Trek

Trek is primarily an Afrikaans word meaning either "pull", "move house" or "move away", though also found in English writing. It has been used in various ways in South Africa.

In the last sense it is perhaps remembered best for the so-called Great Trek ("Groot Trek") of 1838, which refers to the exodus of numerous pioneering Boer families (referred to as Voortrekkers, i.e.. "leading trekkers") who fled the British colonial rule in the Cape Colony, to seek new homes in the hinterland of Southern Africa. (See the entry on The Great Trek)

Specifically regarding theatre, film, media and performance, there have been publications as well as plays and films.

Trek - the arts journal

Published fortnightly in Afrikaans and English, it was originally a left-leaning bi-monthly critical review, containing articles on politics, economic affairs, art and literature, published in Cape Town by Independent Publ. Co., 1939-1952. From 1939 to 1944 it was edited by Jacques Malan and in 1947 the journal merged with S.A. Opinion (also known as South African Opinion), hoping to combine what was best in both publications, though fFrom 1950 onwards, the new Trek would focus exclusively on literary-cultural issues rather than political matters. The new publication lasted till 1952.

Subtitles for Trek varied over the years, e.g.: "The family magazine for all South Africans, 1939- ; "A critical monthly review," -December 1949; "A South African literary monthly," January 1950-

Sources

SACat, a union catalogue of items held by Southern African libraries.

Article by John Kannemeyer published in Die Burger, 16 February 2008.

Corinne Sandwith. 1998. The Moment of Trek: Literary and Political Criticism in the South African Periodical Press, 1941-1947. Current Writing 10, I: 18-38.

Corinne Sandwith. 2008. "The work of cultural criticism: re-visiting the South African opinion" in Alternation No 15, pp 38 - 70[1]

Trek by Gaerin Hauptfleisch and Strijdom van der Merwe

Trek is site-specific[2] environmental performance piece by Gaerin Hauptfleisch (text) and Strijdom van der Merwe (design and installations).

The title in the piece refers to the various meaning of the Afrikaans word "trek", i.e. "pull" (as opposed to "push"), "move away", "move house", even "travel to new worlds" (as in "pioneer"), etc. Dealing with issues of the new South Africa,

Devised for specific production in the open air at the old motor racing track outside Oudtshoorn, and performed at the KKNK in 2006.

Sources

https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaerin_Hauptfleisch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strijdom_van_der_Merwe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Site-specific_theatre

Review by Gerrit Brand, Die Burger, 10 April 2006.

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