Time Travel event on curriculum transformation, focused on History, 1995

Mental Time Travel at Freedom Park

Goal
Through artistic expression and spirituality reflect on challenges and problems in the community, to communicate dreams and hopes for the future, and find ways forward.

Specific
The problems/challenges are various problems of today and their historical causes, but it could also be a particular problematic event from the liberation struggle in the local community, that needs to be reconciled.

How to do it
The challenges/ problems, dreams and hopes will be expressed at Uitspanlek; the challenges/ problems will be mentioned and left at the Isivivane and the way forward addressed at the Lekogtla.

Preparations
The learners/community is prepared by recognizing and realizing the historical structure and recent history of their community. If there is a single event that needs to be reconciled this will be agreed upon between the school/ community and Freedom Park and historical knowledge will be handed over.
The learners and the community people come prepared for the Time Travel event at Freedom Park. Especially if it is a particular story in focus, there could be photos, news clips, items connected to the incidence.
If the group does not bring a particular story, Salvokop community will be used as the example. What are the needs and dreams of the community?

Key Questions
• Challenges and problems in the community
• Dreams and hopes for the future
• My own responsibility for the way forward

Time Travel program
1. Introduction, Uitspanlek, 15 min
The group gathers at Uitspanlek, short presentations and background
When focusing on Salvokop, view the area and the physical features of today and the past
The rules of the Time Travel event are mentioned

2. Remember and communicate, problems and dreams, Uitspanlek, 60 min
Expressing challenges/problems in the own community, presenting hopes and dreams or Remembering and expressing the historic problematic event from the struggle
The program starts with a short story giving a clear moral, connected to the program, maybe a song as well. This is the initiation ceremony of the program. (4 min)

The learners and adults are divided into four groups/ activities, expressing challenges and dreams or the story/problem from the community, one leader in each group (45 minutes)
• Visual artists: Make illustrations/ symbols on big paper sheets
• Spoken word artists: Chanting/ poetry/ rap/ prayers
• Song and dance artists: Songs and dances
• Politicians: written words and speeches
Each group starts with identifying the problems of today and the hopes for the future and put it on paper. After that they decide how to express it in an image, in a poem/prayer, in a song/ dance or a speech.

Performances (15 min)
The problems/challenges and dreams are presented by the participants in illustrations, poems, rap, prayer, speeches, songs and dances.

The group walks to the Isivivane in a respectful way, before the walk the protocol of the Isivivane is clarified, 10 min

3. Cleansing and healing ceremony, reconciliation, Isivivane, 15 min
Just before the Isivivane everybody start singing Senzeni or similar song. At the Isivivane the rules of the place are repeated; everybody takes part in the ceremony; the shoes are taken off. When everybody is ready, the participants walk together to the Isivivane, either singing or in complete silence, stand in a circle around the Lesaka holding hands.
The healing ceremony includes: a/presenting the problem to the ancestors/spirits/gods by the leader; b/ 3-4 participants say a poem, short speech, illustration, prayer; c/the leader summarizes, say that they bring and leave the problems/problematic event here, in order to reconcile; d/ the words/promise is sealed by holding hands, maybe lifting them high and a moment of silence. End with a common song

4. Way forward, the future, Lekogtla, 10 min
The group sits down at the Lekogtla and discusses what they as individuals and a group will bring back to the community to contribute to the healing and to make the dreams come true. Start with two-and-two reflections on small practical, realistic things each one can do. Then talk together, my own responsibility
Ending ceremony

The group walks to Uitspanlek.

Time Plan
08.00 Preparation of the site
08.30 Gathering at Uitspanlek
09.00 Welcome, introduction, presentation, background
09.15 Story teller initiation
09.20 Artistic activities in four groups
10.00 Performance, poems, songs, speeches, illustrations etc
10.15 Walk to the Isivivane
10.25 Healing ceremony at Isivivane
10.40 Discussion the way forward at the Lekgotla
10.50 Walk back to Uitspanlek
11.00 End

28 October 2014
Ebbe Westergren, Kalmar läns museum/ Bridging Ages
Jabulani Phelago, Freedom Park

Last updated: 2017-07-03 14:22:49