every partnership communication is the main important thing; this is what holds the relationship together. For now I think we have managed to create a bond between Radio Grahamstown and uMthathi, I think we have done a great job as facilitators in this whole process.

I think the fact that we went home for two weeks (April vacation) helped build a good relationship between these two organisations. I say this because I see that Thenjiwe and Xoliswa’s interaction has changed. I can tell that they understand each other better now.

Looking back, what we have done so far: we have produced a running order for the Masakhane feature on the Masabelane show. With that said, I have noticed that at first they used the running order quite strictly but now they kind of do things their own way (presenters). For instance, according to the running order they are supposed to play one song but they play two songs now. I think we need to have a conversation with Thenjiwe and remind her to stick to the running order. This running order is important because this is what we (uMthathi and students) agreed on and Thenjiwe also did not have a problem with it. I therefore do not see why this should change. In terms of the sting and the jingle for the show; we should remind Thenjiwe to also play it outside of the Masakhane slot. I think this has a potential of drawing more listeners to listen to the show.

We have also managed to create a poster to advertise the show. This is important because people will be able to see at what time the show airs, and what the show is all about. I think what we need to emphasise on before we let go is the importance of communication. They must communicate with each other at least two times a week, in terms of confirming studio guests and the topic to be discussed in the show. Since we created an advert and we are working on the PSAs, I think we need to talk to Thenjiwe about this, and ask her- as acting station manager- to ask presenters from other shows to also play these in their own shows.

As student facilitators before we leave, I think we need to sit down with both Thenjiwe and Xoliswa and talk about different things that they need to do. Things like updating each other at least two times a week. They need to make sure that the sting and the jingle are played in the show. Make sure the PSAs and the adverts are played at Radio Grahamstown, not only in the show but by other presenters as well. UMthathi must also make other plans to advertise for the show, even if it means putting posters around town because we have created a poster for the project. Like I said communication is key, they need to increase their communication level, especially now that we will not be there as mediators.

For the whole semester we have been struggling to get facilitators to come into the studio, this is very bad because listeners hear the same people every Friday. It would be nice to have the facilitators’ voices. Yes, two weeks back we managed to have Lakhanya, the facilitator as a studio guest but this was made possible by the fact that she was on maternity leave. If it was not for this, she would have not been able to come. Xolela (a few weeks back) and Zolani (this week) also managed to come because it was a public holiday otherwise they would not have been able to come. I’m aware that facilitators have tight schedules but I think this is important too because it is going to benefit the project at the end of the day.

I think they must make time to come to the studio. I see this as something that Xoliswa and the uMthathi people have to try and achieve because we did not, even though we wanted to. For instance last Friday facilitators were supposed to come to the show, we planned this three weeks ago because we noticed that that is the only week they would not be going out. Unfortunately last Friday Xoliswa told us that facilitators couldn’t come because they had to attend somewhere. The only new person who came was Zolani; he is also one of the facilitators, and likewise it was great to have a different guest to talk about his experience.

 It would also be nice if they can find community members who have benefited from the project. This is the second thing that they need to work on. During our regular meetings we (students) have asked them several times to organize people from the community to come to the show but they have not managed to get anyone thus far. I think this is a challenge that they have to overcome. I am sure they know people who have benefited from this project.

At the end we are going to put everything that we have created, that is, Adverts, jingles, stings, PSAs, How-to’s and the recorded shows in one CD and give it to the uMthathi community project so that they can play it for other people and they can also give it to their sponsors. For this week we are going to meet with the uMthathi people and let them know that we are going to take a back sit now and let them drive. They must call Thenjiwe and tell her about the show topic and studio guests.

During the last week of term, we are going to have a debriefing session and for this session I was thinking of asking the uMthathi people to comment on things like, what is it that they have learnt from us? Do they feel we played a role while involved in the project? What are the things that they need the next group to improve on? What is it that they feel we did not do? As students we can also use this time to talk about different things that they can do to make better the show. Like some of the things I have mentioned above. We can use the same time to give them the CDs and the pamphlets.

Ciao!!

HARD AT IT

We are making real progress! This last week, we have finally managed to have facilitators as studio guests on Masakhane. Zolani Zondani and Xolela Mountain were the facilitators who came to the show. Sicelo and Xoliswa were also there as usual. I think this was good because people at home did not only hear from the management or the administrators but facilitators were there as well to talk about what they do and their experiences of working with people. I think the facilitator’s perspective is very important as they are the ones who work with community members in different areas in and around Grahamstown.

