City Views September issue: Cape Town as a Creative City by Cape Town Partnership

CITYVIEWS September 2011

YOUR FREE CAPE TOWN CENTRAL CITY PAPER

TEMB

EP 9-18 S

THE CREATIVE ISSUE

Cape Town as a

Eco-friendly skyscraper for Cape Town CBD

Designers open their studios for Creative Week

Top music talent to launch City Hall Sessions

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CREATIVE CITY

CLEAN | SAFE | CAR I NG

about

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CityViews

September 2011

FROM TASSO

CITYVIEWS Published by: The Central City Improvement District (CCID) Editor: Judith Browne: 021 419 1881 judith@capetownpartnership.co.za Contributors: Louise McCann, Alan Cameron, Andrew Fleming Website: www.capetowncid.co.za www.capetownpartnership.co.za Design: Infestation 021 461 8601

which almost two-thirds (64%) of college educated 25- to 34-yearolds said they looked for a job after they chose the city where they wanted to live. Why? “Both young workers and retiring boomers are actively seeking to live in densely packed, mixed-use communities that don’t require cars – that is, cities or revitalised outskirts in which residences, shops, schools, parks, and other amenities exist close together.” Now take a good look around Cape Town’s city centre: The space is transforming before our very eyes. The Central City is both young and historically rich, but always vibrant.

A BUSINESS

In areas it’s glossy, others edgy and authentic. We have five-star restaurants, interesting retail and rental opportunities, and a blossoming creative sector. Quality of life is to be found where there are integrated public transport systems, cycle- and pedestrian-friendly paths (and less of a stressful commute) and conveniently located and wellpriced residential options. Talent knows this, sees this, and moves. Corporations who are foregoing their distant suburban offices for prime city centre locations (look to page 3 for examples) know that you’ve got to be where talent is. There are not only financial benefits

• Aesthetics • Civic leadership • Basic services (including health and education) • Tolerance for diversity • Safety How do you think Cape Town rates? Send your comment to:

SAVE THESE NUMBERS ON YOUR PHONE CCID Security Manager: 082 453 2942 CCID Deputy Security Manager: 082 442 2112 CCID 24-hour number: 082 415 7127

Tasso

SAPS Control Room: 021 467 8002

Tasso Evangelinos is the COO of the CCID

Social Department 082 563 4289

ITY LIVEABLE, LEGIBLE C

CITY STREET SIGNS According to Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and Who’s Your City, larger employers mainly consider the following when deciding to invest in a city:

to be gained from doing so but also a reduced carbon footprint. And so it is we proudly offer up our September edition of City Views, celebrating Cape Town as a city full of top creative talent – I encourage you to take part in Creative Week Cape Town from 9 to 18 September to experience this talent for yourself.

Convenience is often invisible; it allows you to get on with other things. And that is the spirit behind a project to make Cape Town’s Central City an even easier place to get around in.

info@capetowncid.co.za

Safer, cleaner – and now

greener CCID security officer Zonic Jaceni on his new bike with its striking dayglo green design.

Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti

Soon a glance at a street sign may be all it takes to see if you should turn left or right to arrive on time for your appointment. Several street signs around Cape Town are part of the pilot project to display the street numbers on either side of the road. The simple yet creative upgrade of street signage, that currently sees slightly elongated signs sporting numbers, will show drivers the street numbers on either side of the intersection. The effort “will help the city be more navigable” says Johan de Beer, Cape Town’s district road engineer. Authorities want the city to be liveable, and the City and CCID together hope that these improvements will enable Cape Town to move closer to becoming the most navigable city in the country. The roads authority is piloting the project on three busy spots in the city – where Bree Street intersects with Wale, Strand and Riebeeck Street. “The project will be open to receive comments for the next three months, we then hope to roll it out

POINT THE WAY across the city within 12 months after that – starting at heavy traffic spots,” De Beer says. The project is expected to cost up to R1-million. “Often businesses have to give directions along with their address within the CBD or risk their clients getting lost,” says Tasso Evangelinos, chief operations officer of the CCID. More often than not the building numbers of businesses or retailers aren’t displayed prominently enough, he notes. In an urban environment where time is money, navigating the city quickly aids punctuality – and the chances of an almost-late interviewee on getting the job. “There are obvious benefits to this project – besides saving people time and money, it also saves the city from a greater carbon footprint as motorists don’t circle the city ad nauseam but drive directly to their destination,” says De Beer. This initiative is a joint CCID and City of Cape Town project and is currently only for the CCID area.

Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti

Harvard Business Review’s managing editor Ania Wieckowski recently published a piece entitled “Back to the City” looking at the return of corporations to city centres. What draws them, Wieckowski asks? Simply put, “The suburbs have lost their sheen.” She quotes University of Michigan architecture and urban planning professor Robert Fishman: “In the 1950s, suburbs were the future. The city was then seen as a dingy environment. But today it’s these urban neighbourhoods that are exciting and diverse and exploding with growth.” She refers to the last US census, in

The Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) is a division of the Cape Town Partnership, a collaboration of the public and private sectors, working together to develop, promote and manage Cape Town’s Central City since 2000. The Cape Town Partnership and the CCID were formed when the City of Cape Town, the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA), the Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other stakeholders came together to address issues of urban degeneration, disinvestment in the Central City and related social problems. The Central City’s rapid regeneration process has been built upon the strength and pillars of successful private-public partnerships at both operational and strategic levels, and a shared vision for a clean, safe and caring Cape Town CBD.

What does Cape Town say? “People aren’t sure where to go,” retailer Arslan Shah of the Royal Collection (corner of Bree and Riebeeck) says. “It doesn’t help that many buildings show no numbers and people get lost, wondering up and down the road unsure of where to go. I need to have stock delivered on time – if it isn’t available to be bought the sale isn’t made, it’s as simple as that. And this will help the delivery guys – who get lost all the time – to find me.” While the conversion of

many of the city’s roads to a one-way system will let traffic progress faster, it makes it tricky for motorists to turn around if they suspect they’ve gone off track, says retailer Donald Golombick. “By the time you realise you’ve taken a wrong turn you have to first find a place where you can turn around and it takes a while to get back on route – especially if you, like me, are from Jo’burg.” How do you find navigating Cape Town? Will this project help you? Send your comment to: info@capetowncid.co.za

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S OPEN FOR BUSINES

Portside

The new face of GREEN

– Ben Kodisang

station adjoining the building, and motorists through over 1 400 parking bays. “The Portside will be integrated into the city centre in a way that creates quality public space and promotes Cape Town as a true world-class city,” says Ben Kodisang, former managing director of Old Mutual Property (who has just moved on to Old Mutual Emerging Markets). The Portside Building will proudly stand as “vital catalyst for partnership that will take the city to new heights,” says Western Cape Premier Helen Zille. This urban architectural collaboration represents just one of the many exciting new alliances between corporations and the city government in Cape Town. The Portside groundbreaking represents the beginning of a new era in urban participation, underscoring that Cape Town’s city centre is not only a profitable place to do business, but an urban canvas in which businesses take an integrated and sustainable role in profitably and productively shaping the city in which they work.

During construction, indigenous Cape stinkwood trees will be planted around the construction perimeter The building’s design strives for a four green star status: Upon completion, it will be the first high-rise in Africa to achieve such a prestigious classification Energy-efficient lighting systems mean an overall reduction of 20 to 30% in power usage Rainwater collection systems will capture, filter and reuse the water throughout the building, ensuring an overall reduction in the amount of groundwater required in day-to-day use The Bree Street MyCiTi station will be built directly into the Portside building, making it easier for tenants and patrons to use public transport and pedestrian access, thereby reducing their carbon footprint.

Photo: Supplied

to stand at 32 floors and hold 52 000 square metres of office space for 3 000 people. The physical and financial investment into Portside by First National Bank and Old Mutual Properties, totalling R1.6billion, shows both parties’ dedication to the continuing redevelopment of the city centre and a strong vote of confidence in Cape Town’s financial district as a profitable place to do business. By developing the lower half of the building as prime AAA-grade office space, Old Mutual plans to attract investors and businesses to the Central City and grow Cape Town’s financial and professional hub. For FNB, moving to Portside makes strict business sense: Upon completion of the building, anticipated in March 2014, FNB will consolidate their Western Province operations from the 19 existing offices into one urban complex in the top half of the Portside building. In the words of FirstRand CEO Sizwe Nxasana, this is “a commitment to the sustainable future of economic development and job creation in Cape Town, one of the most glorious cities in the country”. Portside will also serve as a centre of city integration and movement – bringing together pedestrians through a walkway under the building, users of the MyCiTi system through the planned Bree Street

“The Portside will be integrated into the city centre in a way that creates quality public space and promotes Cape Town as a true world-class city.”

