In July, CBN will begin its most ambitious project to date. It involves two four-day workshops, one in Clanwilliam with children from the Cederberg district, and one in Simon’s Town with children from Red Hill informal settlement. The theme is expansive, ranging from early people (by way of early music) to state-of-the-art technology in the form of iPads. It will be a challenge – but we have a great team ready to take it on.
The background activities of reading, writing, and learning are in place. We are hoping to have shadow puppets and other exciting methods of telling stories, and we have iPads on loan from Digicape until the end of the workshop.
Because the workshops are so much longer – a four-day spread gives us time to work at a deeper level than usual – we will be able to achieve much more. The aim is to begin work on a performance involving rock gongs (ringing rocks) that will be a bridge to reading and discussion of early people in South Africa, the San (Bushmen) and local history in both venues.
Work on the gong project has already begun, with University of Cape Town. We have assembled some smaller rocks and larger ones are being transported by truck to Clanwilliam soon. We hope to work with local choirs in both workshops and to begin to assemble tracks of gong sounds, humming, clapping – and eventually singing.
Reading around these topics will be challenging, with plenty of opportunity to develop ideas in both writing, recording and artwork. It is going to be fun as well!
Image: CBN’s Anele Mhlahlo sitting on a rock gong (of the larger variety) with an iPad!
