News
sector
Blooming marvellous
The creative work of former stage manager and props master
Elana-Marie Snyman attracted plenty of interest when her
cardboard ‘King of Protea’ was chosen for the CCDI Handmade
Collection in 2011. Viewers were amazed at how she transformed
this simple material into a beautiful and refreshing work of threedimensional sculpture.
Elana-Marie, whose business Kreasie specializes in theatrical
props, costumes and handmade crafts, has continued exploring
this unusual medium. She held her first exhibition at KKNK this year
in April and it included a self-portrait set in a landscape of proteas.
Everything was made from corrugated cardboard, and Elana-Marie
shared photos of her work with us.
Contact: Elana-Marie Snyman | www.kreasie.co.za
www.facebook.com/kreasiehandmade | 072 601 2500
c/o Oude Libertas & Adam Tas Street, Stellenbosch.
Elana-Marie Snyman has transformed cardboard into a remarkable selfportrait.
Handy with leather
The SA Leather Academy is a major player and trainer in the art
of hand crafted leather in South Africa. Based in Vanrhynsdorp,
founder Frik van Jaarsveld teaches how to make bags and products
outside a formal workshop environment. Trainees come from as
far afield as Dubai, Brazil and Belgium and Southern Africa to learn
from a master how to make leatherware to international standards..
Because all leather craft tools are imported, in short supply and not
always of optimal quality, the Academy has launched an ingenious
tools-making programme in which scrap metal and old, secondhand tools are transformed into useful, hard-working tools of the
leather trade.
of his ideas include: An exhibition of handcrafted leather industry
suppliers; a workshop of techniques ranging from making gun
cases to boot-making and museum artefact maintenance and
restoration; a workshop on tool maintenance and manufacturing
incorporating recycling; discussions on leather, its properties and
uses for different products; a national competition of top quality,
totally handmade products; and discussions on ideas and methods
for small manufacturers to enter the world market.
Contact: Frik van Jaarsveld www.leatherclassics.co.za
www.leatheracademy.co.za | http://leathersa.blogspot.com
072 221 0200 | F 086 638 4969 | [email protected]
Tools such as edge bevellers, stitch punches, edge creasers, rivet
seaters, cutting circles and line punchers are made using old vehicle
valves; second-hand tools are transformed into cantle pliers and
lacing nippers; and old broom handles bcome mallets.
“This action has resulted us in being able to add a basic set of tools
for each new student,” says Frik. “The retail value of this would have
been R2000, but now it is free as part of our training programme.”
Cape Craft & Design Institute June 2012
Frik also has plans to present a conference on the handmade
leather industry during the weekend of 17-18 November. Some
4
An array of handmade leather tools.
SA Leather Academy trainees Michael GeertsPhotographs:
and Edwin VosHirt
withand Carter.
handmade tools.
Shop
of the
month
Art in the Forest
Art in the Forest is aptly named due to its spectacular
position deep in Cecilia Forest in Constantia, with superb
views of the peninsula and the valley below.
This outlet is an established, multi-faceted destination for
lovers of beautiful things. Now, with interest and demand
for fine ceramics growing, the owners have transformed the
existing large gallery area into a retail space showcasing
a large collection of fine ceramics. Curated by master
ceramicist Anthony Shapiro, the retail space will show new
ceramic exhibitions every two months.
Supporting this beautifully situated outlet also helps several
good causes. Ceramic classes and workshops are offered
throughout the year. All profits from sales go towards the
Light From Africa Foundation which uses the money to
offer free clay therapy workshops/classes to orphaned and
vulnerable children, as well as their carers. The foundation
is also committed to supporting housing for foster families
through Home from Home, as well as regular financial help to
orphanages and safe houses.
The entrance to
‘Art in the Forest’.
(Pic credit: Gregor
Rohrig)
The current exhibition until end June consists of black and white ceramics, which
were curated by Anthony Shapiro to complement the recent FASHION in the
FOREST event. Works were carefully selected from regional and national ceramic
artists, including Lisa Firer, Loren Kaplan, Sarah Walters, Janice Rabie, Rika
Herbst, Kate van Putten, Mervyn Gers, Noleen Read, Hennie Meyer, Madoda
Fani, Carolyn Heydenrich, Karen Kotze, Shelley Maisel, Clementina van der Walt
and more.
High quality ceramics on show at Art in the Forest.
Contact: Erf 839 Constantia, Rhodes Drive, Constantia Nek | [email protected] | 021 794 0291 | www.lightfromafrica.com
| www.facebook.com/lightfromafrica.
Directions: GPS Co-ordinates: S34 00 27.9 and E 18 24 36.3 | At the Constantia Nek traffic circle, take a left (at the fruit sellers). Travel uphill
on the dirt road towards the boom gate, which is the entrance into Cecelia Forest. Carry on for about one kilometre, the gallery is visible on
your right.
Product
month
of the
Description: ‘Protect Us’ is a sustainable range of ceramics and textiles conceptualised by
Amy Burton, that aims to create awareness about the endangered animals of South Africa.
The range includes the riverine rabbit, the rhino, the blue swallow, the elephant and the wild
dog. The ceramic range consists of bowls, beakers, egg cups and tea-light candle holders.
The bowls and cups are thrown on a pottery wheel from white earthenware clay. These are then
decorated with delightful illustrations of the endangered animals using decals. The egg-cups and
tea-light holders are slip-cast in stoneware for durability.
