ART | 17 15
23 October 2019
Lights! Sound! Action! Let the magic begin! Writer Elaine Davie
I
t was an artistic tour de force beyond the imaginations of most of the Overstrand children attending the Artscape Outreach Concerts last Friday. As the 1 100 learners of Hawston Primary School filed into the hall, neatly dressed and disciplined, high-fiving Principal Julius Swart on the way in, one could not miss the tingle of excitement in the air. And then, crashing in on them, the purple, the blue, green, and yellow strobe lights revolving crazily across the walls and over the ceiling and audience, and the live music thudding and grinding. It was a song they all knew: Dames by Biggy. Spontaneously, with one voice, they began to sing. Artscape CEO, Marlene le Roux called on the ‘sweetie pies’ and the ‘poplappe’ who were brave enough, to come and strut their stuff on the stage. Even Principal Swart, caught up in the spirit of the moment, began shaking out some mean moves along with his learners. The music reached its apex, slowly began to die down; the singing faded and the dancers returned to their seats. Then Marlene was whispering into the mic, inviting the audience to become very quiet, to close their eyes and begin to “imagine a journey to another land”… It was an indication of how
important she considers this annual outreach project that the CEO, despite wearing a leg brace, was there herself, actively participating in what the management of Artscape believes is an essential initiative to expose children from outlying regions of the Western Cape to a rich smorgasbord of the performing arts. Each year it takes a show to a different municipal district, partnering with a local NGO, in this case, the Overstrand Association of People with Disabilities (OAPD). The Hawston visit included two free, hour-long concerts for primary school children, one for high school pupils and a Gala Concert for members of the public in the evening. A long day’s journey for the performers and backstage workers, especially in the face of load-shedding! “We view it as a very worthwhile exercise both for Artscape and the learners we reach,” explains Project Manager, Whelan Maarman. “On the one hand, we believe we are investing in the future of the performing arts by building new audiences and on the other, we are expanding the worldview of pupils by exposing them to different artistic genres and cultural traditions. Our high school
Cookbook launched in aid of Hospice
PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer performances also have a strong career guidance element, introducing the learners to the various options for a career in the performing arts, either from an artistic or a technical support point of view.” Certainly, the Hawston concert could not have been more varied or ground-shifting – from the statuesquely glittering operatic soprano Zanne Stapelberg, to a dexterous wheelchair dancer and her partner; a symphonic string quartet contrasted with the plaintive sounds of an African kora; while a high-energy pair of jugglers from the Zip Zap Circus competed with a John Legend soundalike for enthusiastic applause. With open-mouthed, bugeyed wonder the youngest children simply drank it all in, while the older ones threw themselves body and soul into the action. Under the spell of performers not much older than themselves, “that could be me” was definitely not too great a stretch. The stirring words of the song from The Man of La Mancha, performed by the full company, were ringing in their ears as they left the hall: “Here is something that can fill your life with beauty, reach out for it. But more than that, if it is strong enough, if you have the self-belief and are prepared to work hard enough, it doesn’t have to be an ‘impossible dream’.”
L
ong-time local resident, Carol Leipold, who sadly passed away in January this year, was well known for her hospitality and cooking skills. Thanks to her friends, Rose Plane and Carol Groenewald, some of her favourite recipes have now been compiled into an attractive book entitled Cockle’s Kitchen. Carol, whose nickname was ‘Cockle’, was married to Max Leipold, an Italian by birth and a lover of good food. With his encouragement, it was hardly surprising that Carol embarked upon a career in the catering business. Carol had deep roots in Hermanus, where her maternal grandfather was a prominent member of the local community in the twenties. As owner of The Marine Hotel, he was a pioneer
in encouraging tourism to what was then a small fishing village. Carol’s delightful cookbook will be launched at the United Church Hall at 17:00 on Friday 1 November. Some of the illustrations included in the book will form part of a silent auction at the launch, and all proceeds from the sale of Cockle’s Kitchen will go to Overstrand Hospice. The cost of the book is R200 per copy and can be purchased at the launch either in cash or by credit card. Copies of the book can also be pre-ordered by making an EFT payment to: PJL Groenewald; Standard Bank; Current Account No. 071469222; Bank Code 02500; Reference: your surname followed by your first name
The launch of Cockle’s Kitchen will include a silent auction of the original artwork used to illustrate the book.
