Saturday 14th April saw Green Point Park alive with Dance, Drama, Music and Art! This gorgeous venue was the site of the "Focus of the Arts Schools" annual performance. 10 schools from the Western Cape (as far as George) worked with external directors, choreographers and their own teachers to create performance pieces which creatively used the park environment. Dancers, actors and musicians pranced over waterways and rolled on the grass, made use of playgrounds, benches, fences and more to create original free public happenings.
The talent was visible, the creative work of the choreographers and directors inspiring and the overall dedication of everyone involved heart warming. It is events like this that make a difference in the experience of education for these learners. Anyone who does not believe in the value of arts subjects should attend one of these performances or spend some time in a school seeing how much work goes into a performance event. The learners learn such discipline and dedication through the process - skills they will carry into any workplace. Sitting at a desk does not inspire the same dedication.....in fact it is usually the learners who excell at subjects like dance who are also the ones achieveing the top marks in other subjects!
The opportunity of working with professional choreographers and dircetors is also invaluable for the learners. These people act as role models and open the learners up to a world beyond their school experience.
I think an enormous "well done" should be given to Jenny van Papnedorp, the architect of this performance event. It is through her vision and blood, sweat and tears that this event has happened successfully for 3 years in a row, providing performance opportunities for learners and additional work for artists. Thank goodness there are people like her in the education depratment who are so passionate about their subject that they will work all hours of the day and do whatever they can to ensure the learners have opportunities, and the teachers have continued support, training and resources.
WELL DONE!!!
The talent was visible, the creative work of the choreographers and directors inspiring and the overall dedication of everyone involved heart warming. It is events like this that make a difference in the experience of education for these learners. Anyone who does not believe in the value of arts subjects should attend one of these performances or spend some time in a school seeing how much work goes into a performance event. The learners learn such discipline and dedication through the process - skills they will carry into any workplace. Sitting at a desk does not inspire the same dedication.....in fact it is usually the learners who excell at subjects like dance who are also the ones achieveing the top marks in other subjects!
The opportunity of working with professional choreographers and dircetors is also invaluable for the learners. These people act as role models and open the learners up to a world beyond their school experience.
I think an enormous "well done" should be given to Jenny van Papnedorp, the architect of this performance event. It is through her vision and blood, sweat and tears that this event has happened successfully for 3 years in a row, providing performance opportunities for learners and additional work for artists. Thank goodness there are people like her in the education depratment who are so passionate about their subject that they will work all hours of the day and do whatever they can to ensure the learners have opportunities, and the teachers have continued support, training and resources.
WELL DONE!!!