THE EAST CITY PRECINCT
There's a talk on Tuesday called Taking a Fresh Look at the East City, hosted by the East City Design District initiative. The East City refers to the precinct where Cape Town's central city meets District Six, an area including the Castle, the Granary, the City Hall, the Grand Parade, the District Six Museum. Right at the moment, this part of town is a miracle of a wonderful place -- full of historical buildings, the museum, a few design institutions, the bookshop, the new theatre, a venerable tavern or two, businesses old and new -- all growing organically around the open, undeveloped spaces where the layers of the past are not covered over. So I quake in my boots a little when I read the generic language used to describe this week's public talk: "Nick Leon of Design London and Lorelle Bell, coordinator of the World Design Capital 2014, present a talk on on how elements of creativity, innovation, design and media contribute towards a world class city." I hope my fears are unfounded; in any case they are a good reason to go to the talk, and engage if possible with the City initiative which hosts it.
Tuesday 11 17h30
Townhouse Hotel, Corporation St
Free of charge 021 557 0246 Bronwyn@capetownpartnership.co.za
There's a talk on Tuesday called Taking a Fresh Look at the East City, hosted by the East City Design District initiative. The East City refers to the precinct where Cape Town's central city meets District Six, an area including the Castle, the Granary, the City Hall, the Grand Parade, the District Six Museum. Right at the moment, this part of town is a miracle of a wonderful place -- full of historical buildings, the museum, a few design institutions, the bookshop, the new theatre, a venerable tavern or two, businesses old and new -- all growing organically around the open, undeveloped spaces where the layers of the past are not covered over. So I quake in my boots a little when I read the generic language used to describe this week's public talk: "Nick Leon of Design London and Lorelle Bell, coordinator of the World Design Capital 2014, present a talk on on how elements of creativity, innovation, design and media contribute towards a world class city." I hope my fears are unfounded; in any case they are a good reason to go to the talk, and engage if possible with the City initiative which hosts it.
Tuesday 11 17h30
Townhouse Hotel, Corporation St
Free of charge 021 557 0246 Bronwyn@capetownpartnership.co.za
LOOKING FOR ERIC AT THE ALLIANCE FRANCAISE
It feels as if Cape Town is drawing a breath between the very busy Easter season behind us, and the hectic goings-on expected in the World Cup month ahead. Evita Bezuidenhout, bless her, has declared that her place in Darling will be a "soccer-free zone" for the duration. A few venues meanwhile have started featuring soccer-themed material - like the Alliance Francaise who this Tuesday will launch a photographic exhibition about amateur football in South Africa, and and on the same evening will show the Ken Loach film Looking for Eric. Reviewers were charmed by this 2009 comedy about a postman whose life is in crisis and who turns to his football hero, "famously philosophical" Eric Cantona.
Alliance Francaise 155 Loop Street
Tuesday 11 18h30 exhibition launch, thereafter the film
Entrance free
BOOK LAUNCH: EGGS TO LAY, CHICKENS TO HATCH
On Tuesday Chris van Wyk will be at the Book Lounge - another Eastern City landmark - to launch his new book Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch. It's the sequel to Shirley, Goodness and Mercy, his funny and immediate memoir of growing up in Riverlea, which has been a best-seller in South Africa. The focus of this volume is the young Chris's relationship with Agnes, the Zulu housekeeper, and the title comes from the catch-phrase she would use when she was pressed for time. Van Wyk is a wonderful raconteur in real life as well as on the page so this should be fun.
Tuesday 11 17h30 for 18h00
The Book Lounge
On Tuesday Chris van Wyk will be at the Book Lounge - another Eastern City landmark - to launch his new book Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch. It's the sequel to Shirley, Goodness and Mercy, his funny and immediate memoir of growing up in Riverlea, which has been a best-seller in South Africa. The focus of this volume is the young Chris's relationship with Agnes, the Zulu housekeeper, and the title comes from the catch-phrase she would use when she was pressed for time. Van Wyk is a wonderful raconteur in real life as well as on the page so this should be fun.
Tuesday 11 17h30 for 18h00
The Book Lounge
AT THE CASTLE FORGE
The Castle, a major landmark of the East City, is the venue over the next two weeks for daily demonstrations of the ancient art of blacksmithing, presented by the Forge from Montebello Centre. Having spent some time at the Forge (when my son chose it as the subject for a matric art work a year or two ago) I can recommend it as quite a thrilling process to watch.