Cape Town’s creative competitive advantage The Provincial Government of the Western Cape is pushing on with efforts to encourage economic growth through the creation of the Economic Development Agency – a publicprivate partnership to lead, coordinate and drive economic growth throughout the province. The EDA aims to increase levels of employment, present a more competitive, productive and resilient economy and provide greater support for all levels of economic activity – from single-person start-up businesses to multinational corporations. Within that larger engine of economic development, creative industries are critical:

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille with representatives from Old Mutual Properties and First National Bank at the Portside groundbreaking ceremony.

Photo: Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town

“I

t is often that some of the worst business deals are conducted in the best of economic times; yet the world’s best empires are created out of the most challenging and uncertain economic climates.” Challenging today’s economic uncertainty with the potential of creative urban development, Stephan Claassen, the FNB Western Cape provincial chairperson, placed his personal support and the confidence of FirstRand firmly behind the construction of Cape Town’s newest high-rise at the groundbreaking of the Portside building on Friday 12 August 2011. Originally purchased by Old Mutual Properties 20 years ago, the 6 000m2 building site at the corner of Bree, Mechau, and Buitengracht streets will soon support Cape Town’s tallest building, designed by dhk and Louis Karol architects,

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Using the latest in environmentally friendly and sustainable architectural design, the new Portside building will secure its long-term reputation by having less of an impact, environmentally speaking. Here are some of the ways that it will ensure the Mother City stays clean and green:

to take the city to new heights

At the corner of Bree, Mechau, and Buitengracht Street, the Portside groundbreaking was recently celebrated by the Provincial Government of the Western Cape, First National Bank and Old Mutual Properties. Cape Town’s tallest building is to stand at 32 floors and hold 52 000m2 of office space for 3 000 people. R1.6-billion will go into its construction.

Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti

September 2011

CAPE TOWN’S WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL COUNTDOWN “The Cape’s emerging creative and IT industries have the potential to fuel entrepreneurial growth, higher levels of labour absorption and overall creative development. The growth of this sector will also support a more innovative regional business brand, and can help drive a more dynamic regional innovation system. The new EDA will clearly look to the creative business and IT sectors to help drive the future economic growth, development and inclusion agenda,” says Cape Town Partnership CEO Andrew Boraine. With innovative technology incubators such

as the Bandwidth Barn creating 231 permanent and 350 part-time jobs since 2006, companies collaborating in the context of The Fringe (Cape Town’s Design and Innovation District supported by the provincial government as a Cape Catalyst project), the arrival of Google’s Umbono technology start-up incubator at The Hub (Woodstock) and the anticipated opening of the World Bank-sponsored tech incubator mLabs, creative and IT industries are set to transform the Cape into the frontrunner for innovation, job creation, and inclusive economic development.

Capetonians will know on 26 October 2011 whether our city has been chosen as World Design Capital 2014, ahead of Dublin and Bilbao. But this month we’re celebrating the fact that our bid book, a creative treasure designed by Cape Town design agency Infestation, has been nominated for a prestigious Loerie Award. The Loeries festival weekend will take place at the CTICC from 16 to 18 September. Look out for Cape Town’s World Design Capital 2014 bid book display at the convention centre. www.capetown2014.co.za

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September 2011

OPEN DESIGN

STEP INSIDE THESE Please note: Design studios will be open at varying times. Visit www.creativeweekct.co.za for specific details.

ers Meet the Mak esign d en op d is a curate limited a h it w , n sessio ces. p number of la , visit ls ai et d g in For book ct.co.za k ee ew iv at www.cre

As part of Creative Week Cape Town, studios throughout the city have been invited to open their doors, either for a limited timeframe or for the entire week. A curated session within the context of this open invitation is Meet the Makers. City Views stopped in at a few Central City designers on the Meet the Makers itinerary to give you an inside look.

Francois van Eeden owns FVE Interiors, an interior and architectural design consultancy that operates out of The Bank (in The Fringe).

CV How did FVE Interiors end up being part of The Bank?

CV What was your vision for starting up FVE Interiors?

I felt the need to start trading under my own name, to share with people and the industry what kind of value I can bring on a creative level. I also wanted to start working with younger designers in the industry, collaborating with them on projects generated by myself and giving them opportunities to express their creative influence, visions and views.

You have a strong stance on empowerment. Why does it matter to you, and how are you providing a platform for empowerment at FVE? CV

We live in a society where sharing is not an open book policy! Everything has a price! It is getting more difficult and competitive for young designers to enter into the market and there are very few people in the market that offer their services, knowledge and expertise to help, assist and bring value to these designers. It is important to give back to the industry, to share, to

help and to promote growth, to motivate and create self-worth, the essence of creating confidence. I am blessed to have a gift, to be creative and I am at a point in my life where it is important for me to unconditionally share my knowledge and enrich other creatives around me. CV How will FVE Interiors add value to the design collective that is The Bank?

Eighteen months into sharing space within The Bank, FVE Interiors launched the FVE Creative Studio. The space, consisting of 210m2 of creative workspace, has been designed as a collaborative floorspace for young freelance interior designers in the industry. Powered by the InteriCAD design platform supplied by our software provider Furnspace 3D within The Bank, the FVE studio provides desk space and job opportunities for young interior design creatives that have bought the InteriCAD T5 software. The FVE Creative Studio also extends its design offering to all other creative organisations within The Bank, incorporating their service offerings and products.

CV Name your favourite Cape Town designs or designers.

“It is important to give back to the industry, to share to help and to promote growth, to motivate and create selfworth, the essence of creating confidence. I am blessed to have a gift, to be creative and I am at a point in my life where it is important for me to unconditionally share my knowledge and enrich other creatives around me.” – Francois van Eeden

CV Why did you choose the spot you’re in?

We are situated in the heart of The Fringe, and the unique opportunity to be part of setting creativity into motion in the area was hugely appealing for me. The birth of the FVE Creative Studio and its empowerment policy is testament to my decision. We are all ecstatic.

Photos: Caroline Jordan

I was introduced to Steven Harris from Furnspace 3D a couple of years ago through friends of friends. Steven approached me on potentially using his new software, InteriCAD, to which he owned the South African licensing rights. Upon dissolving my partnership in my previous business 18 months ago, I approached Steven about potentially sharing floorspace with Furnspace 3D to launch my new design consultancy business FVE Interiors as well as to get training on the InteriCAD creative design platform.

I love the new urban landscaping achieved in Green Point around the stadium. I think it is magnificent and I would love to see more greening and public spaces in our city. CV What can Cape Town contribute to the design world?

Leadership in design. As the city is not overdeveloped on this level, it creates the opportunity to explore new ways of living through urban design, introducing sustainability and empowering creatives to set new creative models in motion. CV What makes your industry unique?

To be able to shift someone’s current business model through a new look and feel on interiors into a more profitable situation. CV Where do you go to show visitors what this city’s about?

Everywhere, we are so rich in all areas – shopping in Long Street for great selection and a diversity of people, the beach in summer,

hiking up the mountain, Lion’s Head on a full moon in summer (what a magnificent view!) And eating out at any given moment to enjoy the enormous selection of divine restaurants in the city – there’s nothing better than a good meal with a spectacular glass of local wine. CV What will you be doing in 2014?

Greening the inner city, planting more trees, illuminating the support structures of the freeway leading into the city with blue lights to create the illusion that it floats in the evening next to the harbour. Creating more user-friendly urban spaces. n FVE Interiors, 71 Harrington Street T: 087 150 8208

www.fveinteriors.com

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Industrial and furniture designer Liam Mooney has been designing under his own name since 2006. He recently relocated from Woodstock to Wale Street. What makes Cape Town a great design city?

Some of your favourite places in the Central City?

The industry is only as unique as the designers are ... and we’re lucky to have a hugely diverse group of designers

I love Adderley Street, Jason’s Bakery on Bloem, & UNION on Bree, Bird Café on Bree.

What impact do creative industries have on business here?

2 Cuie&Co is a two-person creative team (made up of husband and wife Charlene and Andy Walton) offering everything from print to online design solutions. They also run gallery shop BLANK{space}. CV What makes Cape Town a great design city?

