World AIDS Day gala concert honours HIV/AIDS work

The concert will commemorate the 20th World AIDS Day globally, with the Western Cape provincial government as the Africa Centre's partner. The concert is seen as the anchor event of the provincial government, and will be attended by Premier Ebrahim Rasool. It is also supported by UNAIDS, globally the main advocate for accelerated action regarding HIV and AIDS, and will be attended by Mr Michel Sidibe, director of country and regional support.

The involvement of these institutions from the spheres of education, government and worldwide advocacy ties in well with the 2007 theme for World AIDS Day, namely leadership, which highlights the need for innovation and perseverance in the face of the HIV and AIDS challenge.

Overall World AIDS Day is run by the World AIDS Campaign, with the umbrella slogan "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise". This is an appeal to governments, policymakers and regional health authorities to ensure that they meet the targets set in the action against HIV and AIDS. The campaign will run until 2010, with a relevant theme chosen for World AIDS Day each year.

The programme for the evening will be varied, with dance performances, comedy, classical, adult contemporary and gospel music. Professor Jimmie Earl Perry, director of educational theatre and creative arts at the Africa Centre's community mobilisation arm, the Africa Institute for HIV/AIDS Management, will not only be performing, but is also the director and producer. Jimmie has an impressive performance repertoire as singer, dancer and actor, having been cast in well-known musicals all over the world. He has also appeared in local TV shows, and on 28 December he will be the featured guest artist in the popular musical games show Noot vir Noot. Through his work at the Africa Institute, Jimmie now uses his knowledge and experience to educate people about HIV/AIDS.

All the artists, who include multi-talented comedian, writer and actor Soli Philander as master of ceremonies, are involved because they want to make a contribution in the battle against the pandemic. “This event is a platform for those involved to voice and move for expressing their desire to inform, teach and motivate others to become involved for the good of their communities and families,” says Jimmie.

The other performing artists include the Dance for All Youth Company, the music group Kunjalo, the Mike Campbell Orchestra, comedian David Levinsohn and singers Verity and Rouchelle Liedemann. A short awards ceremony to honour remarkable people working in the field of HIV/AIDS forms part of the programme.

The gala concert on World AIDS Day will be preceded by two community mobilisation concerts, also in partnership with the Western Cape government. Apart from performances by Jimmie, Kunjalo and the Africa Institute's drama group, the events will offer people the opportunity to have themselves tested for HIV, with pre- and post-test counselling. The first concert takes place in Grabouw on Monday, 26 November, followed by another on 28 November in Worcester.

The institute's educational theatre interventions want to stimulate behaviour change through music, dance and drama aimed at improving audience's HIV and AIDS related knowledge and attitudes. As Professor Jan Du Toit, director of the Africa Centre, says: “A university cannot only teach and do research – we also have a responsibility towards the community.”

But the Africa Centre is also a fully-fledged academic institution that focuses on academic programmes and research, apart from community mobilisation. It offers world-class postgraduate courses on practical HIV/AIDS management. The Postgraduate Diploma in HIV/AIDS Management (PDM) and MPhil are the most comprehensive programmes of this kind in the world. These courses make a significant contribution in reducing the personal, social and economic consequences of HIV/AIDS. Students of the centre also do groundbreaking research about HIV/AIDS in a diverse range of sectors.

The centre and institute truly live out their philosophy of being instrumental in social transformation and in overcoming the burdens of the past. Activities such as the World AIDS Day gala concert bring hope to a nation hard hit by HIV and AIDS, and reflect the serious view the Africa Centre takes on its work: honouring those who share their passion causes and believe HIV and AIDS can be overcome, step by step.

• Attendance of the WAD concert is by invitation only, but tickets can be requested form Bianca Farao at 021 808 3006 or Burt Davis at 021 808 3707.

Further information: Amelia Burger, 021 914 4336, 082 824 8440, info@wordworx.net

Contacts:
• Prof Jan du Toit, director of the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management: 021 808 3004,
083 626 3082, jbdt@sun.ac.za
• Prof Jimmie Earl Perry, director of educational theatre and creative arts of the Africa Institute for HIV/AIDS Management: 021 808 3707, 082 493 6052, jep@sun.ac.za