WSU EMPLOYEE SERVES IN COMFESA

Senior Student Development Practitioner at WSU’s Butterworth campus, Nombulelo Khanyisile Blaai, has been designated to serve as Administrative Secretary in the management committee of the national structure of Choral, Opera, and Orchestral Music Federation of South Africa (COMFESA).

COMFESA is a structure formed to deal with the plight of Choral artists, composers and choirs following the national lockdown brought on by Covid-19.

Seeing the devastation caused by Covid-19 in the arts, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture requested for an organized structure for the choral and opera sector, after which the department provided funding for the formation of COMFESSA.

Blaai was part of the sessions and engagements which led to the launch of the Federation, and ultimately her designation to administrative secretary.

“As a practitioner in Student Development, this talks directly to my role in the Creative Arts space and to the development of an aspiring artist. It is an exciting and an overwhelming experience to work with different characters and people outside the higher education space,” said Blaai.

Blaai, who is passionate about empowering young people in and outside of her professional standing, is a member of the Provincial Executive of Eastern Cape Choral Music Association (ECMA), to which WSU Choirs belong and participate in.

“The sector is full of unemployed graduates who have qualifications in various fields like music and art. We invited all instrumentalists, singers, musicians in this creative space to audition to be part of the ensemble selected to be part of the choir, where they were trained and paid a weekly stipend,” said Blaai.

The national Department of Sport, Arts, and, Culture gives the federation funding for 3 provinces to work in each financial year.

With the COMFESA project moving from province to province, WSU students in music will also be able to grab the opportunity and be part of the project to get more learning and development.

“I am grateful to have been part of this life changing experience, and appreciate the support that Department of Sports, Arts & Culture to assist artists who are vulnerable and devastated due to Covid19 lockdown regulations,” concluded Blaai.

By Mandlakazi Khekhezwa