It’s a suburb, but here people lovingly refer to it as the “town”. A town with a fresh water well that was sunk by the VOC in the 1600s; which was inhabited long before then by Khoisan natives; which has Cape Dutch buildings in streets named after Oxford and the queen. And that is surrounded by the gentlest hills – sometimes green as young wheat, sometimes canola yellow, sometimes deep red from ripe grape clusters. Yes, in proper Kaaps you can indeed say: “Dit gaan aan hier!” (And we’re not even talking about the cyclists.)
Durbanville. Surrounded by so much history and endowed with a rich heritage, it is only fitting that this town in the northern suburbs of Cape Town will soon have its very first, own cultural festival. And, of course, it is symbolic that the Kultura Festival kicks off in the year we celebrate Afrikaans’ 100th year as an official language and Durbanville’s 200th anniversary!
Curro Durbanville High School is the host of the Kultura Festival which will take place from 20 to 27 June, and all the festival events will also be presented on the school’s phenomenal campus. Because the school has already distinguished itself on a national level as a cultural colossus, it is now the next, almost organic, step to take its place as the cultural centre of the area, says high school head Isa Swanepoel, who has been dreaming of this for a long time. “There is nothing that brings a community as close as culture, music and language. These things directly speak to the heart.” Swanepoel also says that due to its location, Curro Durbanville wants to be a place where the community can come together, almost like a “microcosm of what South Africa can be”, especially with the university and airport which will be built a stone’s throw from the school.
Productions with gravitas
The newcomer to the annual cultural calendar’s line-up has been carefully curated and hand-picked to offer something for every taste. Big names will bring their productions to Durbanville, such as Sandra Prinsloo, who will be seen in the multi-award-winning war drama Kamphoer, the ever-popular Marion Holm in Marion Monroe and comedians Marc Lottering and Barry Hilton. The Cape Town Junior Philharmonic Orchestra will perform with Zanne Stapelberg and rapper Early B will get those feet moving with DJ Justin Vega.
Two exciting competitions for high school students also form part of the festival. The Band Battle offers high school bands the opportunity to show their steel. Schools across the Western Cape can enter and Francois van Coke will act as the main judge on the evening of the reckoning, after which he and his whole band will perform too. The other challenge for learners is the brand new Nou praat jy! public speaking competition to be contested at national level. Schools are encouraged to enter their top team (two speakers), and the theme is Afrikaans – ‘n taal van kleure en klank. There are two categories: Afrikaans Home Language and Afrikaans First Additional Language. Solid cash prizes are up for grabs for both competitions. More information is up on Facebook, Instagram and Curro Durbanville High School’s website. In the meantime, get the ball rolling – the closing date for both competitions is 24 April.
Festival of wines
A town surrounded by vineyards must of course have wine on the cultural menu and that is why wine farms such as Nitida, Maastricht, Canto, Meerendal, Klein Roosboom and Groot Phesantekraal will bring their best wines to the Kultura Wine Festival. On the weekend of June 20 to 22, festival-goers will have the opportunity to taste the area’s wines and enjoy snacks in between shows.
Let’s write history together!
He is extremely excited to invite the entire community to help write the town’s and the school’s history together, says Riaan Stroebel, CEO of Curro Durbanville. The principles and ground on which this beautiful, innovative school was built have a rich past, and it is his wish that the community build on it together, says Stroebel. “The Kultura Festival is history in the making, and we can’t wait to experience it with you!”
