THREE years ago a community new to Inanda Dam near Durban had no hope of a future, but it was an arts initiative that turned that around.
Today, since the establishment of the Wushwini Arts Culture and Heritage Centre, there’s been a visible increase in employment and growth in the community.
On Monday a major fundraiser will be held for the centre, and as its founder, Jerry Pooe explains, they want to “keep the lights on”.
Pooe, through his Eager Artists Company, has invested over the three years into what is now a centre that is flourishing in the arts.
“We have trained about 30 young people from the poverty-stricken district of Wushwini, who were trained over 12 months in the performing arts. Three of them went to the auditions for story- telling, they were hired and they now have a one-year contract for work next year. We have also trained more than 60 children from the community and created job opportunities for about 10 people.”
Pooe said while the centre does get some funding from government, they don’t want to only rely on that.
“We only receive R166 000 a year from the province; it is not enough to cover our expenses. We are fund-raising because we don’t want to depend on the government. This is our first fundraiser and we will have another big one next year.
“Wushwini depends on Eager Artists projects and partnerships from the national Department of Arts and Culture and eThekwini Municipality. It becomes difficult to plan when there is no money. I don’t like dependency syndrome, that is why I prefer to raise funds so that the lights can always stay on at our centre.”
Ultimately Pooe said they hope to get money in order to support their programmes: “We want Wushwini to become a well-respected Pan- African Arts Centre and to play a big arts role on the continent.”
He added: “At the fundraiser at Moses Mabhida Stadium, the centre hopes to invite captains of industry to come on board and associate their corporate brands with developments at Wushwini.
“After a presentation on the centre’s vision, some art will be auctioned off and corporates will be presented with opportunities of partnering, by way of naming rights associated with our eight venues at the centre and by making pledges in support of their line-up of high- profile performance projects.”
The Wushwini Centre fundraising event on Monday runs at Moses Mabhida from 6pm to 8pm and will include a sit-down dinner, with entertainment by arts luminaries Gcina Mhlophe, Madala Kunene, Nhlangano Home Boys, Twice and Ndunankululu.
• For more information, or to be part of this event, e-mail [email protected] or call 082 335 6088.