Drama For Life (DFL) Festival goes National

So let’s jet back to 1991 when ‘Salt ‘n Pepa’ released a song titled ‘Let’s talk about Sex’ from their ‘Blacks Magic’ album. They doubted that it would be played on the radio but took a bold step and their song became a number one hit across the world. The most whispered word in history, made waves as heads bopped and bodies rocked to the song, proclaiming that S.E.X existed, and so the chorus went…

“Let's talk about sex, baby
Let's talk about you and me
Let's talk about all the good things
And the bad things that may be
Let's talk about sex
Let's talk about sex
Let's talk about sex
Let's talk about sex…”

Drama for Life (DFL) is an innovative training and development programme initiated by the Dramatic Arts Division (DODA) of the University of the Witwatersrand, and whilst the world has made Africa their destination this year through the 2010 FIFA World Cup, DFL have turned the lens to the heart of Africa and taken snap shots of people young and old, their lives, circumstances, stories, disease, famine, education, health and zoomed in even further to explore Africa’s diversity about sex.DFL uses the performing and visual arts as the vehicle of exchange to allow real stories to be told.

“Let's talk about sex for now to the people at home or in the crowd
It keeps coming up anyhow
Don't decoy, avoid, or make void the topic
Cuz that ain't gonna stop it
Now we talk about sex on the radio and video shows
Many will know anything goes
Let's tell it how it is, and how it could be
How it was, and of course, how it should be
Those who think it's dirty have a choice
Pick up the needle, press pause, or turn the radio off”

Nineteen years later since the release of that hit song, Drama for Life brings you the much anticipated 2010 Drama for Life Festival, creating a space to explore the realities, tragedies and opportunities to explore the theme ‘Sex Actually’ through performances, dance, workshops, poetry, exhibitions and interventions.

The festival takes place, for the first time across four cities in South Africa:

• Johannesburg -           21^st -28^th August 2010
• Cape Town -          09^th -11^th September 2010
• Pietermaritzburg -          15^th -16^th September 2010
• Durban -                                17^th -18^th September 2010.

“Hot to trot, make any man's eyes pop
She use what she got to get whatever she don't got
Fellas drool like fools, but then again they're only human
The chick was a hit because her body was boomin'
Gold, pearls, rubies, crazy diamonds
Nothin' she ever wore was ever common
Her dates heads of state, men of taste”

Drama for Life Festival will present works by PJ Sabbagna, Peter Hayes, DFL Playback Theatre, Bonfire, Tracey Human, Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre, UBOM amongst many others, and will host two other exciting projects, DFL Lover and Another National Poetry Competition and the Write for Life Project, in association with ANOVA’s HIV/Aids Media Project. The common aim is to promote knowledge about HIV/Aids, the realities of the pandemic and to seek innovative ways of communicating sex related issues.

“There ain't a man alive that she couldn't get next to
She had it all in the bag so she should have been glad
But she was mad and sad and feelin' bad
Thinkin' about the things that she never had
No love, just sex, followed next with a check and a note
That last night was dope”

‘Sex Actually’ is not about the eargasms of a hip hop song…

But about a unique cross-community HIV/Aids arts education, activist and therapeutic intervention.  Through the performing and visual arts, the festival seeks to speak to the soul of our nation. The Drama for Life Festival believes in a world of love, compassion and mutual respect, a world free from fear, discrimination and prejudice. This year’s theme focuses on renewed efforts in finding creative and sustainable ways of learning and building capacity in HIV/Aids education and prevention.

Drama for Life Festivals are presented with financial support from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Goethe-Institut, GTZ, DeD, Business and Arts South Africa , Arts and Culture Trust and the University of the Witwatersrand’s Transformation Office.