The theme this year was Silent Youth Voices, and all speakers emphasized the need for this generation to make their voices heard and take responsibility for their actions.
Artscape CEO, Marlene le Roux encouraged the audience to recognize differences among themselves and shared what needs to be done in the future to bring about social cohesion, nation building and inclusiveness.
“Now is the time to think, feel and act differently,” said Le Roux.
CPUT alumnus Toni Stuart, who is a fulltime poet, told the audience that she gets paid to write, perform and teach poetry.
Stuart said her poetry comes from silence. “If there’s no silence we won’t hear others’ voices as well as our own.”
A group of Office Management and Technology (OMT) students, whose story was called Youth Voices, received the award for the Best Digital StoryTelling Video and walked away with certificates.
Charlton Gary Brandt was selected as the Pay It Forward 2016 Champion for the volunteering he has done and continues to do in the community.
All first year OMT students have to engage in the Pay It Forward Project which is linked to the curriculum.
“Students are selected from each class to receive a merit award, based on their engagement with communities, the professionalism they display, the time periods they volunteer as well as feedback from the organizations at which they volunteer. It is imperative that students volunteer their services and in so doing, assist in uplifting communities. Education is not about one person being advantaged, it is about communities being the beneficiaries, ” says OMT senior lecturer Mandie Richards.
