| Abstrakt: |
The claim that music is a successful and effective tool for transforming situations of conflict has been strongly contested in the last decade. This article offers insight into a situation where poetry and music were used as a method of music-based conflict transformation using a contextualised ‘voice’ which had some degree of ‘success’, albeit for quite a small group of people. The context was the ‘Light from Darkness’ concert presented by the Rhodes University Chamber Choir in 2016 in the wake of, and in response to the rape crisis protests at the university. Using insights from critical pedagogy, the conductor of the choir allowed for a realignment of power dynamics so that the rehearsals and the concert itself were a product of the traumatised community, rather than an imposition from outside of it. Additionally, a power-sharing model ensured that the creative composition of a musical/ poetic piece by the choristers could address the concerns of the community directly. The article demonstrates that this type of conflict transformation occurs effectively in small groups with dynamic and flexible leadership teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
