Nonhlanhla Hadebe, who was a mentor participated in the British Council’s Power in the Voice Programme in 2006, will be performing at the Sibikwa Arts Centre Storytelling Festival in Benoni, South Africa.

Sibikwa Arts Centre is a nongovernmental organisation which uses drama to raise social and political issues.

Power in the Voice was a three-year British Council project which set out to enable young people in Southern Africa and the UK to find their voices and express themselves under the guidance of international performance poets, rap artists and storytellers.

For Hadebe, the programme was a wonderful opportunity to learn and to teach students about her love for storytelling.

She says the enthusiasm from the students was unbelievable.

‘From the first day that we came as mentors they were so eager to learn. They were ready to explore and learn more.’

Hadebe also learnt a lot herself.

‘I met people from different walks of life and cultures,’ she adds. ‘I never thought that storytelling, rap and poetry could be fused into one thing.’

The programme gave her the freedom to express herself in ways she had not previously considered.

‘As human beings we need to be heard, so express yourself and make your inner voice heard. Power in the Voice gave us (mentors) a platform to do that.

‘Power in the Voice opened my mind to other forms of expression. At first I was very wary of rap as I thought that it was all about swearing and skanky chicks - but spending time with rappers who were mentors, I realised that they were actually telling stories and that opened my mind to them.’

Hadebe writes stories about her surroundings and her interactions in her everyday life.

She has previously worked with people from Sibikwa Arts Centre attending their learnership programme drama classes, so she says going back to perform at the storytelling festival is an honour and privilege for her.

‘To me it will be like a comeback and I am really excited and looking forward to performing with past colleagues.’

If you are an aspiring storyteller, Hadebe advises you to do it whole-heartedly.

‘It’s important to love storytelling. If you are not in it for the love of it, then it is pointless. Read, listen and observe more; then you will have more stories to tell,’ she says.

In future Hadebe would like to write a book with her own stories in it and become South Africa’s best storyteller.

You can read more about what the British Council does in Africa, as well as scheduled upcoming events. The British Council works in 23 countries across Africa. To find out more about Sibikwa Arts Centre Performing Arts Festival, click here.