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September is Heritage Month and Iziko Museums of Cape Town will
offer a programme as diverse as South Africa is dynamic, and will
include exhibitions, tours, workshops, film screenings, performances
and the annual African
Roots Festival. As part of the national commemoration of
South Africa’s heritage, Iziko Museums of Cape Town have developed a
programme that caters for all members of the public.
The national theme for the heritage celebrations is Celebrating
South African Poetry. Iziko will be featuring a range of
programmes throughout the month to give effect to this, including the
launch of the CD, Ansella van de Caab - the story of a Slave-woman,
produced by Diana Ferrus, whose other poem, I want to take you home,
also inspired the return of Sarah Bartmann’s remains from Paris to
South Africa in 2002.
Two major exhibitions will be opening in this period. On 4 September,
the exhibition of well-known South African photographer, Ernest Cole,
opens at the SA National Gallery. On 6 September the SABC Art
Collection featuring the work of many contemporary South African
artists, will open at the Castle. Education programmes in support of
these two exhibitions will be a highlight for art students.
The first week will see the spotlight fall on behind-the-scenes tours
of the museum and exploring our natural history. On Saturday the 8th
September 2007, the Slave Route- walking tour will take visitors on a
trail walked by slaves at the Cape and will also incorporate a
walk-about in the Bo-Kaap. This will be become a regular monthly walk.
Schools can look forward to tailor-made programmes that will include
free screenings of the films donated by the Cape Film Commission, such
as “Bushmen’s Secret” and “Hip Hop Revolution”. In
addition to this, young people attending the Africa Banner Painting
workshops to be held on Saturdays, are sure to be enthralled with its
creative exploration of African symbolism and pattern-making at the SA
National Gallery Annexe. These banners will be on display in the
museum precinct in the summer season.
A packed programme in celebration of the life and commemoration of the
30th anniversary of the death of Steve Biko, will follow in the second
week, between 11 and 15 September. The screening of Biko-related films
is supported by the
Steve Biko Foundation. This includes
films on loan from the provincial library, honouring his life. The
highlight of this week is the talk by Nkosinathi Biko, producer of the
film “Biko – Beacon of Hope” and son of the late Steve Biko, on
11 September 2007 between 12h00- 13h00 in the TH Barry Theatre at the
SA Museum. The film Beacon of Hope will be screened after the
talk. During this week, learners will also be taken through the
current Imbacu exhibition at the National Gallery. Poetry performances
and open-mic sessions will once again be taking place at the Slave
Lodge Museum, spiced with healthy doses of marimba and drumming
workshops which will fill this evocative site with a deeply resonating
rhythm. The Slave Route walking tour will be repeated on the 22nd
September 2007.
Free film screenings will continue into the next week with the
Community Video Education Trust (CVET) presenting a series of locally
produced short films and in the third week audiences will be treated
to more home-grown talent from City Varsity film students. At the end
of the month, the Planetarium will launch a new show, entitled ‘15
Billion BC’ a new isiXhosa version of the show. At Koopmans-de Wet
house, a special guided tour of this house-museum coupled with an
embroidery workshop has been organised. Families should anticipate
exciting activities at various sites on Heritage Day itself.
Entry to all Iziko sites will be FREE on Heritage day: 24 September!
The month’s programme culminates with specialist guided tours for the
public, led by our well-known curators and scientists at key sites on
25 and 26 September. Please book early to avoid disappointment.
Contact
awilliams@iziko.org.za for these tours only.
To be certain you don’t miss out on the exciting heritage celebrations
in September, contact Vivienne Carelse (Director of Education and
Public Programmes) at 012 481 3813 for further information.
Alternatively, Wandile Kasibe (Public Programmes Co-ordinator) can be
reached at 021 481 3804 / 13 and email:
publicprogs@iziko.org.za. You can also visit the Education
section of the Iziko Museums website for programme details. |