We love Cape Town for its diversity of cultures and talents thriving in a beautiful and inspiring environment. CV How does Cape Town inspire your work?

We have this amazing view of the mountain, we walk to work and greet all the business owners on the way – it feels like 7de Laan. Everyone knows and supports one another.

Name your favourite Cape Town designs or designers. CV

We love the furniture design of Pedersen + Lennard, have always been inspired by Heather Moore’s Skinny laMinx product range – from the first artwork we ordered from her years ago online – and then figuring out we are actually in the same city! The Cape Town Stadium is beautiful – it is so big, but we love the way it just flows.

I think creative industries are slowly but surely making more of a mark on the landscape of the city. What’s great is that very little is needed in way of infrastructure to get entrepreneurs starting their own businesses. I think we can expect to see more and more small creative businesses starting in the next few years.

CV What do you do to relax in the Central City?

We love taking walks through the city – starting from Roeland Street where we live and work and exploring our neighbourhood and finding interesting new businesses. We drink a lot of coffee and enjoy lovely food.

“What’s great is that very little is needed in way of infrastructure to get entrepreneurs starting their own businesses. I think we can expect to see more and more small creative businesses starting in the next few years.”

Where do you go in the Central City for inspiration? CV

We have so many talented people with such very different styles. I think that is how we all get to thrive in this business – with our uniqueness – no two people are the same.

Random walkabouts through the streets – there are always interesting people to watch on the street. Inspiration is everywhere. We visit the Iziko gallery around the corner, Salon91 in Kloof Street, Worldart in Church Street along with the antique tables with great finds! There are plenty to choose from.

CV What role do creative industries play in Cape Town’s story?

CV Why do you choose to live, work and play in the Central City?

Designers are the tool to give others a voice – whether it’s the city that needs to speak, or an individual. We as creatives are in the very fortunate seat to help someone or something find its voice and to tell a story.

We love the buzz of town! We moved from the Southern Suburbs almost four years ago and have lived in the CBD ever since. It is convenient and close to everything. We only need one car, as we walk

CV What can Cape Town contribute to the design world?

CV Some of your favourite places in The Fringe?

Field Office for their great coffee, great space, mismatched cups and for selling me one of the little odd sideplates ’cause I loved it so much.

“We have so many talented people with such very different styles. I think that is how we all get to thrive in this business – with our uniqueness – no two people are the same.” – Charlene Walton

CV Why did you choose the spot you’re in?

Besides it only being a one-minute walk from where we live – it is situated in the most beautiful 100 year old building that looks like a big wedding cake and it is next door to the best bookshop in town! CV Forecast for the Cape Town creative scene in the next few years?

We predict more and more people starting their own projects – anything is truly possible in this world and somewhere, someone will like what you do and support you.

Why did you choose the spot you’re in? As creative streets in the inner city go, Wale Street is still very much untouched. I also like the vision that my landlord has for the space.

What do you do to relax in the Central City? I walk, instead of drive.

What’s most loveable about these city streets and neighbourhoods? I enjoy being around people, I like crowds, I like being close to everything I need, I like the sense of community I have with my neighbours. Browsing the inner city streets always paints a lovely picture. n Liam Mooney, 64 Wale Street T: 074 770 7461

www.liammooney.co.za

– Liam Mooney

Our favourite spots are Deluxe Coffeeworks, Skinny Legs & All, Dear Me, St George’s food market on Thursdays … the list can go on.

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to work and can do most things on foot around the city centre, or catch a cab if needed. CV What’s most loveable about these city streets and neighbourhoods?

The variety of different things people are starting up. If you truly love what you do, others will feel it too and support you. CV

What’s least loveable?

Unemployment. We have a few people in the mornings on our street corner looking for work and we don’t have anything to offer, unfortunately. n Cuie&Co, 71 Roeland Street, Cape Town T: 021 461 9031

www.cuieandco.com

Photo: Caroline Jordan

September 2011

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September 2011

OPEN DESIGN

Photos: Caroline Jordan

Renowned jeweller Ida Elsje shares a showroom and onsite design studio, Olive Green Cat, with Philippa Green and Gregory Katz. CV How does Cape Town inspire your work?

I find a lot of inspiration in nature while walking in the mountains and on the beaches. I love the Art Deco buildings that you see all over Cape Town and I enjoy combining organic and architectural lines into my work. CV Name your favourite Cape Town designs or designers.

Chloe Townsend of Missibaba, Porky Hefer, Stiaan Louw, Xandre Kriel

What can Cape Town contribute to the design world? CV

Cape Town offers a unique approach to design in that it’s a melting pot of creative people.

Ida Elsje’s forecast for the Cape Town creative industries in the next few years: “Scattered showers of creativity, with flashes of brilliance in the afternoon.”

Holland House, in Church Street because of its style and elegance. I was thrilled when the space became available.

What makes your business unique? CV

Some of your favourite Central City places? CV

The Book Lounge, & UNION, Bird Café, Dear Me, Jason’s, the Long Street African Music Shop, Lulu on Church Street, The Fugard Theatre.

Why did you choose the spot you’re in? CV

I’ve always loved our building,

I custom-make bespoke engagement rings. Most of my customers are creative people and this allows me the freedom to make daring and avant-garde pieces. I often collaborate with fashion designers and musicians which has led to a creative synergy. We offer three unique

REPORT BACK

NOW

Safe spaces, beautiful places

contemporary South African ranges, all made on site in the workshop. CV Forecast for the Cape Town creative industries in the next few years?

Scattered showers of creativity, with flashes of brilliance in the afternoon.

Street, eat a croissant at Jason’s, watch a movie at the Labia and walk through the streets with my dog enjoying all the diverse cultures.

to take life less seriously and enjoy every moment. I like to think that my jewellery will be around much longer than I will.

CV Where do you go in the Central City for inspiration?

CV What makes Cape Town a great design city?

Inspiration is everywhere in Cape Town.

The natural beauty – designers in Cape Town have a great balance between spending time in their studios and in nature.

What do you do to relax in the Central City?

CV What’s most loveable about these city streets and neighbourhoods?

Listen to live music at & UNION, stroll through the antique and secondhand markets in Church

The old roads and buildings remind me of all that has gone before me and will go on after me – a reminder

www.idaelsje.com

CREATIVE WEEK CAPE TOWN PARTNER S

CAPE TOWN DESIGN NETWORK OPEN STUDIOS While Cape Town readies itself for the World Design Capital 2014 announcement in October 2011, open design events are a great opportunity for those in all areas of the creative industries to interact with each other, as well as for anyone interested in exploring the design industry in the city to learn more. The Cape Town Design Network is encouraging designers to open their studios and host events during Creative Week Cape Town from 9 to 18th September. The Cape Town Design Network is a voluntary association of creatively minded members seeking to promote the creative culture of Cape Town and surrounds, with the intention of creating a platform for members to share information and resources in order to establish ongoing

Photos: Supplied

n Olive Green Cat, 76 Church Street T: 21 424 1101

collaboration and relationships. Through the management and promotion of events, workshops, competitions, exhibitions and awards, the network seeks to connect the diverse creative industries with each other, members of the corporate and government realm, and strives to introduce the public to the importance of an active creative culture. For more information on what other design studios will be open during Creative Week, visit www.ctdn.co.za

decor, desig n archi & tecture

FEELING BLUE?

Win a holiday in Mozambique p146

www.visi.co.za

These beautiful balls were designed by local creatives and auctioned at Freeworld Design Centre to raise money for Rock Girl’s Safe Spaces campaign – through the campaign, benches are designed and placed in public space in the Cape Town metropole. We love the yellow World Design Capital 2014 gees! For more information, visit www.rockgirlsa.org and www.freeworlddesigncentre.com. To donate R20 to the Safe Spaces campaign, simply SMS the word “SAFER” to 31546.

VISI VISI, an authoritative South African voice on décor, design and architecture, is the official media sponsor of the Meet the Makers open studio sessions. Visit www.visi.co.za to be surprised, inspired and to reflect on the very latest in design and lifestyle trends.

into the blue SA R49,95 OTHER COUNTRIES

R43,82 EXCLUDING TAX

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blue-sky thin king • new the blue house in gordon’s bay york’s high line edge of the can • the lodge at the yon • indigo decor takes shape

September 2011

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OUT THE BOX

Festival of puppetry and visual performance takes to the streets

Photos: Supplied

Out The Box is a nine-day multi-disciplinary event celebrating innovation, diversity and sustainability. The festival provides a platform for performing and visual artists to collaborate, to push boundaries and to blur the lines of their disciplines in order to create provocative and groundbreaking work.

