Trek is primarily an Afrikaans word, though also found in English writing, meaning either "pull", "move house" or "move away", and 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 Boer families (referred to as Voortrekkers, i.e.. "leading trekkers") who fled the British colony of the Cape, to seek new homes in the hinterland. (See the entry on The Great Trek)

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

Not to be confused with the American film Trek: The Movie (2018)[1]

Trek - the arts journal

Published fortnightly in Afrikaans and English, it was 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 Jacques Malan was the editor. In 1947, the journal merged with S.A. Opinion (also known as South African Opinion), hoping to combine what was best in both publications.

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[2]

Trek by Gaerin Hauptfleisch and Strijdom van der Merwe

Trek is site-specific[3] 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.