Pronouns: They/Them
Thelma Ndebele is a non-binary (they/them) Master of Architecture whose interest lies in music as an alternative translation of place, as well as an archive of lived space. Their research and observations made at the GSA have culminated in them regarding music as a metric of place, specifically in clubs and event venues that host (sub)cultures that can be identified by the music produced and consumed by said social groups. When DJing, DORMANTYOUTH gravitates towards electronically-produced bass music, especially sounds that boom from underground scenes in rarely observed (musically) parts of the world. As an architect, the role of DJing at identity specific and femme focused events has become a method of research that provides access to a particularly unique landscape of contemporary Johannesburg nightlife. Their alias as DORMANTYOUTH allows them to shape interactions between body and space via music, providing an eye-opening lens on how greatly sound can affect architectural spaces.