This sixth edition of Out The Box promises to be the largest festival of puppetry and visual theatre in Africa, and will attract artists from all over the world. 3 to 11 September 2011 Across the Central City, stretching into the Southern Suburbs

www.outtheboxfestival.com

PUPPET TOURS Go behind the scenes of South Africa’s puppet capital If you love puppets in any form, and if you love the work of the world-famous Handspring Puppet Company, Coffeebeans Routes have good news for you. As part of Out The Box, they’re offering the opportunity to explore Handspring Puppet Company’s workshop, the home of the Tony Award-winning War Horse, go behind the scenes with featured puppetry artists and see one of the festival’s extraordinary productions. It’s a totally unique, limited edition opportunity not to be missed. 5 to 9 September 2011 Time: 15h30 until 20h00 Cost: R450 per person Visit www.coffeebeansroutes.com to book online or call 021 424 3572

SILVER SCREEN CITY Nodi Murphy is the director of the Out In Africa South African Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and part of the team that organises Africa’s most prestigious documentary film festival, Encounters. City Views caught up with her to find out about the business of curating and organising a film fest.

CREATIVE WEEK CAPE TOWN 2011

PICK YOUR DAY FIND YOUR WAY

Creative Week Cape Town, from 9 to 18 September 2011, invites you to sample the offerings of a creative, innovative city. We picked a few events to run you through the duration of the celebration. Remember to check www.creativeweekct.co.za for details and booking information, where applicable.

Hear crafty Capetonian designer Lauren Fowler speak about her work following her recent first solo exhibition at The Fringe Arts in Kloof Street. Creative Coffee Mornings with Lauren Fowler at Escape Caffe, 130 Bree Street. Time: 09h30

9-10

Thandiswa Mazwai (of Bongo Maffin fame), Kesivan & The Lights, Ray Lema (DRC) and Chico César (Brazil) celebrate

the City Hall as a public space by filling it with local and international musical styles. See pages 8 and 9 for details. City Hall Music Sessions Corner Darling and Parliament Street, Time: 19h30 – 22h30

Jo’burg comes to Cape Town as electronic enfants terrible DoubleAdapter return to wreck shop at The Assembly – joined by indie kids Dance You’re On Fire, blues rock three-piece Shadowclub and the One Night Stands. Double-Adapter, Dance You’re On Fire, One Night Stands and Shadowclub at The Assembly 61 Harrington Street Time: Doors open 20h00

What makes Out In Africa and your work unique?

Where do you go in the Central City for inspiration?

Organising festivals is so simple, but there is a point that requires some sort of talent – the balance of the films. It’s sort of deferred exhibitionism. I’m too shy to get up on stage, but this way I can be an exhibitionist and show people what I like … please, disturb, upset, excite. Film is an incredibly powerful tool – it’s sight and sound. As for Out in Africa, it’s about social gathering. One of the most important parts of being gay and lesbian is being public – voluble and visible is what we need to be.

I’ll go to public events, exhibitions, performances, and debates just to see what other people are up to. I think what I like about Cape Town is that we still have a city centre, which is primarily working space but also some living space. If you’d like to find out more about Nodi Murphy and Out In Africa’s work, head to 6 Spin Street during Creative Week to see a decade’s worth of their posters. See the programme for details.

12-17

Hybrid Media Solutions, a Cape Town-based CD and DVD replication company, is running a competition to encourage people to explore the creative potential of discs as a marketing or promotional medium. This virtual event calls on the city’s creative community to be part of a process of collective imagineering. Dig the Disc. Comment (and win) at www.digthedisc. com

FEAR THE BOX

Be sure to stop by 6 Spin Street and check out the colourful exhibition of Out In Africa film posters from the past decade by the likes of local designers Charlotte Ewins, Peet Pienaar, Toby Attwell and Fred Viljoen. The 2011 final edition of Out

Head to the Labia for a screening of Nha Fala (My Voice, 2004), an award-winning musical by acclaimed director Flora Gomes from GuineaBissau, and the second in a series of Learn Africa, Love Africa film nights presented by the African Arts Institute in collaboration with M-Net African Film Library and supported by Spier. Learn Africa, Love Africa at the Labia on Orange, 68 Orange Street. Time: 18h15

See photographer Anelisa Mangcu’s debut show The Moments Amidst the Chaos at Rococo Gallery. The Moments Amidst the Chaos at Rococo Gallery, 38 Buitenkant Street. Opening hours vary

Studio 41 is a creative space

conceived by artist Zavick aka Supadog. The aim of the space is to foster creativity across a range of disciplines.

Studio 41 Creative Exhibition. 41 Glynn Street, Corner Glynn and Upper Canterbury. Time: 17h30

In Africa is taking place from 21 to 30 October. A Decade of Out In Africa, 6 Spin Street www.oia.co.za

into temporary parks for public good. What will Cape Town do to celebrate? Wait and see … Park(ing) Day. In and around The Fringe all day

The Assembly braces itself for Total Devastation, a Drum ‘n’ Bass production presented by Multicrisis and Pziezzo Electric. They had one mission in mind – to bring out the harder side of D’n’B that’s been hiding underground all this time, while exposing and promoting new blood in the South African music underground. Devastation Drum ‘n’ Bass at The Assembly, 61 Harrington Street Time: Doors open 20h00

2010 Spier Contemporary winner Christopher Swift has his first solo show, Umlungu, at Commune.1 gallery, a Central City space dedicated to large format installations and sculpture. Seven of Swift’s installations will be on show. Umlungu at Commune, 1 Gallery 64 Wale Street , Time: Open from 10h00

Park(ing) Day is an annual international event inviting cities and their citizens to transform metered parking spots

Be sure to keep on reading to find more Creative Week Cape Town events.

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Creative Cape Town has long advocated that City Hall be reclaimed as a cultural space for all Capetonians. While that journey is a long one, they have secured funds from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund to run a two-year programme of music, the City Hall Sessions, profiling musicians from the Cape, Africa and the South. City Views spoke to the organiser Steve Gordon to hear more of his vision for the series and the space. City Hall Music Sessions, 9 and 10 September 2011 Tickets: R150 through Computicket

Photo: Sydelle Willow Smith

The inaugural City Hall Sessions line-up includes AfroBrazilian piano and guitar duo, Ray Lema and Chico César; 2011 SAMA female artist of the year Thandiswa Mazwai; and Kesivan & The Lights, featuring two Standard Bank Young Artist Award winners for jazz, Kesivan Naidoo and Mark Fransman.

CityViews

What are the City Hall Sessions and how did they come about? During 2008, the City of Cape Town and Cape Town Partnership were in discussions about a long-term leasing of City Hall to a non-profit entity, to manage it as a cultural space and development hub. The music programme was conceived as a catalyst of flagship concerts, to put the venue on the map and schedule world-class events alongside existing local initiatives and promotions. The lease plan fell away, but in the interim, the proposal for the music programme was awarded a grant from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund. How did you get involved? In 2008 Zayd Minty of the Cape Town Partnership asked me to assist during the embryonic stages of the project. My background is music – initially clubs (Scratch, The Base, Jazz Den) and community cultural events during the 1980s, then touring as sound engineer and road manager with Basil Coetzee, Sakhile, Caiphus and Letta while in exile. Early in the 1990s I set up Making Music Productions with two partners, did lots of public open space events with City and government. The Re-connection project especially

brought many African performers on their first visits after our political settlement in 1994. The challenge has always been to build performance platforms for South African and African music here at home, for a home audience. If our music can’t be heard in our back yard, how can music survive, and how can we talk of an industry? What excites you about City Hall as a music and cultural venue? City Hall is iconic, so flowing a diversity of music and audience through that space can project a powerful statement for and about Cape Town.

