Circle of Culture campaign 22 – 29 June 2026
For the past 19 years, the Cape Cultural Collective has promoted arts and culture as a catalyst for individual and personal development and social cohesion.Through choirs, theatre productions, poetry anthologies, a writer’s group, youth development initiatives, professional recordings, and community partnerships, we have witnessed firsthand how creativity strengthens communities and transforms lives.
Today, we invite you, friends, family, supporters, organisations, and businesses to become part of our Circle of Culture (CoC) campaign— a one-week campaign to make a contribution to support the work of the Cape Cultural Collective. The CoC is a growing community of patrons committed to building a more connected, creative, and inclusive society through the arts.
Rosa choir headed to the recording studio
The time has come for Rosa choir to enter the studio for their first professional recording.
Choir members have been hard at work rehearsing a version of the Beatles song, Let it Be, with sections translated into isiXhosa and Afrikaans.
The singers will get their chance in front of the microphone during June at a studio in Wynberg.
Cinematographer Mario Jutzen will be capturing footage for a video at the studio recording and at a shoot in July.
The completed song and video are due for release in August 2026
As the musical director, Denzil Jacobs is feeling excited and grateful ahead of the recording. “This project represents months of dedication, growth and commitment from every member of the Rosa choir, and it is inspiring to see how far we have come together.”
He says preparations have gone well. “The singers have approached rehearsals with enthusiasm, discipline and a genuine passion for the music. We have focused not only on musical excellence but also on understanding the heart and message behind each piece, which I believe will come through clearly in the recording.”
Denzil’s message to the singers is simple: “Trust the work you have put in. Be confident in your abilities, stay focused, and sing with conviction and joy. Remember that great performances come from both preparation and authenticity. This recording is an opportunity to share your gifts, your hard work, and your collective spirit with others.
“I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together, and I encourage every singer to embrace this moment, support one another, and give their very best. Let us approach the recording with unity, excellence, and a shared passion for creating something truly special.”
Rosa choir leader, Chris Blaauw, says there is a feeling of excitement among choir members.
“For many, it will be the first time in a recording studio. Choir director, Denzil, is bringing his own flavour to the song. I think it will be the first time that the song will be done in three languages so people from all backgrounds will be able to relate to it.
“The reason why I love being in choirs is the fact that it represents unity. A choir needs to work together as a unit. Every voice part must be as one, so they must work together.
“I am very proud and look forward to the recording date.”
Rosa choir, which is now in its 14th year, resumed practice for the season in April. Since then, they have also put on a performance for the residents of the Turfhall Cheshire Home in Athlone.
Cape Cultural Collective appoints two new board members
The Cape Cultural Collective (CCC) has appointed Ms Cherie Hendricks and Dr Neeta A. Ramkumar to its Board of Directors. The appointments deepen CCC’s governance capacity and advance its work at the intersection of arts, identity, and community development.
CCC Board Chairperson Zenariah Barends welcomed the appointments:
“Both appointments reflect CCC’s commitment to building an organisation that is as rigorous in its governance as it is bold in its cultural vision. Cherie brings the compliance and sustainability leadership we need at board level; Neeta brings a psychosocial and cross-cultural depth that directly enriches our programme work. We are fortunate to have them.”
Ms Cherie Hendricks — Governance, Sustainability, and Compliance
Ms Hendricks joins the Board with more than two decades of senior executive experience in corporate governance, sustainability, and regulatory compliance. She served as Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director at a JSE-listed entity, where she was also a member of the Board of Directors.
Her portfolio at the JSE-listed entity encompassed governance frameworks, ethical culture development, stakeholder engagement, and compliance structures within a regulated listed-company environment. She has served on corporate and listed-company boards, with a focus on ethics, compliance, and sustainability oversight.
Ms Hendricks’ community engagement includes long-term involvement with the Where Rainbows Meet Training and Development Foundation in Vrygrond, supporting youth development initiatives. She also contributed to the Sekunjalo Edujazz Concert, a fundraising initiative that provided educational bursaries for learners from disadvantaged Western Cape communities while creating performance opportunities for emerging musicians.
