CAPs Friday 09/10/09

By Jermain Ndhlovu

Coming from a country where a significant number of people shun local mainstream media, community media is one of the ways many organisation reach the masses. With the decline of the economy several years ago, so did entertainment services. Few people watch local television or listen to local radio. Read my comment (in a South African newspaper! Tells a story…) about the TV craze that has hit the country.

 

 

As I mentioned, community media is a way in which organisations try to make local content reach people. From free newsletters to free CDs, these do indeed fill the gap. That is why my CAP Listen2Youth (i.e. listen to youth) is my organisations way of reaching the people not only in promoting local arts but also as a way of using the arts to discuss social issues amongst the community which can be raising awareness – though I like to stress that raising awareness is not enough, generating discussion, influencing public opinion and changing attitudes.

 

 

Listen2Youth is a DVD as such and the point here is to for youth to give themselves a voice in social issues that they feel are affecting them. The DVD is meant to be entertaining as well as we wouldn’t want to doze off in boredom! So we began shooting a few weeks ago and it hasn’t  been anything but fun! Two great presenters Gilmore Moyo (a new Changemaker!) and Samantha Luiz have taken a natural liking to the camera, thought both insist they would never be actors because of the many takes I make them do in oder to get the right angle… Even I can be left drained as this is our first time doing video. All along we have been doing audio which is a piece of – erm cake! Of course shooting video wouldn’t be anything with out – lets just say a diva being late for a shoot or not showing up at all!

Tidbits of the DVD?

  • 16 year old Patience’s advice to young men: ‘don’t rush to be fathers when you don’t know the door to your classroom.
  • Khumbulani’s talk about youth and their ‘fondness of embracing foreign gods!’
  • Resta’s photography slide show of Zimbabwe.
  • Or the serenading sound of Soulfamilia who is has been billed as a cross between Seal and Lemar!

Watch this space when the Listen2Youth YouTube channel hits in November.