“If City Hall can become a home venue that platforms original music or compositions – classical, hip-hop, jazz, electronica, reggae, rock et al – it will share its stamp of authority affirming all genres. And affirming all citizens.” – Steve Gordon

Tell us about the acoustics in City Hall. The acoustics in the auditorium are great for classical music and opera, but awful for amplified mu-

September June 2011

sic or percussion. That places much contemporary popular and indigenous music at a disadvantage when working in this beautiful hall. There are workarounds which we propose (and precedents internationally) to offset some of the reverberation. Our NLDTF grant includes resources to take some first steps to make the venue more versatile, and we hope that some of these can be implemented with the City during the maintenance downtime in 2012. We purposefully selected a lineup which we hope will be manageable in the challenging acoustic of the City Hall. The bill pulls together Cape Town, national and international artists. We present new sounds alongside known: that’s a direction we’ll pursue in the City Hall Sessions. How do you feel the music series will contribute to contemporary culture in Cape Town? If City Hall can become a home venue that platforms original music or compositions – classical, hip-hop, jazz, electronica, reggae, rock et al – it will share its stamp of authority, affirming all genres. And affirming all citizens. Future plans for the City Hall Sessions? We’ll have about five seasons annually: Cape Town heritage sessions in January, a choral season

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SOUND OF THE CITY

Top Central City music venues The soul of the city can often be heard in its sound – conversations on the train, the whirr of bicycles, the honking of minibus taxis. Here are five Central City venues you can go to tap into what Cape Town’s about. THE ASSEMBLY in The Fringe leads the pack in sizeable audiences and memorable events. Its bill of live and electronic music includes local and international acts of repute, and its website’s photo galleries, updates and snippets go the extra mile to entertain, educate and inform those who are fans of good music and a good time. 61 Harrington Street / T: 021 465 7286

THE PURPLE TURTLE, a niche space in the city’s

Photos: Ed Suter

sonic history, has enjoyed a makeover that turned its stretch of Long Street into a pumping, thumping venue. The hottest new and established bands have graced its small stage, from the budding, blues pop La.Vi to the indefinable blk jks. Crowds enjoy the informality of the venue. Corner of Long and Shortmarket Street / T: 021 424 0811

THE WAITING ROOM shines from floor to ceiling

If a visitor were to hear the line-up blindfolded, do you think they’d know they were in Cape Town? During the show, they’ll hear sounds which could locate them in Cape Town, Africa, South America, Asia, or Europe. At the end of the show – with the southeaster blowing and a moon or floodlight revealing Table Mountain, they’ll know they’re in Cape Town. What do you think makes Cape Town such a unique music city? Ports throughout the world are places of cultural fusion. Cape Town has layers of music, starting with the indigenous sounds,

through to the influences – good and bad – which came with colonisation. It’s no coincidence that cities such as New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, Dakar or Dar es Salaam have powerful musical voices. The demographic of the Cape –

“The challenge has always been to build performance platforms for South African and African music here at home, for a home audience. If our music can’t be heard in our back yard, how can music survive, and how can we talk of an industry?” – Steve Gordon

with its primary groups of isiXhosa, Afrikaans and English speakers – gives us a unique flavour.

273 Long Street / T: 021 422 4536

ZULA BAR is the sonic stalwart of the Central City, recently relocating to larger premises to continue its support of live, local music. The move means more diverse spaces that include bars and stages on different levels, and a restaurant at its entrance makes a welcome stop for those hungry for good music and good food. How does the live music scene in Cape Town contribute positively to the local economy? Most benefits from live music transfer to the tourism sector, because original entertainment is a powerful drawcard for visitors. The Cape Town International Jazz Festival was cited by President Zuma in last year’s State of the Nation address, for precisely that reason. Because CTIJF is one focused weekend, it has been possible to research its economic impact. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to research the smaller, dispersed concerts and clubs which anchor the music scene year round. I worked on a research paper for Moshito last year, and it’s clear that the music scene contributes more to the local economy than it gets from it.

98 Long Street / T: 021 424 2442

& UNION combines style and stress-free dining and drinking with intimate semi-unplugged gigs both indoors and outd. In addition to serving excellent beer and wine, & UNION has made its shows free and informal, allowing patrons to be a part of the party. 110 Bree Street / T: 021 422 2770 Photo: Mark Reitz

in February, a Human Rightsthemed weekend in March, a contemporary African music run in July, and an African Reconnection season in September. If you take those themes broadly, the sessions will encompass a wide array of genres, but locate us strongly in Cape Town, South Africa, Africa. We hope to build on that programme, guided by the response of Capetonians and, of course, sponsors.

and features well-loved, semi-acoustic sets by bands from all brands of sound – folk, rock, pop, unusual and classical. Get there early to grab a sofa, sit at the feet of someone famous, or dance the night away on an open floor.

The Assembly

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September June 2011

Photo: Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town

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Neo Muyanga

MUSIC CITY

BIRD SONG The Loeries 2011 Battle of the Bands

on the silver screen

Saturday 10 September

Afrikaaps

Afrikaaps, the film and stage play, breaks ground by boldly attempting to reclaim Afrikaans – so long considered a language of the oppressor – as a language of liberation. It does this by foregrounding alternative histories of the creole birth of the language and shattering long-

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Sunday 11 September

Sathima’s Windsong

Photos: Supplied

Sathima’s Windsong is a lyrical portrait of the life of South African jazz singer Sathima Bea Benjamin. Shot in New York and Cape Town, it is a celebration of Benjamin’s work, a meditation on jazz and diaspora. Much like her haunting song, Windsong, the film is an eloquent meditation on displacement, exile and belonging.

existing efforts to whitewash and purify Afrikaans. While the ideas of the film are informed by rigorous academic study, the presentation of those ideas is steeped in the now – conveyed by hip hop-generation Cape Town-based artists who school audiences with an immediacy, irreverence and vibrancy often frowned upon in the academy. Directed by Dylan Valley (South Africa, 2010), 60 minutes

Directed by Daniel A Yon (Canada/South Africa, 2009), 80 minutes

The Black

A wacky take on the geography of apartheid in Cape Town. Using the Black River as both metaphor and embodiment of separation and displacement, this film constructs a poetic tableaux of water and sound to convey how the city’s musical traditions, often markers of ethnic identity, reinforce the ghettoisation of culture or serve to bring people together. It includes interviews, backstage banter and live concert footage of musicians ranging from kwaito stars and Brenda Fassie to right-wing Christian punk rockers.

Creative Week Cape Town has partnered with Encounters Documentary Film Festival and the Cape Film Commission to bring you a mini-documentary festival focused on music. Included in the programme are some sell-out productions from previous film festivals, and each screening is preceded by University of Cape Town film and media student work.

Tuesday 13 September

Monday 12 September

Fokofpolisiekar: Forgive them for they know not what they do

In-your-face progressive punk rock band Fokofpolisiekar are the subject of this spirited look at both the contemporary Afrikaans music industry and the shifting

cultural sands of white Afrikaans culture. The film focuses on how the Belville band came to be a voice for the dislocated youth straddling the before-and-after of 1994, about not being old enough to fully understand the effects of living under apartheid, not young enough to be entirely “new” South Africans. Directed by Bryan Little (South Africa, 2009), 108 minutes

Directed by Eddie Edwards (South Africa, 2002), 45 minutes

Wednesday 14 September

Mr Devious: My Life

From the seemingly endless gang violence of Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain, emerges the charismatic talent of Mario “Mr Devious” van Rooy. Shunning the cyclical debt of fame offered in Johannesburg, Devious returns to the Cape Flats determined to use his brand of hip-hop activism to inspire the youth at risk and offer a creative alternative to juvenile offenders in prisons across the Cape. But, just as his message of non-violence is starting to get through, he is killed when rescuing his father from teenage muggers. Devastated by the loss of a close friend, the filmmaker explores Devious’ life, and the future of his legacy that now lies with his young widow and mother of his three children, Natalie. Directed by John W Fredericks (South Africa, 2005), 48 minutes

Part time rock stars, full time professionals Everyone deserves to let loose at least once a year, but the ad and visual communications industry likes to do it differently. Once a year the Loeries Battle of The Bands gives professionals the chance to stake their claims on stage. This year, they strut their sonic stuff at Mercury Live. All agency and industry bands can enter the competition and the five shortlisted bands will perform on stage at Mercury Live on Friday 16 September. Entry is free for all Loeries festival weekend ticket holders.

