by Gerrit Bester George Temba, an alum of the Tshwane University of Technology, won the Best Student Film award at the 2026 Joburg Film Festival for his film The Silent Inheritance . At the awards gala held at the Theatre on the Square in Sandton on Saturday, 7 March, the spotlight was shone on the bright future of the young and emerging talent that is driving South Africa’s film industry forward. The award recognises the exceptional standard of student entries, some of which

by Gerrit Bester The academic project at the TUT Faculty of Arts & Design maintains momentum with the latest Spotlight on Teaching & Learning session, New Programme Development & Accreditation , on 9 March. During the event, focusing on moving new qualifications from concept to approval, the facilitators, Dr Herman Botes (Acting Assistant Dean of Teaching and Learning) and Dr Priscilla Tshisikhawe Nesamvuni (Acting Director of Curriculum Development and Support), explained th

by Gerrit Bester Ngwato , a feature film directed and produced by Tumisho Mahlase, a lecturer in Motion Picture Production at TUT, will premiere at the Joburg Film Festival on Friday, 6 March. Without giving too much away, Ngwato , centred on identity, follows a father–son relationship. The story unfolds when the main character, Ngwato (portrayed by alumnus and part-time lecturer, Gifter Ngobebi), contemplates telling his father that his fiancé proposed and wants to marry him

Six new students added their voices to the Faculty of Arts and Design’s welcome event for first-years earlier this year, each sharing why they chose TUT as their academic home. Prof Nalini Moodley, Executive Dean, originally offered a prize of brunch for the best presentation, which sparked excitement. Inspired by the energy, however, Prof Moodley decided to mingle with all six students. She kept her promise and spent time informally with everyone on 4 March, connecting with

The Tshwane University of Technology’s Faculty of Arts and Design lit up in orange on Monday, 2 March, to spotlight Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and honour those affected with compassion and solidarity. The activation, Claiming Orange in Spaces , took place at the Heidehof Residence on the Arts Campus and kicked off a year-long series of monthly engagements for 2026. Each last Thursday of the month, the TUT community is invited to stand together in a visible, collective stance

ROTOCON has launched its fourth annual student wine label design competition in partnership with the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). The competition is open to undergraduate students in TUT’s Faculty of Arts & Design, Department of Visual Communication (Integrated Communication Design (ICD). A total of 57 students are participating this year. SA Litho Label Printers will again collaborate with ROTOCON by printing the winning label. Polyflex Premedia has joined the 202

by Gerrit Bester   Mellaney Roberts, lecturer in the Department of Fine and Studio Arts, TUT Faculty of Arts and Design, is the proud winner of the RDC Art Collection Award (also known as the RDC Acquisition Prize).   This prestigious annual prize was presented as part of the recent Investec Cape Town Art Fair by the RDC Property Group.   The award recognises an artist whose work aligns with the group's values of sustainability, community and innovation, offering them acquisi

by Gerrit Bester Dr Rostislava Pashkevitch-Ngobeni performed at the International Women’s Day celebrations in her native Bulgaria for the first time when she was just six years old. Now, she has been invited back to perform once more, this time as the headline act at a concert celebrating International Women's Day 2026. Dr Pashkevitch-Ngobeni, Head of the Department of Performing Arts at the Faculty of Arts and Design of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), vividly rec

Karendra Devroop, Professor of Music at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and a celebrated saxophonist, is on his way to Europe, where he will perform at two international concerts in March.   The first of these will take place in Udine, Italy, where he will perform with an orchestra, playing works by Astor Piazzolla that have been arranged by the internationally acclaimed composer and arranger Trino Jiménez from Venezuela.   Prof Devroop, who is based in the Departm

by Gerrit Bester Prof Nalini Moodley, Executive Dean of Tshwane University of Technology’s Faculty of Arts and Design, declared 2026 a year of collaboration, mobilising her constituency around a shared goal at the Faculty Forum. Prof Moodley outlined the Faculty’s strategic direction for 2026 on 20 February, highlighting exciting projects and how the Faculty will align its work with that of the strategy of the university. She also included a critical reflection on how the Fac

by Gerrit Bester The intricate relationship between music and identity among Indian communities in South Africa, particularly during and after apartheid, lies at the heart of the new book Raag Mala – Indian Voices in Apartheid South Africa (1900 – 1990) . Co-authored by Prof Chatradari Devroop, Research Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), the work offers an overview of existing research on music and Indian diasporic commu

