Media images and interview requests, please contact:
Zikhona Jafta on 021 481 3838 or at mediaofficer@iziko.org.za
On Saturday, 30 November 2019, Iziko Museums of South Africa will be celebrating World AIDS and Emancipation Day – commemorating both the abolishment of slavery and the worldwide efforts made to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The commemoration programmes will take place at both the Iziko South African Museum and at the Iziko Slave Lodge.
Founded on 1 December 1988, World AIDS day aims to bring people together to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS, support those living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from AIDS-related illnesses. The World AIDS Day programme will run from 09h30 until 12h20 at the Iziko South African Museum and will consist of an educational workshop followed by a public discussion that is aimed at creating greater awareness about the disease.
This day will also mark the commemoration of the abolishment of slave trade in 1834. It was first established after the British Parliament passed the Slave Emancipation Act in 1833, banning its policy of enslaving and transporting Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean islands.
To highlight this historic milestone, the Emancipation Day programme will be celebrated through a stage performance that explores the lived experiences of ex-incarcerated ‘Coloured’ men in Cape Town. Devised and facilitated by Jan-Louise Lewin, Javier Perez and Jason Jacobs – this performance will run between 13h00 and 16h20 at the Iziko Slave Lodge, and aims to celebrate Emancipation Day and the legacies of the enslaved by recovering the forgotten narrative of die drosters. In remembering this history, it revisits the tragedy of ancestral loss and dislocation, giving voice to the silenced.
We hope that this programme will generate new insight and create educational awareness about issues of HIV/AIDS and further, it is hoped that this event will also highlight contemporary forms of slavery that society still grapple with today.
For further information contact Philiswa Kwaphuna on pkwaphuna@iziko.org.za or 0214813829/04 & Javier Perez jepperez2@gmail.com
ENDS
Issued by: Ellen Agnew
Communications Coordinator: Iziko Museums of South Africa
Telephone: 021 481 3830
Email: eagnew@iziko.org.za
Website: www.iziko.org.za
Issued on behalf of the Office of the CEO, Iziko Museums of South Africa
About Iziko Museums of South Africa (Iziko)
Iziko operates 11 national museums, the Planetarium and Digital Dome, the Social History Centre and three collection‑specific libraries in Cape Town. The museums that make up Iziko have their own history and character, presenting extensive art, social and natural history collections that reflect our diverse African heritage. Iziko is a public entity and public benefit organisation that brings together these museums under a single governance and leadership structure. The organisation allows *free access to all individuals on commemorative days, (*excluding the Castle of Good Hope, Groot Constantia and Planetarium and Digital Dome). Visit our webpage at www.iziko.org.za, join our online community on Facebook (www.facebook.com/IzikoMuseums), Instagram (@izikomuseumssa) or follow us on Twitter (@Iziko_Museums) for regular updates on events, news and new exhibitions.