Xolela, one of the facilitators, spoke about his experiences of working with people, and the challenges that facilitators face. For instance he mentioned that sometimes when they arrive at a site where they have been asked to help with the establishment of a food gardening project, there is not enough resources to work with. Resources like the gardening equipment, grass; they find that stones have not been collected and so forth.  He said they usually ask people to collect all the material that they are going to need well beforehand, to make things easy. However it becomes a problem when people have not managed to collect everything. The Umthathi facilitators are then forced to collect the resources and material for them - or, in some instances, they leave and come back when everything is ready. He emphasized that Umthathi is empowering people to do things for themselves; they just show them how and help where they can.

The facilitators also spoke about how they encourage people to engage and work with them. I think this resulted in a very informative and engaging show because I felt as if people at home are being directly addressed and that they are also involved. Those of them who have taken part in one of these uMthathi gatherings could relate to what the facilitators were saying. Yes, each and every week we had different topics being discussed in the show but I think this one was the most important because it was about the facilitators’ contributions. How they are contributing to the development and improvement of people’s lives in general. This has always been our plan; to have facilitators in the studio and a person from the community; a person who has benefited or who has learnt a lot from the project. For now we have managed to have facilitators but the show still lacks community voices.

We did not get callers this week but maybe this is due to the fact that the Friday of the show was a public holiday. Therefore due to the public holiday maybe people were too busy to call or they were celebrating the holiday and did not listen to the radio. I personally think that bringing the facilitators back would be a good idea. These are the people who work very closely with the community; they therefore know the advantages, challenges and benefits of Umthathi’s work first hand. They see people’s reaction every now and then; they are therefore the right people to talk to.  Which is why I think it is always important to hear from them.

The show also included a feature about uMthathi’s upcoming events. Here Xoliswa gave detailed information about where listeners can interact with them, how they can enter competitions and so forth. I think the competitions and the activities give this project color. It made for interesting listening, which may in turn encourage Radio Grahamstown audience to contribute actively to the show. This could even be a regular feature on the show, where listeners call and ask questions or comment on the show; where callers stand a chance to win in one of uMthathi competitions.

I am also happy to report that Chris, Alex and I have managed to put together the jingle and the sting for the Masakhane feature. These were played on Friday’s broadcast. This was one of our goals for this term; we wanted to create an identity for the Masakhane. We kicked this process off last term with the creation of the running order for the show (this is still work in progress as we are still trying to open spots for other features as well, like the above mentioned) and now we have the jingle and the sting.

We have also managed to ask Xoliswa to say something about the show and give people information about uMthathi and the Masakhane feature.  We (students) then recorded this and we are going to use it for the PSA and the advert that we are busy putting together. By next week we will also have the poster ready. I think the poster idea is important because we have to market the show, in order to build an audience. Xoliswa has also asked us to do pamphlets as she thinks they are a good form of advertising. We are still going to talk about this on our regular meetings on Tuesday. As Henry Ford nicely puts it; “coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success”.

WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD

Me, Alex and Chris have been away for two weeks, which means we have not been around for the past two shows at Radio Grahamstown. This was not a problem because we had made arrangements with Xoliswa and Thenjiwe before we left for the holidays. When we got back last week, we met with the uMthathi people on Tuesday for our regular update.  It would seem that some things went well in our absence, while others could have gone better.

Upon arrival at the meeting, we were told that Xoliswa was not there because she is sick. Sicelo was there, however, and we sat down and asked him how the past two shows had gone. Sicelo told us that they only did one show while we were not around because they did not go on air on Friday of the Easter weekend. I personally did not have a problem with them not doing the show since it was a holiday. This, however, is not what we agreed on in our last meeting. We (Thenjiwe, Xoliswa and students) agreed on that they were going to do two shows while we were away.  It would seem, then, that there are still some foundational principles to sort out, with regards to the management of the project!

What I liked, though, is the fact that the uMthathi people called Thenjiwe and told her that they were not coming for the show because they were going to church. I think it is brilliant that they kept communication going; that they did not keep quiet but knew that they had to let Thenjiwe know. I asked Thenjiwe what she said to the listeners with regards to the Masakhane slot that Friday, and she told me that she carried on with her show and told the listeners that due to the holiday they will not have the Masakhane show but they must tune in the following week. I think this was good too. It shows that this partnership is between us, students, Xoliswa and Radio Grahamstown (Thenjiwe in this case). We are together in this; it is not just students but a partnership where all of us should take responsibility. We all should know what to do and when to do it.

