On the streets of Athlone, Cape Town, boys grow up idolizing neighbourhood gangsters standing on street corners and jump at the chance to become one of them – a township celebrity. Grant Porthen was one of those boys. For his mother, Sharon, tough love was the only answer. Eventually she was forced to give up on her son. Grant endured prison, the wrath of the Numbers gang and crystal meth addiction leading to the collapse of his thriving drug empire. Close to Home documents the changing relationship between Grant and Aunty Sharon through the years. Their determination to stay connected through separation and pain explores the deeper meaning of love and family. Production by Rhea MacDonald, Laura Skippers & Louise Fuller School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University

Report by Louise Fuller, Rhea MacDonald, Kelly Kilian School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University Women have to accept that living with breasts is a risk that can’t be ignored. 1 in 27 women in South Africa will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. As if the diagnosis isn’t difficult enough, the decisions that come afterwards can be even more emotionally debilitating. Gillian Rennie shares her story about dealing with breast cancer and why she made the decision not to undergo reconstructive surgery.

There’s quite a lot of attention given to what happens to boys who grow up without fathers, but there is growing research that suggests that girls are affected just as much, if not more. Nash Skosana never thought her father’s absence affected her that much. She weighs her feelings and remembers what life was like without a father around. Production by Rhea MacDonald School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University

'Ashes' presented by Rust Co-Operative, examines homophobia and violence against gay people in South Africa. Cuetube speaks to Philip Rademeyer, the writer and director, and Jason Jacobs an actor, about the production at the National Arts Festival. South Africa’s constitution was the first in the world to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and the fifth country in the world (the first in Africa) to legalise same-sex marriage. Despite this, homosexuals living in South Africa face social stigma and homophobic violence."Ashes" examines these issues by exploring the life of a young gay man in South Africa and the challenges he faces trying to find a place in society where he feels safe and accepted. Report by Rhea MacDonald & Louise Fuller School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University

When alcohol abuse becomes part of family life, the combination can be disastrous. Watch 14-year-old Sethu, as she tackles the emotional impact of her mother’s alcoholism and abandonment. She wants to tell the world about the dangers of alcohol abuse and goes undercover to expose the troubling reality of easy-access to alcohol by minors in her community. Production by Rhea MacDonald & Siphosethu Pilisani See more at www.25voices.org This film is a collaboration between a third year television student at the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University and a learner from the Upstart Youth Development Project in Grahamstown, 2014.

Physical theatre piece, Inqindi, isiXhosa for ‘fist’, is an expression of one black woman’s struggle to form her identity while being surrounded by negative representations of what it means to be black and female. Black female bodies have historically been represented in negative ways by people of other races. Theatre is one discipline where black women have reclaimed their bodies and fought back against stereotypes and reductions imposed upon them. Cuetube speaks to choreographer Nomcebisi Moyikwa and performer Fezokuhle Mthonti about the challenges faced by black women in theatre and what to do to move from representations that do not show the multitude of black female identities. Report by Louise Fuller, Rhea MacDonald & Sanele Ntshingana School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University

People living with disabilities are often side-lined or ignored and are usually noticed more for their differences than the shared commonalities like falling in love, sibling fights or wondering what to do with our lives. "In the Wings" at the National Arts Festival 2015 deals with a young woman who is living with cerebral palsy and the issues she confronts. CueTube speaks to director Philip Rademeyer, actress Danieyella Rodin and Thembelihle Ngcai, a student at Rhodes University living with muscular dystrophy. We ask why this drama is important, the challenges it brings to light and who has the right to represent disabled bodies. With disabled people so underrepresented in the arts and the media we explore what it is like to be disabled and the importance of disabled people telling their own stories. Report by Rhea MacDonald & Louise Fuller School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University

Trailer of 24 minute documentary On the streets of Athlone, Cape Town, boys grow up idolizing neighbourhood gangsters standing on street corners and jump at the chance to become one of them – a township celebrity. Grant Porthen was one of those boys. For his mother, Sharon, tough love was the only answer. Eventually she was forced to give up on her son. Grant endured prison, the wrath of the Numbers gang and crystal meth addiction leading to the collapse of his thriving drug empire. Close to Home documents the changing relationship between Grant and Aunty Sharon through the years. Their determination to stay connected through separation and pain explores the deeper meaning of love and family. Production by Rhea MacDonald, Laura Skippers & Louise Fuller School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University