Outreach Foundation Newsletter 5

NEWSLETTER

YOUR FUTURE FOUNDATION

Newsletter 5 Feb 2019

Youth leadership camp

Our leaders spent time at the
Marenaman Camp in the Vaal
to improve their leadership skills. At the
same time, they did some intensive
planning for the various programmes
run by the centre.

But what's even more exciting is that
they came up with different ideas to
deliver even more interesting
programmes for our children.

We can't wait for them to kick start the
fun!

Needless to say, the camp was a huge
success .

gTehtteinlgeamdeurdsdy

High School Workshops

Brenna Dickinson, a Royal Central School of Speech and
Drama graduate, joined us at the theatre to conduct
workshops for our high school programme.

What a great way to start the 15th year of our Inner-City
High Schools Drama Festival!

Thank you to Kat Low for the introduction.

My Silence is Talkative

Our production, My Silence is Talkative was performed at
the International Day of Social Justice summit at the
Skills Village in February.

Thank you to Gcebile Dlamini and the cast for their
courageous and inspiring work.

This event is part of a worldwide exploration of equal
opportunity. African People with Albinism (PWA) will take
the lead in demonstrating how, through dialogue,
advocacy and education and social and economic
inclusion for all marginalised groups can be achieved.

"What an achievement! The performance of your young kids
exceeded all expectations...your 'brain child' is of a world-class

standard!"

~ Lesley Ann van Selm, MD of Khulisa Social Solutions.

Hip Hop Music-based workshops

During Feb we started Hip Hop based music workshops
facilitated by GianLuca Tadiello and Tom Dodson - both Wits
Music graduates. Thank you to Susan Harrop-Allin (Senior
Lecturer - Wits Music School) for the introduction.

There is still some space left, so come join us! Register at
the Outreach Foundation reception.

This workshop is made possible through the generous
support of Rand Merchant Bank, SAMRO, Olthaver Trust and
Bread for the World. Thank you!

Youth centre
Valentine's Ball

Leaders from the youth centre pulled
off a wonderful event.

We also had quite a few visitors from
outside Outreach who seemed to
really enjoy the Ball.

There was lots of dancing, laughter
and fun had by all and of course,
love!

visaSintoodrmshealovooifnkgionugfurgnoo!uord

Another highlight of the month was the screening of a film called ‘City of Joy’ which we did on Valentines
Day. The movie looks at the lives of women and children in the DRC and how transformational leadership
and the community helped turn the lives of some of the women who survive violence in the DRC, around.
Quite a few people from the neighbourhood joined us to watch this deeply moving movie and joined us
after to chat about it.

During the first week of February our
participants stitched a square cloth together
with red fabric and found objects and wording
that expressed their and our consolidation with
those participating in a global project called
'One Billion Rising'.

One Billion Rising is a project initiated by Eve
Ensler that aims to have a billion people voice the
rights of women to be safe in their own homes, on
the street, safe at home, in a taxi, at night, and safe
wearing what she likes to wear.

The One Billion Rising project has run for five years and is the largest mass action campaign against violence against women and
girls. Annually, activists rise in 200 countries through dance and creative expression (information on One Billion Rising taken from
ww.vday.org).

Mina Foundation

A big thank you to the Mina Foundation for their
workshop at the Outreach Foundation Hillbrow
Theatre in Feb and a big shout out to Faarooq
WK Gardee-Minty Mangera for initiating this
wonderful offering.

We are also grateful to the continued and
passionate support of our programmes we
receive from Phoenix College.

The Mina Foundation raises awareness of the menstrual cup
and of its use which is a safe, cost-effective, eco-friendly
alternative to the usual menstrual products
(https://minacup.org)

Music news

The Outreach Foundation Music Centre was invited to enliven the
Herbert Smith Freehills South Africa's Summer Party that was held
at the Munro Boutique Hotel at the end of January. The marimba
bands and our Jazz Band played throughout the evening.

One of Herbert Smith Freehills' clients therev was so impressed,
that they have already invited our primary school marimba band to
play at an event. We are so excited for them!

Sounds Like You and Me

Our creative inter-generational project, Sounds Like You and Me, in partnership with Tswelopele Frail Care
Centre, which is also based in Hillbrow, will take place again this year. Over the last two years the project
has travelled from the Olive Tree Theatre in Alexandra, where we brought young and old to witness our work
(for many of the elders, this was the first time they had ever been in a theatre), to PopArt in Maboneng and to
the Emakhaya Theatre at the University of the Witwatersrand (home to many Drama for Life Festivals).

We have also had the amazing opportunity to travel to Cape's prestigious 19th ASSITEJ World Congress
and International Theatre Festival for Children and Young People with the project. This year we would like to
build on this journey by travelling to schools and old age homes and our big dream is to perform at the
National Arts Festival.

Sounds Like You and Me promises to be an exciting theatrical experience based on the true accounts of the
sad, joyous, reflective, prospective, funny, and at times, the obscure and random stories and memories of a
most dynamic group.

