Cape Town - As the nation braces for the last lap of 2021, creative minds and voices have lent their talents at the second iteration of Constellations.
In association with Third World Bunfight, the outdoor presentation was conceptualised to give guests a live and memorable experience under the stars and listen to stories that move the soul.
Among the musicians, poets, and storytellers is Malika Ndlovu, whose various poems have been shared across the world.
Performing one of her pieces, entitled “Light Portal”, Ndlovu said she hoped the poem would uplift and bring a sense of lightness to the guests.
“I wanted to create a piece that not only was uplifting, but will bring a sense of lightness, imagination and possibility. Whether it was talking about being instruments of light, full of love in order to heal and make peace for the sake of beautifying the world, or poems that are playful with imagination of a woman becoming a night butterfly, I wanted to be able to express myself in all kinds of human experiences that related to a channel or a portal of light,” said Ndlovu.
Having been a storyteller for more than 20 years, Ndlovu said that since her childhood, and leading up to now, poetry had been the centre of her identity and how she expressed herself.
“There’s an invisible web that connects all our lives, whether we deem it spiritual or energetic, random or destined. Since childhood and later, as a professional artist and poet, I recognised how central poetry has been to my identity and the complex terrain of life.
“Through poetry, I've been able to process experiences and translate it in a way that it unfolds around and within my personal life using a form of creative expression. Poetry has offered me ventilation, allowed deeper excavation and essential self-reflection. Poetry practice has been cleansing, restorative and a vital record-keeping of what I believe matters in the moment and during the time I have lived.
“Growing older, I can also see how this individual trajectory intersects and resonates with the vast matrix of more universal themes and human encounters. If I wanted to leave something behind, when I leave my body, it would be this and If these poems offer you even a brief shower of inspiration and and appreciation of your own life map, that would be enough,” said Ndlovu.
Up-and-coming poet Liza Scholtz will also be taking centre stage and sharing her extension of how she observes life, under the constellations around the bonfire with the guests.
“A lot of my pieces for Constellations centres around the unknown and having the courage to move in the direction that simultaneously calls us and scares us. To deepen our capacity to sit with that which is uncomfortable and also unknown within ourselves. I expose my own vulnerabilities and fear, and also my courage and defiance. At the bonfire, I would like for people to travel with me and hopefully feel less afraid and more curious and dare I say excited, about the unknown,” said Scholtz.
Constellations at Spier will run until 18 December 2021. In line with Covid-19 restrictions, advanced booking is advised.
Weekend Argus