Pupils put their best moonwalks forward at arts showcase
The power of the arts to inspire the youth was on full display when the Kids Performing Arts Collective (K-PAC) held their performance showcase at Bridgeville Primary in Silvertown on Saturday, 8 August 2026.
K-PAC is a free-to-attend, weekly performing arts programme for children from communities including Athlone, Gugulethu and Manenberg.
It is one of nine programmes of the Cape Cultural Collective NPO. Through singing, contemporary dance and drama, KPAC provides a structured and supervised environment where children aged between 9 and 13 years can develop confidence, discipline, creativity and performance skills.
Saturday’s performance showcase gave the children an opportunity to present what they have been learning. They delighted the audience with their dance moves and dedication under the guidance of the programme facilitators: dance teacher Anele Xhali and singing coach Minathi Matoto.
From a Michael Jackson Medley, complete with moonwalk, to contemporary dance and singing, the more than 30 Grades 4 to 7 pupils from Red River Primary in Manenberg, Xolani Primary in Gugulethu and Bridgeville Primary in Silvertown, showed off their talent.
Two of the young artists were interviewed by MC Vusumuzi Mpofu about being part of K-PAC.
Slindile Ella Mawela from Xolani Primary in Gugulethu said it was beautiful and fun, while Nazier April from Red River Primary in Manenberg said the programme brought people together, they learnt to sing and dance, and it was fun and free.
Aphiwe Magodla, from Gugulethu, who is part of the Cape Cultural Collective’s Music Training and Development programme, performed solo pieces including “Never Give Up” and “Qongqothwane”.
K-PAC programme manager, Nurene Jassiem, said Aphiwe’s involvement in the performance showcase is particularly meaningful because it demonstrates how the different Cape Cultural Collective arts programmes create opportunities for young people to develop their talents and eventually contribute as performers.
Aphiwe said he enjoyed performing. “I feel great. I love the energy from (MC) Vusumuzi and the audience.”
He accompanied young Axl-Blayz Hartenberg, from Silvertown, one of three K-PAC mascots aged under 8, who recited the poems “I am an African Child” and “If you should meet a Crocodile”.
Parent Ruth Johnson came to support her daughter, Ashura, a Red River Primary pupil, who danced in the showcase and has been with K-PAC for over a year.
“She has grown alot during her time with K-PAC. I admire the fact that she’s in the show and that will boost her self-confidence.”
Ms Johnson said the show was fun and she was proud to see the children performing even though they were shy; they did a great job and were well-disciplined.
Cape Cultural Collective Board chairperson, Zenariah Barends thanked everyone for attending, especially the parents.
“You could have been anywhere else but you’ve come here to support your children and that is one of the key factors in children becoming confident adults; to know their parents support them in their endeavours.”
She thanked Ward 49 councillor Rashid Adams for attending and handed him a scarf designed with South African flags as a token of appreciation.
“He has seen the value in a programme such as this. This hall is not overflowing with people but it will be one day. These are small beginnings for a programme and you are here as part of the foundation of this programme. To have the support of the community political representative is critical because that voice can echo in other corridors.”
Mr Adams said there was a need to collaborate to support the youth.
“We are living in a time and society where so much is against our children. Arts and culture is one space where we can overcome that.”
He said the City of Cape Town has an arts and culture department within the community services and health directorate and they look for programmes to collaborate with.
He told the children he was proud of their performances.
“You can be anyone you want to be. You don’t have to be Beyonce, you don’t have to be Michael Jackson, you be yourself and take yourself forward with what has been taught to you.”
The showcase ended with children being presented with certificates.
As programme manager, Ms Jassiem said she was proud of the children. “They were well-behaved and came alive on stage, showing everyone what they had learnt. A performance requires more than artistic ability; the children must work as a team, remember what they have practised, manage the nerves that come with performing and support one another. For me, that is one of the most important aspects of K-PAC. We are not only teaching children to sing, dance or perform. We are helping them develop confidence, discipline, teamwork and a sense of pride in what they can achieve.”
She thanked everyone who contributed to making the showcase possible. Every child who participated received a goodie bag with essential items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and face cloths. Each child also received a special party pack, and a novelty treat and gift.
“These gift bags are about more than providing children with essential items. They also contribute to their sense of self-worth. When a child receives something that has been thoughtfully put together especially for them, it sends a message that they matter, that their efforts are valued and that the community is invested in them.”
The K-PAC programme is hosted every Saturday during school terms at Bridgeville Primary School.
