In this paper, Keorapetse Kgositsile argues that art and culture play a role in the struggle against Apartheid. Kgositsile, a poet and acclaimed writer, regards literature as being a key site of struggle. He suggests that literature "must serve the interests of the people in their fight against a culture which insists that they should be robbed". Kgositsile reflects on the contributions of literature to the struggle which he believes are both artistic and "functional" to the needs of the people.
What is the role of the visual artist in the struggle and how is it judged as "art"? Gavin Jantjes discusses how visual art should challenge the interiorisation of Western artistic evaluation (and its pressures on artistic quality) and rather appeal to instill in ones own community a meaningful interest in both their culture and art. He regards black artists as being sidelined on the global stage and urges artists to fight racism and eurocentricism in art.
"There is an undeniable responsibility of photographers in South Africa to use photography as a medium to establish a democratic country". The author argues that a sensitivity to everyday experiences is key to realising this responsibility. The paper deals with the "role of culture in photographic communication, the formation of our [South Africa's] resistance culture, our country's uniqueness and how this affects the level of awareness of people, the relevance of technique and the outlets for committed photography".
Keya Tomaselli proposes strategies for independent and radical cinema to grow in South Africa, especially considering the oppressive context of Apartheid. He argues for "Ter Cinema", a radical tradition of filmmaking which would create films for the oppressed majority. Tomaselli critiques a range of films and proposes new directions for filmmaking, starting with more engaged and radical film departments in universities. He reflects that cinema has often been called the "dream factory" and that "dreams are to be found in all levels of filmmaking, including those productions which set out to challenge the status quo".
What is a progressive song? In this paper entitled "Song and Struggle", Muff Andersson argues that musicians (primarily lyrical musicians) should write songs that "keep the cogs of the struggle moving on". This can be done through writing progressive songs or ensuring that a communities' consciousness is reflected in a song and its ideas.
The black writer holds a key position in liberating South Africa. Richard Rive believes that black writers personalise individual experience and that this plays a role in showing what society was, what it is and what it is heading towards. Rive argues that black writers owe allegiance to their own writing, their society and to their humanity.
In this paper, it is argued that the theatre of Athol Fugard very rarely engages with the experiences of the proleteriat and the oppressed. The author argues that while Fugard did manage to transcend racial categories in his early work and engaged extensively with the scene and identities of the black working classes, he has failed to consistently produce meaningful plays which engage these audiences.
There are two (duplicate) pamphlets that provide brief information advertising for both the Culture and Resistance Symposium and the Art Toward Social Development Exhibition. Included within the flyer is a schedule for the Culture and Resistance Symposium with the dates and main topics for each day, together with the registration form that had to be filled by all attendees. The exhibition is advertised as being comprehensive, dynamic and historic for people. The exhibition aimed at having open discussion with the artists about the direction of South African culture.