She believes arts and culture have the power to bridge the gap by bringing people from diverse communities and backgrounds together and celebrating this diversity:
“By providing music education and mentorship, from primary school through to tertiary education, it helped nurture local talent. I assisted with students working alongside mainstream South African artists and provided a platform for them to showcase their talents through shows and concerts. Many of the students I worked with became musicians in their own right.”
She holds executive education credentials from the UCT Graduate School of Business (Executive Women in Leadership) and the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership. Her appointment strengthens the CCC’s governance capacity at board level, particularly in sustainability alignment, compliance oversight, and stakeholder engagement.
Dr Neeta A. Ramkumar — Cross-Cultural Psychology and Community Wellbeing
Dr Neeta A. Ramkumar is a US-licensed psychologist, therapist, consultant, and founder of Psychology Across Borders, PLLC, a global grassroots organisation created by and for mental health professionals.
With more than 15 years of experience in the mental health field, her work focuses on cross-cultural transition, identity, belonging, trauma, and the psychological impact of living across borders. Through her clinical work and public engagement, Dr. Ramkumar advocates for culture, storytelling, dialogue, and the arts as essential pathways toward collective healing beyond the therapy room.
Dr Ramkumar earned her doctorate in Counselling Psychology from the APA-accredited program at Texas A&M University in 2012, where she also completed a Master of Science in Educational Psychology. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and History from the University of Texas at Austin. Her postgraduate clinical training took place at US Veterans Affairs hospitals in New Orleans and Houston, where she developed specialised expertise in trauma treatment.
Her international career began in 2015 with a lectureship at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, where she focused on mental health capacity-building and developed a telepsychology training program to strengthen professional psychology practice across the region. Since then, she has lived and worked across the United States, Fiji, Cameroon, Spain, France, and South Africa.
Her professional perspective is deeply informed by her own transnational identity. Born to Indian Guyanese parents who separately immigrated to the United States, she spent her childhood in Singapore and Malaysia before returning to the U.S. as a teenager. These experiences shaped her understanding of third-culture identity, migration, and belonging, and continue to influence her work with individuals and communities navigating cultural transitions and intergenerational healing.
Beyond her clinical practice, Dr. Ramkumar is an international speaker, educator, and consultant contributing to conversations on racial identity, migration, cultural displacement, and global mental health. She is the co-editor of Psychology in the Caribbean and Oceania (2022), a TEDx speaker whose talk “Why Psychologists Should Be Everywhere” explores expanding psychological care beyond traditional settings. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Cape Cultural Collective.
Poetry Jazz Sunset Session
Poetry & Jazz Sunset Session
On the 14th of May 2026, patrons and supporters of the CCC gathered at Artscape Theatre Centre for an unforgettable Poetry & Jazz Sunset Session where music and storytelling met.
Featuring the Mamela Jazz Band with Charles Louw, Carlo Fabe and Clayton Pretorius, the evening blended live jazz, soulful vocals from Alexander Benjamin and Ivee Soul, and powerful spoken word by poets Luyolo Lengisi and Naidene Lottering, with MC Vusumuzi Mpofu. Curated by Thami Baba and Vusumuzi Mpofu, the 90-minute experience celebrated African identity, heritage and creative expression during Africa Month. Presented by the Cape Cultural
On the 14th of May, patrons and supporters of the CCC gathered at Artscape Theatre Centre for an unforgettable Poetry & Jazz Sunset Session where music and storytelling met.
Featuring the Mamela Band with Charles Louw, Carlo Fabe and Clayton Pretorius, the evening blended live jazz, soulful vocals from Alexander Benjamin and Ivee Soul, and powerful spoken word by poets Luyolo Lengisi and Naidene Lottering, with MC Vusumuzi Mpofu. Curated by Thami Baba and Vusumuzi Mpofu, the 90-minute experience celebrated African identity, heritage and creative expression during Africa Month. Presented by the Cape Cultural Collective.
The next Poetry & Jazz Sunset Session will take place on Thursday 23rd July 2026 at the Innovation Lounge, Artscape Theatre Centre.
Cape Cultural Collective Seniors Walking Group Programme
Cape Cultural Collective Seniors Walking Group Programme Launch
The Cape Cultural Collective launched its Seniors Walking Group at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, attracting 36 participants from across the Cape Flats. The initiative provided seniors with an opportunity to engage in outdoor activity, social connection, and environmental learning.
