August 2, 2007
By George Matlala
THOUSANDS of poor children will experience a little magic when they are treated to a trip to The Lion King.
At least 38 000 underprivileged kids from schools in Alexandra, Diepsloot and Soweto will be able to watch the musical, thanks to the Umhlaba wa Bantu "One by One" project, which will pay the children's tickets and transport to the Teatro at Montecasino in Fourways.
Umhlaba wa Bantu is a joint initiative of the musical's local producers, Lebo M and Pieter Toerien; Telkom, in association with the Lebo M Foundation; the Walt Disney Company; and Absa.
According to Lebo M, the school outreach project was aimed at helping disadvantaged children gain access to the arts and culture, and allowing them to be part of the show.
Disadvantaged youngsters will share in the magic of The Lion King
Addressing more than 150 learners at the launch of the project on Wednesday, 1 August at Teatro at Montecasino in Fourways, he said, "This experimental campaign will create a legacy to develop a new kind of theatre-going audience and expose young people who have never been previously exposed to theatre at the quality and level of The Lion King experience."
The children will be bused to the theatre for matinees from 15 August until the end of the production, with more than 1 800 learners seeing the production each week. They will also receive study guides to promote the values of The Lion King.
"We hope the experience of The Lion King will inspire you to dream far from where you are," Lebo M said. "We have shown the world that, given the opportunity, we are far beyond expectations of talent in this country."
When Telkom decided to be the major sponsor of the show, it wanted the production to be experienced by many people, said Braam Wessels, the telecommunications company's senior manager for marketing and sponsorship.
More than 20 school children from previously disadvantaged communities attended the opening of The Lion King as guests of Telkom on Wednesday, 6 June. "The circle of life came full circle when The Lion King finally opened in South Africa in June this year," he added.
The initiative was welcomed by the Gauteng department of education. Arts and culture had the potential to unify the nation, said Tshepo Seate, the acting chief education specialist in the Gauteng department of education. "As the department, we totally embrace the initiative … because it will expose our learners to a world-class production."
The production also opened new career opportunities, such as costume design.
"Let them not only see it on TV but also experience it," she noted, adding that attending the show would be a learning experience.
The Umhlaba wa Bantu project aims to expose underprivileged youngsters to The Lion King
And the children were just as delighted. "I feel happy and honoured that I am going to see The Lion King," said Nqobile Msibi, a learner at Diepsloot Combined School.
The Lion King is on at the Teatro at Montecasino in Fourways until 7 October. Ticket prices range from R150 to R425 and tickets are available at Computicket outlets, on 083 915 8000 or online on the
Computicket website.
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