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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Narrating Voices
Mr Mangaliso Jafta
Azola Krweqe
Ms Nobuhle James
Mrs Nokhaya Jilingisa
Mama Phakani
Zizo Ntukushe
Visual & Video Contributors
Azola Krweqe
Sibabalwe Makeleni
Community Contributors
The James Family – ooXaba
Mrs Kutazwa James
Mrs Nokugcina James (special thanks for the recording of umsebenzi kaMnu. Luphumlo James)
Mrs Ludidi
Ms Phumla James
Ms Nobuhle James
Willowvale Makers Co-op
Kholiswa Magidi
Theko Theo Yinindwa
Philiswa Matutu
Nwabisa Mahlaleshushu
Miranda Siwlabeni
Youth Participants
Zintle Bonakele
Vuyokazi Mncono
Lethu Jilingisi
Nokubonga Hawu
Lisakhanya Poni
Yolande Tskane
Liyabona Ntshobodwana
Buyiswa Beauty Nduwe
Community yakuGatyana
Cebisa Magoqoza
Mzukisi Nketshu
Thando Madwantsi
Thobile Tsutsu
Sikelela Thobigunya
Neliswa Bambintala
Miranda Sihlangu
And the broader community at large
Special thanks to:
Azola Krweqe
Lukhanyo Muluse
Locations Referenced
Willowvale Arts Center, kuGatyane
James Family Home – Elukhanyisweni, eQumbu, eMdeni
Mr & Mrs James’ Residence – Highbury, Umtata
James Residence – Walmer Road Lodge, Beacon Bay, East London
Ngumla Family Home – eGcibala, Tsomo
Mpintsha Family Home – Nkanga, Willowvale
Buffalo City Municipality
Production Team
Executive Producer: Bongani Tau
Curator & Editor: Siviwe James
Content Advisor: Sihle Sogaula
Graphic Design: 2DOTS Space Agency
Video & Sound Editing: Siviwe James
Text: Siviwe James
Xhosa Language Advisor: Ms Nobuhle James
Digital Archiving Support
Art Meets App
Institutional Support
Eastern Cape Department of Sports, Arts and Culture
UN/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
