August 12, 2003
By Lucille Davie
A NATIONAL arts and crafts exhibition entitled "Investing in Culture" was launched at the Bus Factory in Newtown on Saturday, showcasing work from around the country and pulling together the country's poverty alleviation projects.
The exhibition was opened by Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture Buyelwa Sonjica on national Women's Day, 9 August. It will run until the end of the month.
"As part of this national Women's Day of 2003, the national Department of Arts and Culture has many reasons for celebration as we open a showcase of all of our poverty alleviation projects, which have been rolled out nationally from about three years ago."
All nine provinces are represented at the one-month exhibition, and the sample work includes mosaic pictures, beadwork, paintings, baskets, dolls, handbags, walking sticks, clay pots, and beautiful clothes for men and women.
"It is fitting that we are opening this exhibition on national Women's Day, as most beneficiaries of this programme are women," said Sonjica.
She explained that the programme does not only collect and display the work of women, but also teaches financial and business management and the marketing of the products. "We recognise that one of the underlying challenges in this programme is the lack of skills."
Sonjica stressed that the inclusion of young people was crucial to the continued success of the programme. "There is a continuing need for new marketable product in crafts. We also need creative people in music, drama, dance and other cultural products."
Items from the exhibition can be ordered from the Bus Factory officials.
The Investing in Culture exhibition complements the ongoing, permanent exhibition entitled "Beautiful Things", at the Bus Factory. This exhibition, also craft from around the country, was first seen at Ubuntu Village during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in August last year.
This one-year project is a joint effort to promote crafts, and is supported by Blue IQ, the provincial development agency and the Johannesburg Development Agency, with additional funding from the national Arts and Culture Department for the first year.
Items from the Beautiful Things exhibition are on sale in the shop at the Bus Factory.
The Crafts Council also has a month-long basket exhibition at the same venue, with baskets from Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, on display. Some of the local baskets come from the Wits University Collection, and others are from private collections. The baskets include traditional storage items for grains and beer, beautiful decorative wall baskets, and wonderful shopping baskets. Also on display are wire baskets and baskets with beadwork incorporated into their weave.
Sonjica announced at the same function the Mosadi wa Kgodi a Kgokgo or The Divine Woman project, a nationwide campaign integrating arts and education in which entrants will write a biographical profile of their chosen role model, and then express their entry in music, drama, story-telling, dance, craft or the visual arts.
The object of the campaign is to encourage young women to learn more about their role models, with a view to engendering self-esteem and to strive for excellence in their chosen career, at the same time encouraging participation in the arts. It's open to girls from grades 8-11 and to young school-leavers. Entries can be submitted through community arts centres throughout the country. Application forms will be available from department of arts and culture centres around the country from 1 September, and they can be submitted in any official language.
Entries will be judged on relevance, originality, creativity, research, presentation and writing skills. The closing date is 30 November and judging will begin in February 2004. Winners will be announced on Women's Day 2004. The project is an initiative of the Department of Arts and Culture and the Department of Education. More information can be obtained from Dorothy Mabiletsa on 012 337 8129 or dorothy.mabiletsa@dac.gov.za.
