NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019
PROGRESS REPORT
In our previous newsletter we reported on a double celebration held in April – the sod-
th
turning for phase 1 of the Denis Goldberg House of Hope and the 40 anniversary of the
Hout Bay Museum. The sod-turning marked the fact that we had raised the R3 million
needed for construction. (Grateful thanks to all those who helped us reach this milestone!)
Now we must just wait for the last steps in the formal processes to be completed, and then
we can start construction proper.
We hope to have phase 1 completed in early 2020. We will then have in place a gallery to
house the exhibition on Denis’s life and his art collection; a small office; an activity room;
toilets; and a covered entrance and walkway with seats where young people can spend
time together. This will allow us and other organisations to expand on the activities
available for young people in Hout Bay. And the Denis Goldberg House of Hope will have a
visible “concrete” presence!
Meanwhile we are fundraising for phase 2 of the construction. We plan to do this in three
sub-phases so that we can start building each phase as soon as we have the necessary
funds. This will allow us to increase the number and range of activities for young people
more speedily. It will also create space for others – including youth themselves – to join us
in expanding opportunities for youth.
Phase 2a consists of a double-storey row of activity rooms which we and other
organisations will use for activities for young people – and which young people
themselves can use for their own activities.
Phase 2b is a second double-storey row of activity rooms, parallel to the first, but at
some distance.
Phase 2c will create an auditorium by placing a roof across the two rows of activity
rooms.
Jo Noero will continue to work his magic as our architect throughout Phase 2.
We hope that everyone will continue to support us as we take this work forward. In addition
to all-important financial contributions, we would be happy to hear from you about other
ways in which we can collaborate. Together we can make Life even more Wonderful!
By Noero Architects
NEW TRUSTEES AS WE GEAR UP FOR MORE
ACTIVITIES
In May, the Trustees of the Denis Goldberg Legacy Foundation Trust accepted the
resignation of Dr Deidre Abrahams – one of the five founding trustees. Thanks are due to
Deidre for her contribution to getting us where we are now.
Several months later we welcome two new trustees. They will bring new and important
himself. The existing trustees between them had knowledge and experience which was
much needed in our setting-up stage. The new trustees are well placed to guide us as we
move increasingly into implementation.
Shado Twala and Mike van Graan will need no introduction to many of our newsletter
readers. But for those who have not had the good fortune to come across them yet, here is
a brief introduction.
Shado is a radio DJ, journalist, radio and TV producer, and businessperson. She grew up
in Cape Town, but started her career in radio at Bop Radio in the 1980s. Subsequently she
worked for many other radio stations, wrote for the Sunday Times and other publications,
and had a stint in government as Media Liaison and Public Relations Officer for the
Western Cape Premier among others. Her voice has been used in a range of
documentaries, including several focused on Denis and other stalwarts associated with the
Rivonia Trial.
Shado now manages her own entertainment business, Black Olive Entertainment. But she
also continues to work on radio. You can listen to Shado every Saturday and Sunday from
spans stints within academic institutions, local and international organisations, and
international quasi-governmental agencies. His work within civil society goes back many
decades. It includes acting as Director of the Community Arts Project in Salt River, Projects
Officer for the Congress of South African Writers and General Secretary of the National
Arts Coalition during the apartheid era. On the basis of his contribution, in 1994 Mike was
appointed as a Special Adviser to the first Minister of Arts & Culture in a democratic South
Africa.
Today Mike is probably best known as a playwright, and has won multiple local and
international awards for plays that explore South Africa in the post-apartheid era.
Throughout his adult life, Mike has supported the community-based arts and culture
initiatives in multiple different ways. The Denis Goldberg House of Hope is the most recent
such initiative to benefit from his attention.
A HOLIDAY PROGRAMME, AN OUTING, AND A
MOVIE
While waiting for our own building to be in place, we have not been idle. We have
organised a range of different activities for children and youth, both during term-time and in
holidays. As one example, in the last week of the mid-year school holidays, about 25 9-13
year olds from Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg participated in our holiday programme.
Snoekies very kindly allowed us to use their hall once again. They also provided the much-
loved fish and chips lunches at cost. As usual, there were no left-overs to be seen on any
of the plates for either first or second helpings!
Denis joined for the first few sessions. As we have done in previous workshops, each child
was given a brown paper bag to decorate and use to store all items they made during the
programme. Denis demonstrated his artistic talents by decorating his bag with a self-
portrait and his name on one side and a flower on the other side.
Denis's self portrait on his own paper bag
In the two days spent at Snoekies, the children made packs of playing cards (and then
taught each other card games); learnt how to make “pop-out” greeting cards and
envelopes; made collages; had daily hip-hop sessions with our old friend, Chad van
Rooyen; and played old favourite and some new games.
On the Thursday everyone boarded a minibus for a day at the Zeitz MOCAA museum.
Many of the children did so wearing the bright warm knitted scarves that they had received
at the end of the previous day. These came from the 67+ Mandela Day gifts knitted and
donated by Stepping Stones day care in Oranjezicht.
Zeitz’s programme educator arranged for local artist, Loyiso Mkize, to facilitate the morning
session for the children. Mkize is the creator of Kwezi, South Africa’s first home-grown
superhero comic book. The session started with a discussion on superheroes, followed by
a demonstration by Mkize – with inputs from the children – how he would draw Batman,
and then how he would draw a house according to their specifications. The house included
a smoking chimney, a garage, a swimming pool, and a duck!
The children then produced their own drawings with the paper and pencils provided.
After chicken mayonnaise rolls, Nik-naks and Oros for lunch, another artist showed the
children the artworks produced by her and other young emerging artists. The group then
went into the museum proper to see Mkize’s enormous superhero mural on display, and
then went up onto the roof. Finally, they boarded the bus back to Hout Bay with farewell
lollipops in hand and/or mouth.
Finally, on the Friday morning we screened a movie at the Hout Bay museum, with the
event open to all local children.
In addition to Snoekies, Chad, and the Zeitz MOCAA team, special thanks are due to
volunteers Fiona Hutcheon, Melissa McLaren, Noma Matiwane and Kim Rutgers, and to
our visitors from the UK, Solange Urdang and Michelle Marshall, who video-ed parts of the
programme.
WATCH THIS SPACE for further activities....
June holiday programme
If you are donating from outside South Africa you may find it convenient to send your donation
by credit card to our UK website Go Fund Me.
If you wish to donate directly:
Denis Goldberg Legacy Foundation Trust
Nedbank
Account Number: 1146197411
Branch Code/Sort Code: 167609
SWIFT Code: NEDSZAJJ
If donations are paid into our bank account in cash or via EFT please send your
name, the amount, and date to dglftrust@gmail.com.
If you are in Germany you can support this great initiative via Community Heart e.V
Details:
Community HEART e.V.
Sparkasse Essen – IBAN: DE60 3605 0105 0001 8002 00 – BICC: SPESDE3EXXX
Stichwort: Denis Goldberg Stiftung
Für weitere Informationen oder Spendenquittungen wenden Sie sich bitte an
Kulturkoordination e.V., Wandastr. 9 – D 45136 Essen – Fon: 0201 747 988 0 –
#lifeiswonderful
Copyright © 2019 Denis Goldberg Legacy Foundation Trust, All rights reserved.
Newsletter issue 4
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Denis Goldberg Foundation · 4 st Andrews rd · Hout Bay · Cape Town, Wc S-8001 · South Africa