Senior horticulturist Karen Wall, gave the group a guided tour. She covered the history of the gardens and the unique fynbos of the Western Cape. There was strong interest in indigenous herbs such as Kruidjie-Roer-My-Nie, kankerbossie, and olieblaar. These are known to have medicinal value to curing common ailments.
Hilton Van Niekerk of the Amakrokokroko Hiking Group commended the initiative, emphasizing the importance of encouraging seniors to access natural spaces. He also shared the group’s journey, inspiring participants to remain active.
Following a tea break with sandwiches prepared by Beverly Brown, the group enjoyed a guided walk through Cecelia Forest and along the Cecelia River. The experience fostered camaraderie, with participants reconnecting and forming new relationships.
Reflections highlighted the event’s impact. Simoné noted the joy of social interaction, while Princess Zelda Hintza emphasized that seniors can remain active. Mary shared how the walk helped her reconnect with nature despite physical challenges, describing it as uplifting.
The route included the Boomslang Tree Canopy Walk, enjoying panoramic views. A suggestion was made to name the group “Nature’s CATS.”
Overall, the event successfully promoted wellness, social connection, and environmental appreciation, with strong interest in future walks.
Darling Buds of May Benefit Concert
Darling Buds of May fund-raiser a resounding success
A line-up of stellar artists kept the cold at bay during the Darling Buds of May fund-raiser on Saturday night, May 9, at a private residence in Wynberg.
Chairperson of the Cape Cultural Collective Board of Directors, Zenariah Barends, welcomed guests.
“We are here not just to share in an evening of incredible music and performance, but to celebrate a vision of social cohesion and development through the arts that has been at the heart of the Cape Cultural Collective for almost two decades. Tonight’s benefit concert is a vital moment for us. Every ticket bought and every person in this room represents a commitment to the idea that the arts can bridge the divides of our past and build a more unified future. The proceeds from this evening will go directly towards sustaining our ongoing programmes. Your presence here tonight allows us to keep the music playing and the stories flowing.”
Setting the tone for the evening was an upbeat amapiano dance by the Likhwezi Arts Project. Likhwezi, which means morning star, went on to perform two more items later, including a contemporary dance piece highlighting gender-based violence and promoting the rights of children; and a real hip-swinging Sophiatown-themed dance that captured the spirit of the past despite Apartheid’s oppression.
Karen Thorne and Tessa Gawith performed a version of Die Stem they had written as members of a trio called the Koeksisters during the End Conscription Campaign (ECC), which had opposed mandatory military service for white men during Apartheid.
Karen and Tessa had been members of the Grahamstown branch of the ECC and formed the Koeksisters with Alison Love. They performed at ECC and other anti-Apartheid protests and sang reworked songs with protest lyrics.
On Saturday, they shared the lyrics they had put to the tune of Die Stem – a poem written by CJ Langenhoven but used as the old national anthem.
The CCC’s own Rosa choir followed this with the national anthem of a democratic South Africa, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, as well as a rendition of Stand By Me.
The Rosa choir, who are due to enter the studio for their first professional recording on May 23, later sang a version of Ndisondela Kuwe.
The smooth voices of Cindy Gibbon, Alex Benjamin and Thami Baba got the audience feeling nostalgic and ready to dance with songs including At Last, Fly Me to the Moon and Vul’Indlela. Poets Chris Ferndale and Vusumuzi Mpofu, who also served as MC, rendered some of their soul-stirring work. Vusumuzi’s She Loves Me was a work dedicated to his mother, Sibongile, who sat in the audience, and was a fitting tribute a day before Mother’s Day.
Chris’s works, The Harlequins are Dancing; A Short Walk to the Taxi; Mixed Masala and Khoi-Blessing left the audience in awe.
All artists were accompanied by a live band made up of CCC ensemble members Razak Johnson on guitar, Charles Louw on keyboard, Jonathan Coetzee on bass and Carlo Fabe on drums.
There were exciting raffles with prizes including stays in the Duivenhoksriver Valley, Tamboerskloof, Hogsback and St James; as well as a tandem bike ride up Chapman’s Peak and sunset drive in a vintage Mercedes-Benz.