Please contact us if you would like to fund or support us. We will have photographic or video documentation
(depending on funding), publicity material, social media campaigns and posters that will display our funders
and their logos. We are confident that the benefits to our funders and supporters will be immense.
Be part of this unique, inspiring and collaborative work from Hillbrow by sponsoring us. Contact us
today!

As we embark on this 4th interation, we would like to thank and acknowledge Henrik Haartman, Naghmeh
Mahmoudi Kashani, and the C:NTACT team for inspiring this project with the generous support of the Danish
Agency for Culture.

Mbathisa

Students from the Outreach Foundation
Boitumelo project wrapped the Scottish Horse
War Memorial in Highlands Road in
Kensington as a symbol of healing and called
this act 'Mbathisa' - cloth or cover. This is a
symbol of protection as when one gets hurt,
you usually bandage the person up. After
vandals had damaged the memorial, the group
felt the need to 'heal' the memorial. Boitumelo
students and crafters, Isabella Pringle, Gail
Scott Wilson and Kensington Heritage
performed the act and the participants learnt
the history around the memorial.

Pop over to our website to read the newspaper article about this event: www.outreachfoundation.co.za

Royal Central Digital Storytelling Workshops

We welcome Dr Katherine (Kat) Low, Senior Lecturer, Applied Theatre and Community Performance,
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama at the University of London back to the Outreach Foundation.

Kat conducted a week-long series of digital storytelling workshops that explored the ethics of practice and
research, ethics of storytelling and gathering of stories, uses of applied theatre, visual arts and storytelling
as research methods with facilitators and participants. This is the beginning of a three-year collaboration
which includes sharing stories with G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Mumbai, India.

Thank you Royal Central and Global Challenges Research Fund!

Some great comments from the cast of Sounds Like You and Me

Being an artist is not a hobby, it's a career and a job I
love, which is why I will go through every obstacle in
order to achieve or get to it. I am still in the theatre
because I still want to explore all in art and perform in
many countries and places. I want to get to know
people and see places I've never seen before. ~
Tshepang Lebele

I joined drama last year, 2018. It was an interesting What do I want to learn [with this production]?
year for me. A year of finding out who Olivia is. I Communication and commitment. How to speak with
was one of the performers of 'In my mother's others and stay with people I trust...good and solid
womb'...the show taught me life and how it humbles teamwork...love and appreciated for others - being
you. I learnt success is not inherited, it is something with someone who doesn't judge...peace and having
you achieve. Success is not driving flashy cars and love and care for everyone...~ Bayanda Xolo
having branded clothing, it's something you do that
will benefit someone else, not only you...I guess life At the end it is all about getting good results together
is about knowing yourself. It does not matter where and moving forward in creating a show and learning
you are now, what matters is where you are going while mixing ideas and suggestions. This motivates
to. The future. ~ Olivia Jack me to go to the theatre. Theatre is my thinking space.
I get to think, suggest, have fun and get to do what I
am talented at..~ Bridget Moyo

Some more great comments I am ten years old and I am in grade 5. I am doing
from the cast of Sounds Like theatre because I get to be free and get to be
confident and express my feelings and talent...We get
You and Me to explore and we learn every day. I love acting. We
laugh together, and we cry together. We are a
II started in theatre in 2016 when I was in Grade 4. family...~ Mbalenhle Ncube
I am now in Grade7 and I am proud of being a
member of the theatre. The theatre is my healing Theatre has taught me how to respect people from
space, it's where I can express myself, explore outside and not only to respect my parents. It is
more about me and who I am. The trips we have keeping me away from all bad lifestyles of the world.
are new experiences and teaches us a lot. We go The elders (Tswelopele Frail Care Centre) and the
to places we haven't been to before, like Europe, young, have taught me extraordinary things. What I
Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown. What made me love about the theatre is it has discipline...I have found
go to Europe was the audition at the Outreach myself at the theatre. I know my talents and I thank
Foundation Hillbrow Theatre. ~ Blessing Opoku the theatre. ~ Njabulo Domakude

The reason why I came to the theatre is that it is a
free space where you don't get judged by anyone.
It is a space where you get to be yourself. A space
where you get to follow your mind instead of
following textbooks. In the theatre you are given
time to be you. It's a space where you are all equal.
In the Outreach Foundation Hillbrow Theatre you
are given a chance to show your inner self, and
you are also given a chance to travel the world and
see what talent looks like. ~ Beyonce Khoza

Saturdays at Outreach
Foundation

Don't forget we have a great Saturday programme that
includes yoga, book club, reading, gardening, skate
boarding, marimba, movies, beautiful conversations,
and more.

Contact us to find out more.

Missed our other newsletters?
Go to our website: www.outreachfoundation.org.za,

select documents then newsletters.

011 720 7011 [email protected] @OutreachFoundation