The new director of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown has taken office about 20 years after he staged his first production at the annual event. Ismail Mahomed is an accomplished playwright, theatre director and arts administrator. His work has been staged in Chile, Denmark, Germany and the United States, but remains firmly rooted in South Africa’s art and culture sector.
“Working for the National Arts Festival has got to be one of the dream jobs for anyone in the arts industry,” Mahomed said. “It’s an event which takes the pulse of the state of the country’s arts every year and plays an important role in pushing boundaries and giving our artists a great platform on which to express themselves.”
Until his move to Grahamstown he was employed as the senior cultural specialist at the US Consulate in Johannesburg. Prior to that he was director of the Witbank Civic Theatre in Mpumalanga.
He has coordinated several arts festivals and is included in two publications. He has also won awards including one for theatrical excellence from the South African Institute for Theatre Technology and an Arts Administrator of the Year Award from the Arts and Culture Trust.
How old are you?
I have just turned 49.
How do you earn your living?
I am the festival director designate of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. I assumed this post on May 1… I (originally) started my career as a mathematics and science teacher but drifted into the arts.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Newclare, but spent my early childhood years in Volksrust in Mpumalanga. At the age of six we moved to Johannesburg but, in terms of the Group Areas Act, were relocated to Lenasia.
Which schools and university did you attend?
I attended the Model Primary School and the Trinity Secondary School in Lenasia. Thereafter I enrolled at the Transvaal College of Education for a teacher’s diploma and later studied through Unisa. I am currently studying towards an MBA.
Which year(s) did you start your education?
I started my primary school education in 1963. My secondary school in 1970 and matriculated in 1976. The incidents in Soweto in 1976 impacted in the way I was able to reflect on my education. I started tertiary education in 1977 and have never stopped studying.
Did you have a favourite teacher?
In primary school my favourite teacher was Mrs Rampersadh. At Secondary School, I liked Mr Yusuf Cajee and Mr Suleiman Sujee.
Why were you so fond of them?
I loved these teachers because they were fair and they were passionate about their responsibility as teachers. Mrs Rampersadh rewarded creative thinking and she encouraged individuality. Mr Yusuf Cajee was brutally honest but always showed a great deal of empathy to every situation. Mr Sujee was a very good administrator and a perfectionist. These are teachers who placed value on their profession and they realised the role that they could play in shaping the future of the students in their care.
How did they influence you?
I think a large part of my social and political consciousness was influenced by these teachers. Largely, because each of them had such strong personalities to which I was attracted. As a young child I was always conscious about fair play, individuality and responsibility. These teachers embodied those qualities.
What were your favourite subjects and why?
I realised early on in my career that I wanted to be in the arts. Unfortunately, the Indian education system did not offer arts education other than a two period non-exam subject. I looked forward to these classes. Other than that, I loved the language classes.
From your point of view, what are the qualities of a good teacher?
A good teacher is one who embraces the profession with passion and integrity and who realises that the manner in which the future of our country is shaped is influenced by the quality of education that they offer to students in their care.
What should a teacher never do/say?
A teacher should never say anything that would humiliate or break down the morale of a learner. A teacher should look at every learner and silently ask the question: “What can I do to make this student be the next star in the career that the learner will ultimately follow?”
What message do you have for teachers in South Africa?
Even though the profession does not enjoy the respect that it deserves, teachers are a valuable part of our society. We definitely deserve to give them so much more respect and in the same vein teachers have an enormous responsibility to earn our respect.