Thenjiwe also told us, however, that on the Friday before last she thought the people from uMthathi were not coming because Sicelo arrived late for the show. Upon Sicelo’s arrival, they carried on and did the show even so. I think that Xoliswa’s absence is one of the reasons why this happened. Firstly because she is the one who always make sure that everyone arrives on time, and secondly because I think Sicelo is busy taking care of many things now that Xoliswa is not there. Nonetheless the show still continued which I think is good because they did not let it go because of Sicelo’s lateness, Thenjiwe managed to cover for it. 

On a different note, last Friday we had the Masakhane show and Thenjiwe hosted it. While sitting and waiting patiently for the show to start, I observed that she was not alone in the studio but co-hosting the Masabelane show with someone else. She however did the Masakhane slot alone. Lakhanya Tata Thembani and Sicelo Dyirha were the two studio guests, and the topic that they discussed was “home remedies”. Lakhanya is a specialist in the field, she was on maternity leave but she kindly agreed to come and be one of the guests. She was good, the discussion and everything  ran smoothly and they were enjoying themselves in the studio. As a result the co-host who has been quiet for the most part of the show started asking questions towards the end. These were questions that were prompted by what Lakhanya was educating people about. There was a lot of laughter and fun that broke out from the studio discussion; and this provided the show with a lively and warm feel.  

The main reason I think this worked well is because Lakhanya talked about things that happen in our daily lives, the examples that she made were of things that happen every day and that people from the community are also familiar with. I gathered that Lakhanya tried as much as she can to be at the same level as the listeners, she wanted to keep them listening by referring to some of the stuff that they are familiar with. She also gave funny examples, about how people mix together Savlon, Colgate and Handy-Andy to heal the wound. Everyone in the studio laughed and I as a person who was outside the studio laughed too because I was like “yeah that really does not make sense but people do it anyway”. She made the topic interesting, informative and educational at the same time. The examples she gave made the topic light, and the things she said easy to grasp.

On our side (as students) we have found music for the jingle and we have told Sicelo that by our next meeting we are going to ask the Umthathi team to comment on this.  We need them to tell us what they would like the jingle to say, and how they want it to sound. We also need to ask some of them to record whatever we (students and the uMthathi) agree on.

That is how things are up to now, and we are still patiently and excitedly going forward.

I CAN SEE THE LIGHT

I cannot even help but smile when I think about last week’s broadcast. Wow!!!  We finally had a flawless show in our regular feature on the Masabelane show. There were no technical problems, no problems with the callers nor any problems with the studio and the desk. I felt very proud that the show went well because of the effort we invested last week. Chris, Alex and I have made effort to try and meet with both Xoliswa Mbewu-Maahotla from uMthathi Training project and Thenjiwe Nkosinkulu who is the show host. Finally, we also managed to put together the running order for the show. What excites me is the fact that we did not do this on our own but we discussed it with the Umthathi people. 
 

As the Rhodes students involved in this project, Chris, Alex and I wanted both uMthathi and Radio Grahamstown to engage in the plan and decision making processes because we want to do something that they are also going to like. We (students) suggested to the Umthathi team members that we want to establish an image and identity for the show by creating jingles and stings. This we have done in our daily meetings with the uMthathi people. Together we (students and uMthathi) talked about how long each of these should be and agreed on the length of each.

After deliberations we then passed what we finalised in the meeting to Thenjiwe, that is, we presented her with the finalised running order that we (students and uMthathi) came up with. It was important for us to sit down and talk to her about this because she is the one who anchors the show. We also wanted Mandisa, the one who co-hosts the Masabelane show with Thenjiwe to be there but unfortunately she had to go somewhere. It would have been very nice to meet with both of them so that when one of them is absent the one available will know what to do. However this is not a problem because Thenjiwe promised to “fill her in”. Even though communication can still be improved I am glad to say that things are finally starting to take shape.

In terms of participation and working together as a team; so far I think we have got that covered. We have discussed how we want the show to start, what is going to happen in the middle of the show, when is the anchor going to open for callers and how we are going to end the show. We (students) discussed this with Xoliswa and Sicelo and they also contributed as they suggested the times, in terms of how long they want studio discussions to be. In the meeting we also took time to apologise about last week’s flaws and promised to get things right this time. And we (as a team) did.

For last Friday we still used the jingle that was created by last years’ group, but we are now in the process of creating a new one. For the voices in the jingle we are planning to ask people from uMthathi to record some parts. We would like to do this in order to engage with them, to show them that we are a team working together to achieve a common goal – that is, to raise awareness and educate the public about gardening and “food security” in general.  