Monday to Saturday until 25 May 9h00 to 14h00
Castle of Good Hope, Darling St R 20
Information 021 686 8494 nicolas.lehmann@yahoo.co.uk
www.forge.co.za
The Castle, a major landmark of the East City, is the venue over the next two weeks for daily demonstrations of the ancient art of blacksmithing, presented by the Forge from Montebello Centre. Having spent some time at the Forge (when my son chose it as the subject for a matric art work a year or two ago) I can recommend it as quite a thrilling process to watch.
Monday to Saturday until 25 May 9h00 to 14h00
Castle of Good Hope, Darling St R 20
Information 021 686 8494 nicolas.lehmann@yahoo.co.uk
www.forge.co.za
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BRASSENS
For one known reader (at least) I include this information about an evening for Brassens fans. There's a three-course meal featuring wines and specialities from Sete in the south of France (where Brassens came from) costing R150, and later in the evening a free concert.
Alliance Francaise 155 Loop St
Wednesday 12 19h00 food 20h00 concert
For one known reader (at least) I include this information about an evening for Brassens fans. There's a three-course meal featuring wines and specialities from Sete in the south of France (where Brassens came from) costing R150, and later in the evening a free concert.
Alliance Francaise 155 Loop St
Wednesday 12 19h00 food 20h00 concert
CLASSICAL CONCERT
On Saturday there's an outstanding classical concert by Russian pianist Katya Apekisheva who has received some illustrious awards including the London Philharmonic Orchestra's "Soloist of the Year." She plays solo at the Baxter Concert Hall a programme including Chopin, Grieg, Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky.
Baxter Concert Hall
Saturday 15 May 20h00
ANDREW BUCKLAND AT THE BAXTER
Here is this week's programme for virtuoso physical actor Andrew Buckland's three shows at the Baxter:
Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 May Between the Teeth
Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 May Mistero Buffo
Friday 14 and Saturday 15 May The Ugly Noo Noo
Golden Arrow Studio Baxter Theatre
20h15 021 685 7880 www.baxter.co.za
GAETAN SCHMID AT THE INTIMATE
Gaetan Schmid, another physical performer extraordinaire, is doing his solo show Rumpsteak, set in the kitchen of a French restaurant at rush hour, where split-second timing is all! This is billed as the "final helping" of this show which has had a number of return runs.
The Intimate Theatre
11 to 29 May 20h00
Hidden away at the corner of Hope and Canterbury streets in Gardens is this new theatre, which I've included here mainly because the concept is so appealing - a laundry by day, theatre by night. Also the name: Tabula Rasa. It opened its doors at the end of last year as "an intimate performance venue with an atmosphere as fresh as the clean laundry." If you like cabaret-style shows, this week and next they have pianist/singer Godfrey Johnson with "stories of crime and passion."
072 112 1566 or e-mail bookings@yawazzi.com.
RAMKRAAL PRISON: A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION
"A 115 year old prison becomes a haven amidst an uncertain future." These photographs by young photographer George Hugo are on exhibition at the Cape Town School of Photography till the end of this week. They are taken in Ramkraal, an old prison building outside of Bloemfontein - for nearly a hundred years a prison, now a home for "numerous souls on the fringe of society, including Zimbabwean refugees, artists and crafters, homeless children and Rastafarians." Have a look at the slide show of this project on the photographer's web-site - I found it a very eloquent and powerful piece of visual story-telling, and the building itself is extraordinary.
http://georgehugo.com/
Cape Town School of Photography 4th Floor 62 Roeland Street (East City again)
"A 115 year old prison becomes a haven amidst an uncertain future." These photographs by young photographer George Hugo are on exhibition at the Cape Town School of Photography till the end of this week. They are taken in Ramkraal, an old prison building outside of Bloemfontein - for nearly a hundred years a prison, now a home for "numerous souls on the fringe of society, including Zimbabwean refugees, artists and crafters, homeless children and Rastafarians." Have a look at the slide show of this project on the photographer's web-site - I found it a very eloquent and powerful piece of visual story-telling, and the building itself is extraordinary.
http://georgehugo.com/
Cape Town School of Photography 4th Floor 62 Roeland Street (East City again)
021 465 2152 info@ctsp.co.za
MAKING PRINTS @ THESE FOUR WALLS
On Friday I'm planning to go to the opening of Making Prints @ These Four Walls, an exhibition of prints by Jill Trappler, Eleanora Hofer, Judith Conway and Penny Rivett-Carnac. The image below is from their invitation.
These Four Wall 169 Lower Main Road Observatory 021 447 7393
Opening Friday 14 18h00 Till 5 June
