Pretoria is about to join the ranks of creative hubs like Cape Town’s Biscuit Mill and Joburg’s Arts on Main which are all about fashion, design, food and culture with the launch of the Stitching Nations Arts Market this Saturday.

Organised by two trendy youngsters, this is the brainchild of Maryann Mda and Genevieve Booysens, who both have a background in fashion design, events and styling.

They have hosted small artsy gatherings in Pretoria and their biggest achievement was a fashion exhibition launched last year boasting Pretoria performers, photographers, designers, jewellers, artists and collectors.

Their aim with Stitching Nations is to elevate the state of the arts in the capital city with a unifying catalyst in the form of the market, and hopefully bring a lot of young and emerging artists together.

Pretoria has a lot going for it when it comes to fashion, art and culture and it has a number of communities doing things for themselves, but these remain underground and separate movements. And the talent is untapped.

So it will be interesting to see how this new arts market fares and if it can centralise and spotlight the pulse of the city’s artistic vibe.

Talking about how they will run things, Mda says: “Each art market will be themed and each artist and exhibitor will receive a brief for the day.

“There will be live performers including hip-hop groups, a band, singers and contemporary and hip-hop dancers.

“There will be traders of hats, clothing, T-shirts, jewellery, musical instruments, crafts, fine arts, wire crafts and hand made pottery.

“All these artists create their own work.

“There will be a food stall, a bakery and bar as well as an exhibition area and a photo shoot on the day.”

There will be a lot happening in one day and this is what will set this market apart from the others.

But whether having so many activities is a winning idea or an ambitious one remains to be seen.

The Stitching Nations Arts Market takes place at the Pretoria City Hall situated between two of the city’s museums in Visagie Street in the CBD.

The venue is ideal and has hosted successful lifestyle events before. It is also under-used and represents the beauty of the city’s buildings in the city centre.

The organisers plan to have the market every last Saturday of the month.

Looking ahead, Mda says: “The lifestyle, fashion and art scene in Pretoria is growing every year.

“People are becoming more conscious, they’re yearning for culture and are scouting for less commercial gigs.

“Pretoria is rich in the arts and culture, but it’s still far from being noticed for such. But I see a way forward and I see the masses creating more cultured events and it no longer being a clique initiative.”

That’s the change the Stitching Nations Arts Market hopes to bring about.

The market is on from 9am to 4pm on Saturday.

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