Thursday 15 September

Casa del Musica

Cape Town and Havana may lie longitudes apart, but both are melting pot ports where sailors, soldiers, traders and slaves have created a fabulous mix of religions and cultures. Historian and musician Vincent Kolbe and jazz legend the late Robbie Jansen travel from Cape to Cuba to explore the island’s rich musical heritage and share with it some of their own city’s eclectic cultural treasures. The film follows Jansen as he takes his sax on a tour of Havana’s parks, streets, jazz clubs and studios to meet and jam with the city’s finest soundsmiths. The result is a highly entertaining introduction to Cuban music – past, present and future – and a deeply personal account of Jansen rediscovering his own wellsprings of creative inspiration. Directed by Johnathan de Vries (South Africa, 2003), 52 minutes

The Labia on Orange, 68 Orange Street 10 - 15 September 2011 18h15 Tickets are R25 per screening T: 021 424 5927 www.labia.co.za

September 2011

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Photo: Supplied

“l live in the Central City” Neo Muyanga

Neo Muyanga is a composer living in Bree Street. This co-creator of Pan African Space Station, member of Blk Sonshine and composer of this year’s wellreceived musical, Memory of How It Feels, shares his experience of living a musical life in the Central City. www.neosong.net

How long have you lived in the Central City? I moved to Cape Town 10 years ago and began living in the city then.

the evening; then dinner, after which I usually read at home until I go out either to meet a friend or take in some live music or theatre or dance.

Why do you choose to live, work, stay and play in the Central City? It’s a small town centre, making it very convenient for me to cover errands in the shortest time possible so that most of the rest of my time is spent doing actual work.

As a musician and composer you may experience the Central City on a different frequency – tell us about that? I think it’s a shame that not more places are open later. I enjoy being able to walk the streets taking in the noises and poses people put on – it makes the city feel creative and, I suspect, safer than if only a few people are out and about.

Describe a typical day in your life in the city? Every day I start with my studio routine – warm-up, practice (usually I do this mentally, to reduce the chance of muscle strain), then try to compose something new (usually for this I have to actually play an instrument or something); then I have meetings, when required, from about 16h00 onwards into

What role does music play in Cape Town’s story? Well “goema!” is all one has to say to that – the minstrels own this town, and so they should. Cape Town wakes up to the call of the muezzin: it sleeps to the

thump of clubs and bars. I know lots of city residents complain about the noise, but really what is a city if not for noise and edginess? What impact does the music scene have on industry here? Good music makes us feel more comfortable to stay in a place, when we stay longer we spend more money,

“Cape Town wakes up to the call of the muezzin: it sleeps to the thump of clubs and bars. I know lots of city residents complain about the noise, but really what is a city if not for noise and edginess?”

and if the good music being played is that made by the locals, it helps give visitors an even better sense of the unique identities at play. Cape Town is not like Jo’burg, it’s not like New York, London or Tokyo. I think that’s great. Where do you go to relax or celebrate after a performance? I like coming home for food. For a drink I go to most of the cafés on Bree Street – there is a lot of choice every day, except Sundays. Where do you go for inspiration in the Central City? I walk the streets for inspiration – all along Long Steet, past Church Square, all the way up Roeland and Buitenkant Streets, up along Riebeek up to Waterkant Street, and then back down past Greenmarket Square, and back up St George’s Mall and Wale

Street. It’s a great walking town. Which other international cities do you love? What can Cape Town learn from them? I love New York City. I think the best we can learn from the Apple is: do your own thing. What piece of music best expresses Cape Town for you? I composed a piece called City Ramblers earlier this year for an exhibition by the District Six Museum, celebrating the local history of soccer. And a piece I absolutely love is Mac Mackenzie’s Red Rock City, which showcases the beautiful musicality that was Alex van Heerden.

Mo’ music with Mr Mo Music events coordinator and DJ Andre Swanepoel (Mr Mo) has been organising the Goematronics Remix Competition. City Views spoke with him to understand what the sound of goema has to do with the streets of Cape Town.

Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti

GOT GOEMA?

What has been your role in the Goema-tronics project? Having been involved in the Goematronics project before, I was the natural choice to organise the remix competition – being a producer myself, I understand what it takes, and also what goes into organising a competition of this nature. Being in the dance music scene for over a decade also makes it possible to approach artists and remixers on a very grassroots level, which is the homegrown essence of the competition.

What excites you about Goematronics? Firstly that the music is

inherent to the Cape Town area, and it comes from the history of the kind of music that the slaves brought with them from their homelands – like Cape Town people it is a melting pot of rhythms, rhymes and stories that make up that diverse history. Secondly the goema drums are made from wine barrels, and after meeting the original drum makers last year, I was amazed at the specific sound that emanated from the specific timber and shape they used, and the history behind that.

What is your most vivid memory of hearing goema music live?

Why does goema matter to you as a professional in the music industry?

Probably watching the Kaapse Klopse when I was about five years old, standing with my grandmother in Long Street years ago. It

Because it’s a sound unique to a small city at the tip of Africa, a sound that identifies its culture and the diverse people that make up the culture. It’s the original sound of Cape Town. The music has been taken on by jazz musicians right through to hip-hop turntablists in the past. It’s just that this time around we are making the public more aware of the efforts in this genre.

was a wonderfully colourful display of music, dancing and singing.

What’s missing in the Cape Town club scene? More live music venues and a different approach to the drinking laws. The more they crack down on drinking in venues, as well as sound levels, the more we suffer as we have earlier closing times, and due to that fact there are less and less people willing to open venues. This affects patrons and the scene alike. This will in effect kill the creativity of the musicians, due to the fact that there will be no money available because of the shortage of gigs.

A word from Peter Abrahams “Goema is the traditional sound of the Cape, created by hitting the gummy (the drum). Goematronics remixes traditional Cape melodies in a modern way. This emerging sound helps in educating people about goema … Producers and DJs make new music trendy when they curate it in their shows in a creative way. The city of Cape Town has always had its own unique sound but now this new sound in being heard more in South Africa as well as internationally and that makes me proud.”

12 CityViews from the fringe

CityViews

September 2011

S OPEN FOR BUSINES

Banking on creativity The Bank, a creative node for design entrepreneurs and freelancers, is shaking things up in Harrington Street. City Views chatted to friendly bank manager Nicoline Jongens about the value of the collective (b)rand.

How does a design collaborative end up being called The Bank?

The name is a fun play on the building’s past: this sturdy piece of heritage architecture – including a rather impressive vault deep in its foundations – was the First National Bank Cape Town headquarters until it closed its doors in 2005. Today, The Bank has been rebranded and given a second lease on life as a design collaborative, this time with creativity as its currency, not South African rands. And how does it live up to its slogan “Creativity Exchange”?

I’ve seen so many successful creative exchanges since I’ve been here, but a practical example is that Furnspace 3D (based in The Bank) sells InteriCAD, a full design software solution for interior architects and designers that is comparatively far more affordable than other design software on the market. All designers in the freelancing arm of The Bank who have shown an interest in the software and subsequently bought InteriCAD, have been able to work in the freelancing space rent free. The Bank has a dedicated training centre for this software, ongoing support for in-house freelancers, and being located within a community of users encourages getting to know the software better. That advantage, combined with the fabulous open-plan workspace, has facilitated the exchange of creative ideas, pooled experience and networking opportunities. Has the creative synergy at The Bank changed the way you do things?

Yes! I started out here working as part of the sales and marketing team for Furnspace 3D. An

architectural designer myself, I was so inspired by the diversity of projects coming into the space that I decided to return to my true passion of design and moved into the freelancing arm of the collaborative myself. What can The Bank contribute to the Central City’s creative economy?

The Bank is setting a precedent for design collectives in The Fringe, where magic can happen through the mixing and interaction of a diversity of creative entities. I believe it will contribute to creatives, designers and innovators in Cape Town believing in the value of collaboration. If each creative entity exposes the value of the services they can offer to the greater whole, Cape Town could grow into an innovation powerhouse. With the possibility of Cape Town being awarded the 2014 World Design Capital title, the creative dynamo that Cape Town is becoming could explode with opportunities linked to winning this prestigious, enabling title.

Top portrait, from left: The Bank facilities manager Mushirri Abrahams ‘Pung’ with James Bisset, Floyd Paul and Jesse Ede of Everybody Love Everybody. Bottom portrait, from left: ‘Bank Manager’ Nicoline Jongens, World Design Capital 2014 organising committee members Dilki de Silva and Martin Darbyshire, and Steven Harris of Furnspace 3D.

“If each creative entity exposes the value of the services they can offer to the greater whole, Cape Town could grow into an innovation powerhouse.” – Nicoline Jongens

What would you change about The Fringe/Central City if you could?

