Buckland named Woman of the Year

Brian Hayward WEEKEND POST REPORTER haywardb@avusa.co.za

CELEBRATED Eastern Cape choreographer and drama teacher Janet Buckland was named overall Checkers Shoprite Woman of the Year at a glittering Cape Town ceremony on Thursday night, much to her surprise.

Buckland, who also won in the arts, culture and communications category, lives in Grahamstown with her theatre legend husband, Andrew. She said yesterday she was still in shock at being honoured with the prestigious award, which carried with it a R30000 cash prize.

She trumped fellow entrants such as Dr Veni Naidu, who left her lucrative career 10 years ago to research the economic and social impacts of HIV-Aids, and Prof Claire Penn, an internationally acknowledged scientist who was awarded the Order of Mapungubwe by President Thabo Mbeki last year.

“I haven‘t quite got over the shock and (at the ceremony) I had genuine speechlessness,” said Buckland. “There is an incredible scope with this award to boost the status of the arts in the Eastern Cape. The arts have an extraordinary healing ability within our communities.”

Buckland‘s award follows her initiation and creation of a significant number of successful arts and culture projects in impoverished communities across the province.

Two projects which stand out are the Ubom! drama company which started up in 2002 and takes drama into underprivileged areas, and the Amaphiko Dance Project, which involves more than 160 youngsters from the townships. Buckland is known as Mama J to the children she teaches drama to in Grahamstown‘s Joza township.

Woman of the Year event spokesman Patti Quinton said: “She (Buckland) combined her understanding of the value of the arts and particularly theatre in the lives of all South Africans with her skills as a performer, director, fundraiser and administrator to direct these projects over a number of years.”

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