Cape Cultural Collective – Arts & Nature Group Hike to Constantia Nek
Fifteen members of the Cape Cultural Collective’s Arts & Nature Group enjoyed a guided nature walk from Constantia Nek to the first dam. The outing encouraged participants to connect with nature, learn about the local environment, and experience the peace and beauty of the mountain.
Shortly after the hike began, the group encountered a troop of approximately 20 baboons, including several mothers carrying young. Participants received an important lesson on respecting wildlife and maintaining a safe distance. With the assistance of a baboon ranger, the group safely continued their journey after an unexpected encounter with the troop’s alpha male.
The remainder of the walk offered breathtaking views across Tokai Forest, the Cape Flats, False Bay, and the Helderberg mountains. Along the route, participants stopped to identify indigenous plants, including proteas, grasses, daisies, and ferns, while learning about the region’s biodiversity and the seasonal changes leading into spring.
The final ascent to the first dam encouraged teamwork and perseverance, with experienced members supporting younger hikers through breathing techniques and regular rest stops. At the dam, participants explored the rocky shoreline, discovering crystals and unusual stones while enjoying the tranquillity of the natural surroundings.
Beyond the educational value of the excursion, the hike provided a rare opportunity for young people from communities affected by violence to experience a few hours of peace, reflection, and connection with nature. The contrast between the serenity of the mountain and the ongoing challenges faced by many participants highlighted the importance of creating safe outdoor learning experiences that promote wellbeing, curiosity, and environmental stewardship.
Poetry and jazz to warm the soul
After an opening address by Dr Jacob Meiring, manager of the office of Artscape CEO, Marlene le Roux, the words and music started to flow at the Poetry & Jazz Sunset Session hosted by the Cape Cultural Collective on Thursday night, July 23.
A collaborative set between the poets, vocalists and live band made for an intimate evening of entertainment in the jam-packed Innovation Lounge.
A collaborative set between the poets, vocalists and live band made for an intimate evening of entertainment in the jam-packed Innovation Lounge.
Under the theme “We Are Here Together: A Mandela Month Gathering of Shared Stories and Rhythm”, the concert was an initiative of the CCC’s Writer’s Club.
The Mamela band had everyone listening intently with the ever-enchanting Charles Louw on keyboard, Clayton Pretorius on bass, and Carlo Fabe, who was celebrating his birthday, on drums. Singers Babalwa Mentjies and Cindy Gibbons also gave individual performances with songs including Areng, Ntyilo Ntyilo and Take Me to the Alley.
As MCs, Vusumuzi Mpofu and Eugenia Zantoto, brought the programme together for an unforgettable night. Writers’ Club member, Shankly B.Farred, a science fiction author, shared his poetry, including a work specially written for the event, about Nelson Mandela. “It felt amazing to see the support and the joy on each and every face in the audience, a world of sound and joy that I was grateful to be a part of. As nerve-wracked as I was, I would do it again,” said Shankly (Read our pre-concert interview with Shankly here).
Poet Rea Mmethi has been performing in and around Cape Town since 2024. On Thursday, she shared three pieces. Familiar Faces explored the precarity of the immigrant identity. “I’ve interacted with many migrants who have described this feeling that they are never safe; they are constantly on the brink of danger.”
Her poem, Global Warming is a Hoax, personified the natural elements that are impacted by climate change. “The goal for me here was to enable people to contrast the harm to the environment to their own internal harm, but also to reflect on that contrast.”
She said her poem Circles of History spoke to how cyclical the struggle for education in South Africa has been. “I contrast the experiences of our grandparents with ours, with the goal of showing how little has changed.”
Rea said she thoroughly enjoyed the concert. “I found it very engaging, exciting and well-curated. The audience was absolutely lovely, the venue was gorgeous and I enjoyed sharing a stage with the very talented band.”
Poet and battle rapper, Riyaadh Sarang, who goes by the stage name Riyo, said he likes to curate pieces that showcase a fusion of poetry and elements of rap. “Last night I performed a poem called Snowfall because it spoke to my struggles growing up and how poetry helped me overcome certain issues. I decided to do that poem because in light of Mandela Day, we also need to remember to keep fighting our own struggles so that we can be ready to help others.”
His second poem, Dada, was a tribute to his grandfather who was an activist and spoke at rallies in his hometown of Lenasia during Apartheid. “This inspired me,” said Riyo. “He was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s so this poem was both an ode to him and an attempt to immortalise his memory.”
Riyo ended his poem with a line that said the man with Alzheimer’s is the reason his childhood was memorable.