I would shake the buildings inside out, pulling the story of each Central City inhabitant onto the street and get everybody sharing their stories and talking this creative city into life. The minute you start connecting and sharing is when inspiration strikes – and chance encounters make for great connections. I’d create areas to meet on every corner, with a good seat, shade and excellent coffee or wine readily available (vino after five of course). And to make my sister Alex Jongens smile, I would plant loads of trees, to bring the birds, bugs and butterflies into the city. Where do design and coffee meet in The Fringe?

Oh! Café on 46 Harrington Street, Charly’s Bakery on 38 Canterbury Street, Field Office at 37 Barrack Street For a banking chat call Bank Manager Nicoline Jongens The Bank, 71 Harrington Street T: 082 680 3342 www.thedesignbank.co.za

CELEBRATING CREATIVE CAPE TOWN The Creative Cape Town Annual 2011 – a snapshot of the creative and knowledge economy in the Cape Town central city and focusing this year on The Fringe – will be launched in style on Tuesday 13 September. Expect another glossy edition on creative industry developments with high-quality images and strong content – and a good time to boot. When: Tuesday 13 September Time: 17h30 Where: The Bank, 71 Harrington Street, The Fringe www.creativeweekct.co.za

Photos: Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town

What is The Bank?

The Bank is a full design collaborative currently housing five unique design companies and a team of freelancing entrepreneurs across various design disciplines. The Banking Team includes its five founding members, Furnspace 3D, FVE Interiors, Aidan Bennetts Design, Formula-D Interactive and Everybody Love Everybody.

September 2011

from the

CityViews

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A STREET AT A TIME

Why I love Harrington Street Steven Harris, owner of Furnspace 3D, has a lifelong connection to Harrington Street and recently opened design collaborative The Bank at 71 Harrington Street. Here, he shares why he loves this Central City strip.

y life is intricately connected with Harrington Street. Woodhead’s, the leather merchants, is my family’s business and by the time I was seven years old I was already working there on Saturday mornings, fitting sheepskin seats to cars. These days my brother Richard Harris runs Woodhead’s. As a teenager I remember escorting my grandmother up Harrington Street to Standard Bank (which is now Dias Tavern) to deposit the day’s takings. The area from Dias Tavern to Excelsior House is my area of specialty – I couldn’t tell you very much about the top end of the street. Five years ago FNB closed its doors and we bought the building, which has recently been rebranded as design collaborative, The Bank. For the last few years I’ve spent a lot of time educating old friends in the area about what’s coming – that if an area has internet cables and coffee the likelihood increases that we can run good businesses. I’ve kept reiterating the possibilities of the future: that this area should be a design and technology area, that we need to use the buildings in the area for collaborative workspaces for young designers and innovators, and that we need to choose tenants in line with that vision. Over the last five years I’ve seen the conversion of businesses in this area from wholesale to landlord models – from business to brain. For example, Excelsior House once housed five floors of whole-

salers and now only has one floor let by wholesalers. My business, Furnspace 3D, is South Africa’s distributor of the InteriCAD range of interior design software products and this has been really useful to help people “see” the future of the neighbourhood – recently we enabled Excelsior House to let their 2nd floor to a hi-tech IT company by using this 3D software to mock up a rendering of what the interior could look like. In the last two months Harrington Street’s change of identity has gained momentum, with the creative synergy in The Bank’s collective workspace seeing the collaborative go from strength to strength. Our 1 000m2 space is now a fully upmarket design studio

I’ve spent a lot of time educating old friends in the area about what’s coming – that if an area has internet cables and coffee the likelihood increases that we can run good businesses.

with five interiors, and the World Design Capital judges visit to The Bank was a real highlight. By 2014, I can envision a range of complementary creatives – both small and large enterprises – based in the area. Beyond creatives there should also be some moneyed corporates and strategic suppliers. Imagine strong ICT systems and plugging into the underground fibre optic cable – which means we’ll all be collaboratively linked up in the virtual world, while coffee shops and eateries will bring us out onto the streets which will also inspire real-world collaboration. Twenty years ago Harrington Street was deserted late at night, but now the streets are deep with young people spilling out of nightclubs at 03h00. I’d like this to go a step further and in the future I’d love to see The Bank brightly lit and open as a busy working environment 24/7. I’d also love to see the street being pedestrianised and greened, bringing urban parks to the area – that would be great. Food wise there is Oh Café for crepes, Charly’s Bakery for pies and all things sweet, and toasted sandwiches downstairs at the Harley Davidson Club, but good food still needs to come – and more good coffee. There’s also a gap for an accessible place where creatives can go for drinks and a chat after work.

Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti

by Steven Harris

Steven Harris

Furnspace 3D T: 021 461 7044 www.furnspace3d.co.za

– Steven Harris

Central City Partners’ Forum to focus on The Fringe

The next Cape Town Partnership Central City Partners’ Forum will focus on The Fringe: Cape Town’s Design and Innovation District, a Cape Catalyst Project to develop economic infrastructure in the region. This is an opportunity to hear about recent development work done in the district, as well as some of the proposed principles flowing out of the urban design framework currently up for discussion. Following a design charette in February with architects, government and built environment academics, an urban design framework for The Fringe was developed, proposing

Photo: Timmy Henny

FRINGE BENEFITS

that the area supports a science park environment complemented by good public space, high broadband access, spaces for small business accelerators, and shared offices for small firms. Central City Partners’ Forum When: 14 September 2011 Where: The Fugard Theatre, Corner of Caledon and Harrington Street Contact: sue@capetownpartnership.co.za

14 from the fringe

CityViews

September 2011

People’s art in public places

Street art is a contentious issue in this city, but it’s also a form of city ownership – people laying claim to a space and expressing themselves in it. Here are a few examples of the art you can see on the streets of The Fringe – coupled with some (curated) comment from local writers.

WALKING ON WALLS

Join Max aka Mak1one on a walking tour of graffiti in The Fringe, focusing on memory, future-making and meaning in public art.

Photos: Rowan Pybus, Jess Mitrani Henson, Bruce Sutherland

12 September 2011 Starting at The Bank, 71 Harrington St Visit www.creativeweekct.co.za for more details.

“Removing the greyness from the soul of the city is the job of musicians, artists and poets.” – Freddy Sam

“Language needs to be destroyed and rebuilt so that we own it. How do we get our thoughts and feelings from here to there? Words are very limiting … I think we’d explode without music and art and muddling words up here and there.” – Faith47

“My mom was an art teacher and she told all the kids, ‘Art is in everyone, it’s up to you to bring it out,’ and I believe this is true, it’s a simple matter of connecting with you creatively.” – Freddy Sam

Openi Cape Tng access t o own’s – throug youth h books Social movement Equal Education has

about

September 2011

“While Capetonians drive innovation and development in their respective neighbourhoods, it is important that we also ask ourselves what part each of us can play in redressing the tremendous inequalities in our city.”

Why is Equal Education partnering with the Open Book Festival? G Equal Education is a social movement

– Gina Fourie

What collaboration is involved in this city initiative to stock a Khayelitsha library? G Since the start of our Bookery Project in January 2010, Equal Education has established ten school libraries. We salute Open Book for bringing part of the festival beyond their neighbourhood CV

CV Does the youth programme for Open Book include any Cape Town-based youth fiction? F Yes, we’re doing a number of events at schools that feature local authors: Sally Partridge, Diane Awerbuck, Sarah Lotz and Elizabeth Wasserman to name a few. We are also having several events on the main programme that look at writing for teens including an event with Ros Hander (author of Cover to Cover) and Steve Vosloo (of Yoza). Broken Promises is the first title Cover to Cover has published, but there will be more. The book was written in consultation with students, so is relevant, local and addictive reading for teens. Yoza.mobi is a cellphone library geared for South African teens, and visitors to the site can read different genres of made for mobile cellphone novels. Maskew

CV What’s on the menu at Trees? A variety of grills, ranging from A-grade matured beef fillet, rump, sirloin and T-bone to lamb cutlet, venison and ostrich. Sustainable seafood like fresh linefish, Franschhoek salmon trout, prawns and mussels. We also have some traditional dishes like oxtail served with chakalaka or tripe with samp. We always have at least one vegetarian starter and main course available on our set menu in support of Meatless Mondays. Our staff meals on Mondays are always meatless.

Great chefs of the Central City, Cape Town: Stefan Schmidt, Trees

Two years ago, Townhouse Hotel elected a green team under the chairmanship of head chef Stefan Schmidt. Now, cooking oil is used for biodiesel, coffee is always fair trade, and even the pencils are biodegradable. City Views spoke to Stefan about what’s green at Trees.