Last week Chris, Alex and I asked Xoliswa and Sicelo to please come to the show with a person who has benefited from the project. We wanted a voice of a person who is not from uMthathi but who has been helped by the project. Xoliswa then told us that Mr Platyi, who is also a presenter in Radio Grahamstown has agreed to come and be the guest in the show. However Mr Platyi did not come for the show. Xoliswa assumed that maybe he completely forgot about the show even though she said she reminded him the day before. This however did not affect the show, but we would still like to have a person from the community to come and be the guest in the show.

I also think it would be a good idea to ask callers to comment on the show by sending SMSs even after the show. Open a Facebook group where people can post their comments and questions way before the show so that we can send these to the uMthathi people a day before the show. Thenjiwe also tried to raise this issue during the show on Friday. She asked callers to send their questions beforehand so that the guests from uMthathi can give answers to their questions. I think we need to emphasise this because I think it would make a difference in terms of the content of the show. I think we should also start thinking around making promos for the show, and these can be played during the course of the week by different station presenters. This would mean that we will have to talk to the presenters or ask Thenjiwe, as an acting station manager to help us with this. Maybe we can also put up a notice in the studio. We (students) can also create posters and ask the people from uMthathi to put them up in the township. This would mean that we have to make sure that the Friday shows are well-structured because a lot of people will be listening.

On a separate matter, we have already spoken to Xoliswa about us going home for the holidays but that we would like uMthathi training Project and Radio Grahamstown to keep the relationship going, and to continue doing the shows. Judging from her response, “Hayi siza kuziqhuba ungakhathazeki” (No do not worry we are going to continue) she is okay with this and she is happy to continue without us being there. What I think we must do next is to organise a meeting where we will meet with both of them (Thenjiwe and Xoliswa) and discuss what they are going to be talking about in the shows while we are not around.

Otherwise so far, I am happy about the way things are going. Everything is starting to make sense. Yes, I can see the light!!!

KEEPING THE BALL ROLLING

The ball is still rolling; it has been four weeks into the project now and there is no turning back. We have had our second show at Radio Grahamtown, not the smoothest show, I must confess. There were so many technical problems this week. Let me start off by saying; me and my group members waited for Thenjiwe Nkosinkulu, who is the Masabelane show host but she did not pitch. We waited and waited until the last few minutes before the show and it was only then when we were introduced to the new host for the day. This introduction too was informal, I had to go in and ask the lady who was there what is going on and ask where Thenjiwe was. I found this very strange because we did not receive any message or phone call from her (Thenjiwe). I remember there was a time where we ended up planning what we were going to do and how we were going to do it if she ends up not pitching. I came up with the idea that we were just going to do it even so and I was prepared to anchor the show.

This is to highlight just few things I find problematic since my involvement with the project that is, lack of communication. We do not communicate very well with each other because if we were, we would have known that the presenter is not going to be there for the show and therefore make arrangements to meet with the new presenter. As a result Xoliswa Mbewu Maaotla, from uMthathi Training Project complained about the way the show ran, and complained a lot about the unprofessional way the new presenter has done the show.

Another thing, we did not know that the new presenter is not familiar with the studio and the desk because we would have willingly helped her.  From now on we plan on arriving on time, that is, before the show starts just to set the studio and see if there is anything that needs to be fixed. Other than this I can say that I am still satisfied with the way things have been going (in terms of getting the uMthathi people to do the show) because I feel as if we are still pushing regardless of the flaws.

In all honesty I still do not feel that much connected to the project. For instance I think we need to create jingles for the show, just to give it a lively feel, maybe we can also create stings. Another thing is time, I do not think the time we have for the show is enough. I say this because I have noticed that we get about three callers in a show and end up cutting others because of time. Nevertheless I believe these are matters beyond our control, the decisions have been made and therefore not much can be done to change them. On the other hand I think that I just have to be grateful and appreciative for the time we have been given because at first we did not even have a slot for the show.

I really want this show to continue even after we have left, and this is why we are planning on taking two of the Radio Grahamstown presenters with us to one of the uMthathi gatherings. So that they will get an idea of what the project is all about. And we hope that they will be encouraged to carry on with the show even after we have left. These presenters will not only observe but report about the project. We hope to leave a healthy relationship between these presenters and the heads of the project once we let go of the handle bars of the bicycle. I find this show very educational and therefore very important for Grahamstown citizens and the surrounding areas. This I have gathered during the shows, the questions that people ask and the advices that some of them give. I believe that through this show there are gaps that can be closed there are bridges and connections that can be made by both the project administrators and the greater Grahamstown citizens.

