Did you know that the Central City has more than 120 000m2 of public space? This in effect means that you own 120 000m2 where you can play, perform, protest, people-watch and plug into the surrounding community. September is the month to start claiming this space and using it to show off the richness and depth of creative production and energy that exists in the city.
This year Creative Week is about you – about your getting out of your rehearsal room, studio, office, bedroom or garage and into the streets, using your music, words and work to animate our city. It’s time to start claiming our pavements, streets and squares as a stage for the creative expression that is life.
There are multiple creative events happening in the Mother City during the month of September, and Creative Cape Town will be hosting a number of events from 15 to 23 September.
Let the city sing to you from 17 to 23 September, when Creative Cape Town launches City Soundtracks – an initiative that will see key points in the city turned into live music performance spots during rush hour and lunch time. Make sure to plan your commute and your lunch break in order to catch as many of these performances as you can.
Creative Week is not just about connecting with the city but also with each other. On 18 September you can mingle with fellow creatives at the Tjing Tjing Exchange evening, and watch this space for a feature event at the Company’s Garden 23 September.
This is just a taste of what’s to come, so be sure to go to www.creativeweekct.co.za for an update on all the events that will be taking place in your public space – and to submit your own events.
Did you know:
Art in the open air: Kicking off in Creative Week, The Fringe is becoming an open-air art gallery with a rotating selection of outdoor art – created by top local and international artists, and curated by Creative Cape Town and /A Word of Art.
Starting with a large wall on Harrington Street, the east city will become home to 6 to 8 permanently permitted walls showing off art to the public 365 days a year.
To give you a taste of things to come, take a look at some of the incredible work /A Word of Art has facilitated in Woodstock.
/A Word of Art: Responsible for over 60 murals around Woodstock, the /A Word of Art team offers walking mural tours of the area to showcase the works of local and international artists. Tours are R150 per person, with all proceeds being reinvested into Jullard Creations, the brainchild of art activists Willard Kambeva and Juma Mkwela. Jullard Creations is a collective that empowers people from marginalised communities to generate their own income by producing handmade art and craft using traditional African techniques.
For more information, visit Jullard Creations and /A Word of Art online (www.jullardcreations.com and www.a-word-of-art.co.za) or drop by /A Word of Art at 66 Albert Road in Woodstock.
This article first appeared in the September 2012 issue of City Views: Cape Town as a creative city. Join the conversation on Facebook and keep up to date with the latest news on Twitter: @City_Views
Images:
- Infecting the City, Classics On Church with the Cape Philarmonic, Sydelle Willow Smith
- Moonlight Mass 2012, Lisa Burnell