The Faculty of Arts and Design is committed to continually elevating its teaching and learning offerings and this year’s inaugural Spotlight on Teaching and Learning session zoomed in on Best Practice in my TUTor modules.   This first session for 2026 on 9 February recognised the work of lecturers who have been creating high-quality learning experiences on my TUTor and provided a space for colleagues to benchmark their own modules,   learn practical approaches and share ideas

by Gerrit Bester Nestled on 24 Du Toit Street, the Tshwane University of Technology’s Arts Campus now buzzes with the energy of 516 first-year students. This year’s cohort was selected from a pool of over 10 000 applicants and is pursuing studies across Fine and Studio Arts, Interior Design, Performing Arts, Visual Communication and Fashion Design. On 6 February at noon, the students were officially welcomed to the Faculty of Arts and Design during a memorable welcome event.

The Department of Performing Arts at the Tshwane University of Technology’s Faculty of Arts and Design started 2026 on a high note.   It announced that two current students, Nolwazi Khumalo and Rorisang Sechele, and alumna Daniella Hart Rossouw competed in the qualifying round of UNISA’s International Voice Competition (Jazz Voice category). Sechele and Hart Rossouw, the latter having completed her Master’s degree in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, have since a

The call for papers for the forthcoming annual conference of the African Theatre Association (AfTA) closes on 2 February 2026 and interested participants are encouraged to submit their applications to present a paper, panel, performance, or poster (digital or printed). This year's conference will be hosted by the Department of Performing Arts, Faculty of Arts and Design, on the Tshwane University of Technology’s vibrant Arts campus from 8 – 10 July 2026. The theme of the 2026

Faculty of Arts and Design, third year, Performing Arts students, specialising in Theatre Arts and Design (lighting), attended training workshops presented by DWR Distribution. Focusing on the latest grandMA3  lighting software and console, this initiative aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry-standard practices by equipping students with hands-on experience using one of the world’s most powerful lighting control systems. The training covered key aspec

As the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) steps into 2026, the year has already been framed with a clear intention. The Executive Dean, Prof Nalini Moodley, has declared 2026 the Year of Collaboration  within the faculty, a call to deepen partnerships, expand international engagement and foreground collective knowledge-making across disciplines and borders. Fittingly, the departure of four Visual Communication students on an international

Claiming Orange in Spaces  launched on Friday, 5 December at the entrance of the Tshwane University of Technology’s Arts Campus.   This activation falls under the Research Niche Area: Artivism as a Tool to Combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and forms part of a series of activations that will continue into 2026. This community-engaged initiative invited communities to “claim orange” in shared spaces as a collective stance against GBV.   The first iteration took place on the Ar

by Gerrit Bester Zaworita Sekepe (22), a third-year Interior Design student at the Tshwane University of Technology’s Faculty of Arts and Design (Department of Interior Design), firmly believes that the kitchen is the heart of the home. She was recently named among the Top 5 finalists in this year’s student kitchen design project: Paving Your Way to a Future in Kitchen Design , by the Kitchen Specialists Association (KSA). Sekepe’s project earned her a four-month internship w

by Gerrit Bester As the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) unfold from 25 November to 10 December, the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) unveiled a powerful message: there is no room for violence against women and girls. A campus collage brings to life 100 tiles painted by delegates at the Faculty’s GBVF symposium, Canvas for Change: Creative Pathways to Eradicate Gender-Based Violence and Femicide,  he