As chef, what is your philosophy on food? Keep it simple. Taste is what matters. Do not confuse the clientele.

Photos: Supplied

CV Where do you get your inspiration for the food you serve here? From guest feedback, input from my kitchen staff and industry trends. It’s also important to take the season we’re in into consideration.

Miller Longman will also be announcing the winners of their youth literature awards at Open Book with guest speaker, Sindiwe Magona. Equal Education will be doing a public lecture on the importance of libraries in schools. DID YOU KNOW? Only 7.71% of public schools in South Africa have stocked, staffed libraries – yet, all other things being equal, the addition of a functioning school library alone adds 8% to average learner outcomes

Photo: Jess Mitrani Henson

How does the Open Book Festival link into the libraries campaign? F The festival hopes to stock a library each year. With the help of EqualEducation we’ve identified Matthew Goniwe High School in Khayelitsha as our school for 2011. Books for the library will be available at all Open Book events, and we will be urging festivalgoers to buy and donate. With help from publishers, festivalgoers and The Book Lounge, we know we will be able to hand a fully stocked and functional library over to the school by 25 September 2011. We will continue to work with the school to make sure they have the support they need to maximise the benefits a library can offer.

made up of members living in working-class communities, for whom the issue of poor education is of extreme importance. Our work aims at redressing inequalities in the education sector (and SA society in general), and we are based in Khayelitsha, where most of our work happens. Since 2009, we’ve been campaigning for a national rollout of school libraries. We are hoping that our involvement in Open Book will galvanise support for our libraries campaign among festivalgoers from the Central City and beyond.

Photo: Richard Aaron, Muti

partnered with the Open Book Festival to include a youth programme as part of the event, and to galvanise support for their libraries campaign amongst festivalgoers. Festival coordinator Frankie Murrey and Equal Education’s Gina Fourie chatted to City Views about their innovative collaboration.

to Khayelitsha. While Capetonians drive innovation and development in their respective neighbourhoods, it is important that we also ask ourselves what part each of us can play in redressing the tremendous inequalities in our city, and this initiative sets a great example. The Book Lounge has sourced the book collection while our team at the Bookery has labelled and catalogued the books. Equal Education and the Open Book team have worked closely with Mrs Mqumbisa and the staff at Matthew Goniwe High School to ensure that the collection of books will be relevant and appropriate.

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Gina Fourie, Cosmas Mabeya and Frankie Murrey

Open Book Festival 21 to 25 September 2011 www.openbookfestival.co.za www.equaleducation.org.za

CV What food trends do you foresee in the year ahead? Sustainable and natural products remain in demand. But good steak will never go out of fashion. CV What has been your experience in the Central City? I like the fact that the CBD seems to reinvent itself with new buildings popping up at a rapid pace. I get the feeling that the city is moving very fast – restaurants, clubs and pubs are always opening and closing or relocating to a different hub. Compared to two years ago, the East City where we are located looks totally different today.

What are some of the unusual and unexpected places in Central City? The Company’s Garden. I enjoy the peace and quiet right in the middle of our bustling city. I also love the interesting mix of people in Cape Town – both laidback and yuppie. CV

Trees Townhouse Hotel & Conference Centre 60 Corporation Street T: 021 465 7050 www.townhouse.co.za

RECIPE: Minestrone with pesto and parmesan cheese 1 red, yellow and green pepper 2 carrots 1 large onion 1 stalk of leek 1 stalk of celery 2 tomatoes 2 teaspoons of tomato paste 50g spaghetti 1 litre of chicken stock Salt and pepper Olive oil Basil pesto Grated parmesan cheese

Wash and clean all the vegetables, then dice them. Heat up the oil, add the veggies and sauté. Add tomato paste and the fresh tomatoes, keep sautéing. Add the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Break the spaghetti in short pieces and add them to the soup. Once the veggies and spaghetti are cooked al dente, remove the soup from heat, add one spoon of basil pesto and season to taste again with salt and pepper. Serve with basil pesto and grated parmesan cheese.

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CityViews

September 2011

FOCUS ON

My Cape Town:

Joe Schaffers

Joe Schaffers is a jazz vocalist, lead singer in popular jazz band Rendez Vous, and a volunteer guide at the District Six Museum.

Photos: Mark Surman and Supplied

CV Joe, you were a resident of District Six before its destruction and now work for the District Six Museum as a guide. Tell us what that meant for you and what it means now to tell the story District Six.

WALKING TOUR Join Joe on a District Six walking tour on 14 September 2011, as part of Creative Week Cape Town. The tour starts at 14h30 and lasts one hour. Cost is R50 and places are limited so mail zayd@capetownpartnership.co.za to book yours.

Straatwerk has job rehabilitation projects for men and women. 021 425 0140 The Haven’s vision is to get the homeless home. 021 425 4700 The Homestead provides residential care and family integration for boys. 021 461 7470

Ons Plek provides residential care while undertaking reunification process for girls. 021 465 4829 The Carpenters Shop provides rehabilitation services and skills training for adults. 021 461 5508 Salesian Institute Youth Projects provide education, skills training and rehabilitation to vulnerable youth. 021 425 1450

When we first heard we would be shifted there was a feeling of disbelief that government could actually move that many people. The general feeling was that it wasn’t going to happen. When the first removals started the realisation hit home and I was shocked, angry and totally disappointed in this callous system. Now, I try to see our eviction from the city centre as water under the bridge, but in the spirit of healing I decided to come to this museum to try and get people to understand that in District Six people used to look upon one another as people, and didn’t judge each other by colour or creed. If this worked in the past, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work in the future. District Six is slowly getting redeveloped – what do you think the return will mean for the Central City? If this area can be redevelCV

oped to give it a sense of a utopia where different creeds and colours can live together harmoniously then it will have achieved what we wanted it to – to develop the city of Cape Town into a city of people, not races. CV What do you love about District Six as a city precinct? I love the international focus on this area – foreigners want to come to the District Six Museum to find out how apartheid destroyed communities and we’ve received extensive exposure in foreign media. Apartheid rolled out throughout South Africa, but this precinct has become the focal point regarding the history of forced removals. We’ve become the mouth and the voice that speaks openly about the psychological damage apartheid caused.

What are the places in the city centre that drew you to them when you lived in District Six, and draw you still? The city spaces that have a place in my life are the ones I could still go to during the apartheid era. I find refuge in the peace of the Company’s Garden, walking with mixed communities. The National Art Gallery, the Michaelis CV

Museum, the South African Natural History Museum … all spaces I used to inhabit in my young days of walking through the city. We couldn’t go to movies or restaurants. And we used to go to St Mary’s Cathedral for services – that’s a good place to go and have a look and see the change that has happened around it over the years. CV You are also an accomplished musician and a music organizer. Tell us what you think about the music scene in the Cape Town Central City today and what needs to happen to make it more vibrant? There are the beginnings of a music precinct in The Fringe with some live music for the younger generation, but nothing for the older jazz lover. Acoustic tourism should be championed with restaurants, bars and hotels employing musicians, and music routes on offer

for locals and visitors. This has always been a musical city – we need to promote that, bringing the beautiful sounds of our mixed heritage into the city. With the current economic climate it’s really dark times for musicians in Cape Town, but adversity encourages the spirit of music and there are great sounds coming through. The Fan Park events were great and the city itself should consistently employ musicians to play in public spaces, indoors and out – especially during a recession when the public needs free uplifting entertainment. CV Is there a song that captures the essence of what Cape Town is for you? The song that really gets to me is Welcome to Cape Town by Nur Abrahams.

District Six Museum 25 Buitenkant Street T: 021 466 7200 www.districtsix.co.za

MYCAPETOWN What does Cape Town mean to you, and when last did you explore the city streets, the corridors of our past and our present? 27 September is World Tourism Day, focusing on linking cultures. Why not take time out in September to step into someone else’s favourite city space and hear their stories? Visit www.capetown.travel/mycapetown for ideas.

Many children and young adults living on the streets have severe drug addiction problems. More often than not, the money they receive from begging is used to buy their next “fix”. The CCID therefore requests that members of the public do not give money or handouts directly. If you would like to help, please contact one of the listed organisations mentioned. Contact the Central City Improvement District’s (CCID’s) Social Development Department for further information or assistance.

Pat 021 419 1881 | Dean 082 928 3862 Headman Sirala-Rala 082 262 0113 Mark Williams 082 262 0112