 

At the end of the day we are there to facilitate social change, and we do this through broadcasting. That is, we allow and give platform and space for sharing of ideas by both the leaders and ordinary citizens- sharing of ideas and discussion of issues. I see therefore this show as a platform through which citizens are given a chance to speak out but in this case about gardening and its importance. If then the relationship between the presenters and the umthathi project can be maintained I believe it would not be easy for the station to let go. This is what we must start working on, building and creating a relationship between the two. Most importantly we have ran the idea past Xoliswa and she appreciated it. Only sky is the limit, I believe we just have to keep on keeping on, and keep on pushing and it shall be well.

UMTHATHI, AIMING FOR THE STARS

Well, I have written and continue to write about my experiences and observations in working with uMthathi Training Project but who are these people? What is the project all about? At first it was not easy for me to write more about the project because I had just started working with them. However now I do have a clear idea and understanding of the project. Follow me as I paint to you a picture of the project and people who make it possible.

As mentioned above, this project consists of different members who have different responsibilities. One of the active members in this project is Xoliswa Mbewu-Maaotla, she is the project’s administrator; she is passionate about her job and very dedicated to what she is doing. Having worked with her closely in the past few weeks, I have observed that she wants everyone (from Grahamstown) to know about the project. I have seen this through the way she so wanted the show to be aired on Radio Grahamstown. She is always able to explain the different things that they do. I have no doubt that she is a good administrator! She is an interesting woman to work with and she knows what she wants in order for this project to be a success. Moreover she is not afraid to say how she feels about a particular thing. For instance, after one of the Friday radio shows, she came to us and said, “I do not like the way today’s presenter pronounced our names, she sounded unprofessional to me”.

Another member of the project is Sicelo Dyirha, he is the community liaison officer at UMthathi Training project. Sicelo works closely with Xoliswa; they are always together in meetings and they were together again on Friday for the show. Other members include Xolani Mountain, he mainly works with schools, and he is a facilitator in schools, teaching children how to have a sustainable garden using natural resources. He basically teaches about the importance of gardening in and around Grahamstown.

Zolani Zondani is also one of the facilitators and his area of specialization is to teach people about indigenous plants. He teaches in schools and in different communities.   He is also responsible for the nursery, he oversees it. These are the members of Umthati that I have been introduced to and the ones that I have worked closely with. There are, however, also other facilitators who work in different communities, in and around Grahamstown. They also teach about the importance of gardening, and other things like ‘how to make compost’ and ‘how to make home remedies’.

This is a project aimed at improving peoples’ lives, and I find it relevant to the Radio course that I am currently doing, that is, audio production for social change. Social change which can simple be defined as “shifts in the attitudes and behaviour that characterizes a society” (Greenwood, 2008:4). We therefore use radio (technology) as a medium which has a potential of changing peoples’ lives. In this case this is possible through the shows to be broadcast on Radio Grahamstown during the course of this semester and the next term. It would be great if this show can continue even after we have left. This is what we are aiming to do because for now we want to take two of Radio Grahamstown presenters to the umthathi project so that they can see how they operate and how they do things.

The uMthathi training project’s vision is to change people’s lives through education. They do this through educating people about the importance of gardening and about how this skill can help improve their lives. I think this is important because education is a tool through which people are able to advance themselves and their communities. This, according to Xoliswa Mbewu-Maaotla is the vision that this project has.  The mission that the uMthathi workers share is as follows, “to address the effects of poverty, inequality and unemployment by mobilizing human and material resources in a way that is environmentally sustainable, and which promotes self-sufficiency and responsibility”.

I am learning a lot through working with the project. For instance the tower and the keyhole garden are new to me; they are things that I have never heard of. That is why I am very happy that we finally managed to get a slot for the show at Radio Grahamstown on Fridays because I believe people will also get to know the project and what it is about. Listeners will get a chance to call in and ask questions. This has happened last Friday, about three people called in to ask questions. This does not only help the listeners but also help the project to gain publicity as well. On Friday while I was listening to Xoliswa and Sicelo introducing the show, I was very happy and even happier when Thenjiswa Nkosinkulu, the show presenter, opened the lines for the callers to ask questions or to comment.

Things are finally getting together.  Big up to Jeanne du Toit, a representative for the School of Journalism and Media studies at Rhodes, Phumlani Wayi, radio Grahamstown Station Manager, for making the slot for the show possible.

The uMthathi community project offices are situated at the Umthathi House (Extension 7 Nursery- Sophia town) in Grahamstown.