“The concert was fantastic, all the artists were so supportive of each other and we really gelled well; the band was incredible. The hosts were warm and (Cape Cultural Collective central co-ordinator) Winslow was pulling strings in the background like a master puppeteer. The audience was also super receptive and engaging – that was the best part.”
The evening ended with everyone on their feet and being transported to another time and place with the song Meadowlands sung by Babalwa Mentjies.
Cape Cultural Collective interim co-ordinator, Chris Ferndale, thanked the band, singers and poets. “The band is very good with supporting the poets. The show flowed and blended well. Charles Louw and the band loved the show and want to be on stage again in October.
“I really appreciate their style and creative depth of play. Babalwa made the crowd sing and dance and the audience enjoyed and appreciated her excellent style. She managed the audience as if they were a choir. The poets brought conscious content, celebrated Mandela and ventured into meaningful themes on age, gender and the environment. Great stuff.”
Vusumuzi Mpofu, who always knows just how to warm up a crowd, concluded: “The show was a huge success, thanks for the continued support and collective action in making the Poetry & Jazz Sunset Session, all it was.”
Poetry and jazz to warm up a mid-winter night
An intimate evening of storytelling and soulful melodies is coming up to chase away those winter blues.
The Cape Cultural Collective presents the Poetry & Jazz Sunset Session on Thursday July 23 at the Artscape Theatre’s Innovation Lounge, from 7pm to 8.30pm.
Vusumuzi Mpofu and Eugenia Zantoto will host the concert under the theme “We Are Here Together: A Mandela Month Gathering of Shared Stories and Rhythm”.
It moves away from a traditional recital, unfolding instead as a collaborative set between the poets, vocalists and live band.
The Poetry & Jazz Sunset Session is an initiative of the Cape Cultural Collective’s Writers’ Club.
On the spoken word line-up is Writers’ Club member, Shankly B Farred, 25, from Belhar.
He will share a poem, specially written for the event, about a boxer taking on the Apartheid system in the old Cape Province. “The boxer is Nelson Mandela. The central thesis of it is of him taking on Apartheid, so elements from his life and events from his life are painted as punches and blocks in a boxing match. I was a boxing fan from a young age. I don’t watch it as often as I used to but my experience with boxing and the knowledge that Nelson Mandela also studied boxing was the reason for the poem.”
Farred, a science fiction author, enjoys using modernist literary devices such as stream of consciousness in his work. He draws inspiration from history, philosophy and the sacred Qur’an.
He says the themes of his work engage with German philosopher Immanuel Kant’s concept of the categorical imperative, which is concerned with absolute morality. “I have written science fiction stories where it leads to utopia and the fall of the individual. I have agreed and disagreed with it many times.”
Farred is also a comic book lover and dreams of being recognised at the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. “To be nominated would be an honour. I have always loved comics and have wanted to be in the industry as an editor by preference but also as a writer. My favourite comic, Fables, was the first comic I followed month to month and it changed how I saw mythology; how stories take form. But to be a comic book editor is to have full power over it, ideally for books like Superman or the X-Men. A creative man can save any bad comic and that is a challenge I would welcome.”
Farred is studying records and archive management and information sciences through Unisa.
Describing himself, he says, “Simply put, I am a person with autism and I love my family. Mashallah.”
He says autism is his super power. “It feeds my curiosity and if I look at something twice, each look is unique. When I engage with something new, I attack it, I examine it, I tear it apart. With autism it’s a very intense engagement.”
He believes art makes us human – even if we don’t understand it. “Art is a fundamentally human activity. There’s no more human an activity than creating stories, artistically expanding upon stories or retelling stories and I don’t think we can understand that at a fundamental level. No human being can really understand the concept of art. We use poems and delineations and dramas but we don’t really understand the act itself. I don’t understand the act itself and I think it is fundamentally a part of us, yet it is an unspoken part, something we institutionally know, not intimately know.”
People can find one of Farred’s completed works, The Redefined Man, on Wattpad.
Asked how he feels about this week’s show, Farred responds: “I look forward to it with a smile.”
Joining Farred for the spoken word segment at the Poetry & Jazz Sunset Session are Riyaadh Sarang and Rea Mmethi.
Babalwa Mentjies and Cindy Gibbon will lend their smooth voices to the set while the Mamela Band featuring Charles Louw, Carlo Fabe and Clayton Pretorius will round up the jazz notes.
Information
General admission tickets cost R150 each through Webtickets: https://www.webticket.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1598448872
Artscape ticket enquiries 021 421 7695 or 021 421 7839.
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.
