Far south artists, musicians and other creatives are finding a new rhythm, to help themselves and others get through the economic crisis brought about by the Covid-19 lockdown.
Fish Hoek fine artist David Bucklow went out ahead of lockdown with a camera to capture a range of images which he has since worked from.
The idea, he says, was to take people on a tour of the peninsula while they were at home, by doing a painting a day for 21 days.
“I wanted to do something constructive during lockdown. It was quite a challenge, but I am proud to say I did the full 21 days.”
Bucklow started with a
sunrise over Fish Hoek Beach and painted scenes across the peninsula, ending the series with a sunset over Noordhoek Beach. Those two have proved to be the most popular paintings.
Muizenberg-basedceramicist John Bauer is doing online pottery classes, taking people through the making of story bowls to
decorative tiles, tea pots and the use of colour clay.
He works with porcelain in exhaustive ways and one of his videos alone has had over 1000 views. He has also created a Tile of the Month club, which under lockdown is one of his most popular offerings.
“In my videos, I often focus on the Muizenberg mountain and talk about the influence of nature in my work.”
Marina da Gama musician Johnathan Laing, of the Southern Brothers Blues, said no gigs had been rough for musicians
without day jobs, but he, like many others, is turning to live-stream concerts.
Riaan Smit, of Crimson House, is spending lockdown in his native land of Namibia. However, you could have him in your lounge teaching virtual music lessons if you wish.
“In this absolute crazy time of corona lockdown, I love the community I am seeing coming together,” he said. “Everyone is trying to help one another in whatever way they can. I see artists keeping their fans entertained, I see people volunteering for food distribution programmes, I see young people shopping for those who cannot do it for themselves. I am also seeing plenty of people making the best of this time by developing new business practices online.
“I’m feeling rather blessed that within a month of my business model falling apart (playing shows and managing events) I found a new way to carry on making a living… very grateful for the students I already do have and I look forward to meeting many more.”
Musicians, in particular, have found themselves in hot water with all gigs cancelled, but Hot Water musician Donovan Copley, in collaboration with Fish Hoek film maker Uga Carlini, has found a way to put bread on other people’s tables during this time.
He has written a song, Home, as a fund raiser, and he and Carlini called for people all across the world to contribute video snippets of themselves at home, slow dancing to his song for the music video.
You will see, among others, Sandra Prinsloo, David Kramer, Jack Parow, Arno Carstens and Christina Visser. There is also Mike Rosenberg from Passenger, musician Jeremy Loops, comedian Nik Rabinowitz, musician Majozi, and Juliet Harding of the band Goodluck.
Harding, of Marina da Gama, has raised R100 000 for a feeding scheme for Capricorn and Vrygrond, and asks in her Facebook appeal for people to aid those who, just one road away, are starving.
The Home music video features clips from people in South Africa, Fiji, the UK, Spain, Italy, America, Egypt, India, Switzerland, Zimbabwe, Israel and Malawi.
The footage was all shot on cellphones, which editor Joe de Ornelas, colourist Jarryd du Thoit from Left Post Productions and designer Maryke Sutherland from Tinbird put together.
“I wrote this song last year as a way to deal with challenges in myself and what I saw others dealing with and in the world,” said Copley. “When I was confronted by the massive challenge that we are all facing at this time in so many different ways, Home rose to the surface as an answer to the question ‘How can I be in service in the face of this?’”
Carlini said all revenue for the song and music video – which also shows the work of feeding schemes – during the Covid-19 pandemic would go to the Covid-19 Feeding Scheme.
“South Africa faces her own challenges, and right now hunger seems to be an even bigger threat than this invisible enemy,” she said.
To view the video visit: Youtube: https://youtu.be/CkVITcupQKs or search Facebook for Home Human 2020 and Instagram for @homehuman2020.
