Bonus: Incoko nomboniso kuGatyana
On 25 August 2023, the UN/FOLDING_RE/FOLDING_FOLDED: Imiphindo kwaXhosa production team returned kuGatyana to host a listening session with the podcast’s co-authors and their community. What began as a simple gesture of return became a deeply felt gathering — an act of sonic repair and collective affirmation. The day reminded us that the most powerful forms of cultural work are not just heard, but held, felt, and shared.Guided by Willowvale Arts Center (W.A.C) Manager Lukhanyo Muluse and curator Azola Krweqe, the session reignited a shared sense of purpose and underscored W.A.C’s role as a site of cultural anchoring and intergenerational exchange. Since its founding in 2008 by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, W.A.C has provided artists and thinkers in Mbhashe Municipality with space to gather, imagine, and grow creative economies rooted in place and people.Opening the day, Mama Phakani led with a prayer — not as performance, but as portal. Her voice, spirit, and presence grounded the gathering in ubuntu, creating a space where ancestors, elders, and youth could all breathe, listen, and be listened to.Reflecting on the moment, Lukhanyo shared:“The contemporary art scene in South Africa is not easy to navigate — it’s filled with inequalities that leave Black and marginalized people on the outskirts. This is felt tenfold at the Centre, which exists within a community that faces inadequate service delivery, minimal support from those in power, and rural development that often sidelines arts and culture. Even though these challenges are part of our everyday, we must keep pushing and doing the work we are called to do. Engaging with the podcast reminded us of this necessary work.”These words affirm that Imiphindo kwaXhosa does more than produce listenable content — it restores and regenerates cultural energy, filling gaps in our archives and reweaving the fabric of shared knowledge. Held with care, sound can return us to ourselves.CLOSING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSNarrating VoicesMr Mangaliso JaftaAzola KrweqeMs Nobuhle JamesMrs Nokhaya JilingisaMama PhakaniZizo NtukusheVisual & Video ContributorsAzola KrweqeSibabalwe MakeleniCommunity ContributorsThe James Family – ooXabaMrs Kutazwa JamesMrs Nokugcina James (special thanks for the recording of umsebenzi kaMnu. Luphumlo James)Mrs LudidiMs Phumla JamesMs Nobuhle JamesWillowvale Makers Co-opKholiswa MagidiTheko Theo YinindwaPhiliswa MatutuNwabisa MahlaleshushuMiranda SiwlabeniYouth ParticipantsZintle BonakeleVuyokazi MnconoLethu JilingisiNokubonga HawuLisakhanya PoniYolande TskaneLiyabona NtshobodwanaBuyiswa Beauty NduweCommunity yakuGatyanaCebisa MagoqozaMzukisi NketshuThando MadwantsiThobile TsutsuSikelela ThobigunyaNeliswa BambintalaMiranda SihlanguAnd the broader community at largeSpecial thanks to:Azola KrweqeLukhanyo MuluseLocations ReferencedWillowvale Arts Center, kuGatyaneJames Family Home – Elukhanyisweni, eQumbu, eMdeniMr & Mrs James’ Residence – Highbury, UmtataJames Residence – Walmer Road Lodge, Beacon Bay, East LondonNgumla Family Home – eGcibala, TsomoMpintsha Family Home – Nkanga, WillowvaleBuffalo City MunicipalityProduction TeamExecutive Producer: Bongani TauCurator & Editor: Siviwe JamesContent Advisor: Sihle SogaulaGraphic Design: 2DOTS Space AgencyVideo & Sound Editing: Siviwe JamesText: Siviwe JamesXhosa Language Advisor: Ms Nobuhle JamesDigital Archiving SupportArt Meets AppInstitutional SupportEastern Cape Department of Sports, Arts and CultureUN/FOLDING_RE/FOLDING_FOLDED: Imiphindo kwaXhosa © 2023 Created and produced by Siviwe James (James-Laurie) With support from the African Fashion Research Institute (AFRI) and Creative Nestlings Foundation, under the New Narratives Programme (2023).Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
South Africa