Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Arts boosts relations between two rugby nations
WHILE the world’s eyes are fixed on the Rugby World Cup in France, a cultural exchange programme has strengthened ties between Artscape and the city of Toulouse.
CEO of Artscape, Marlene le Roux, is in France this weekend as part of a longstanding partnership to share creative ideas and practices, spanning various fields.
Artscape described the partnership with Samba Resillé, one of the foremost arts and culture organisations in Toulouse, as a conduit for the youth who live in rural communities to get exposure and experience new cultures.
“It also serves as an opportunity for our youth to dream bigger, beyond their current situations, where poverty, gangsterism and unemployment is a norm. It opens up doors for new opportunities and projects,” said Le Roux.
The current exchange also “seeks to build relations” between Toulouse and Cape Town to enhance relations for youth development and international city co-operation, she added.
Toulouse has presented its candidacy to the Unesco Creative Cities Network in the category of music, and Cape Town is already a member of the network, in the category of design.
In her speech, Le Roux highlighted the role sports, particularly rugby, had played in unifying South Africa.
France is currently hosting the Rugby World Cup and like South Africa, is known as a rugby nation.
“Sport is often punted as a conduit towards nation-building. South Africa had just emerged from a successful transition towards democracy in 1994, when it won the Rugby World Cup in 1995,” Le Roux said.
“When former president Nelson Mandela lifted the trophy together with the then-rugby captain, Francois Pienaar, it signified the unity between the respective races who had for the first time embraced a sport primarily supported by an exclusive audience.”
Le Roux also said the world would have to work out how to use sport to contribute towards healing the rifts in societies, cultures and races globally.
She also emphasised that international cultural exchange remained one of the cornerstones of the promotion of respect and mutual understanding.
Last year, the Wellington Pacific Brass Band formed part of the exchange project called the Dream Up! Drum Up Project. This year, Samba Resillé opened the season with a retrospective that celebrated South Africa by organising an exhibition that would be showcased at the Médiathèque José Cabanis conference. The project’s aim is to explore best practices that lead young people to live fulfilling experiences.
During her visit, Le Roux would also be meeting stakeholders to work on other funding mechanisms for the youth.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis endorsed Le Roux’s visit to Toulouse. He also expressed support for Toulouse’s attempt to be part of the Unesco Creative Cities Network.
In November,Artscape will host Samba Resillé, as part of the MusicPreneur project in conjunction with arts organisations from Gothenburg, Sweden and Brussels, Belgium.
These organisations would all be collaborating with emerging artists from Cape Town.