Price: R120 - eggcups and tea lights
R120/R140 - small or medium bowls
R100/R140 - small or medium beakers
Production: 100 per week per product
Contact: Toni Burton | 021 789 1491 | F 021 789 1491 | 084 556 6423 |
[email protected].
Cape Craft & Design Institute June 2012
Zizamele ‘Protect us’ range
5
Craft producers make over R382 000 at Decorex Cape
Starting in 1994 as an unknown interior design and décor
exhibition, Decorex SA has grown into a leading lifestyle show
with cutting-edge and high end lifestyle brands. So it was fitting
that Western Cape craft producers notched up sales and orders
worth over R382 000 at Decorex Cape - a 62% increase on
2011, when they made some R239 224.
The CCDI took over R69 000 in sales at its collective shop,
which stocked items from 55 craft producers. A further 16 craft
producers (with their own stands, under the umbrella of the
CCDI) made over R200 000 in sales during the event, plus taking
additional orders worth at least R112 000.
The products ranged from textiles and ceramics to jewellery,
lighting and handcrafted pens. The craft producers travelled from
as far afield as Wilderness, George and Barrydale in the Klein
Karoo.
One of the most successful stands was Recycabilia from Capri,
Cape Town, which reported R30 000 in sales during Decorex, and
orders worth R10 000, with more still coming in.
“We sold a mix of our products - eco-friendly, recycled wooden
frames and decor for the home and garden,” said owner Vikki van
Zyl. “Our new, just-launched coloured chalkboards did really well.”
Such successes, at Decorex and other retail channels, have
enabled Vikki to move her production from a home garage to a
small factory off Kommetjie
Road, where she employs
one full-time worker and
more casual workers during
busy times.
Market support programme
manager Fran Stewart
attributed the success to
growing professionalism
among craft producers,
many of whom have
attended CCDI business
and creativity workshops.
CCDI styling advice for
craft producers, and highly
trained, helpful salespeople
at the collective shop, also
contributed.
The striking craft products
attracted compliments and
customers at Decorex.
fltr: Recreate | Chic Fusion |
Professor Pedrp | Blossom
Creations.
CCDI creative exercise inspires calligraphers
Cape Craft & Design Institute June 2012
A creative exercise developed by the CCDI’s workshop facilitator,
Karen Stewart, has been adopted by local calligraphy fans – and
the results are stunning.
6
The exercise (taken from Karen’s
colour workshop for the design
cluster) asks participants to fold
an A3-sized piece of paper into
small squares, then to search
magazines for blocks of colour
the size of the folded squares.
The colours are arranged and
stuck down to form a palette.
A mask is then made of paper
with three square holes cut into
it. This mask is used to randomly
select three colours. “The idea is
that this helps participants to break their colour habits, which we all
generally have and struggle with,” explained Karen.
Colour palettes produced in Karen's
colour workshop.
Bev Gillespie, a calligrapher and mentor of a local group of young
stone lettercarvers (lettersinstone.org.za) was so inspired by this
exercise that she adopted the technique for a workshop that she
ran for the Cape Friends of Calligraphy, the local Western Cape
guild. She took it a step further by asking participants to use the
three colours to make a calligraphic composition.
Contact: Bev Gillespie [email protected] |
[email protected].
The design cluster is made up of four separate days of training
and introduces participants to innovative ways at relooking at how
colour, texture, line and
pattern are currently
used in their work and
to find creative ways
of introducing them to
their products. Also
look out for the new
design cluster in August
which expands on
the foundations laid in
the first design cluster
course.
Contact: karen.
[email protected]
Examples of the colour calligraphy.
Training unit boosts the Cape craft sector
It’s now over 18 months since Alan Winde, MEC for Finance,
Economic Development and Tourism for the Western Cape, snipped
the red ribbon to formally open the CCDI’s Creative Enterprise Training
Unit.
The CCDI staff has been even more enthusiastic and efficient in these
inspiring new surroundings, and the successful operation of the unit
also enabled the CCDI to show the need and cost-effectiveness of an
in-house business skills facilitator and mentor.
Since those early beginnings in November 2010, the unit’s offerings
have grown tremendously, largely due a grant from the Culture, Arts,
Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Training Authority (Cathsseta).
The Cathsseta funding has also been used to develop new resources
- training material, fact sheets and a business toolkit – for use in the
unit, and throughout the sector through website access.
From April to September 2011, the grant was used to get the facility
properly operational and furnished. It has become a vibrant meeting
place for craft producers, providing skills training, support and
networking opportunities. During this period, 1532 people attended
the various CCDI events and activities in the unit.
“The finalisation of the training facility, and equipping the CCDI’s
learning environments, has been the most significant success of the
Cathsseta project,” reports CCDI Business Support Programme
manager Sarah Polonsky, who worked closely with Cathsseta’s
project manager Sibongile Mbokazi.
Marcia Horst from Mozambique holds
some products designed at the CCDI
training unit during a project sponsored
by the Kellogg Foundation.
MEC Winde with a group of past CCDI learners, who graduated during the opening of the CCDI Creative
Enterprise Training Unit.
meet the
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Staff
The team at Business Support offers training and learnerships to develop skills in creativity, business management, production and
marketing. There is also mentoring and a referral system for craft enterprises. You will always get a friendly welcome and helpful
assistance when you visit the spick and span premises of the Creative Enterprise Training Unit.
Cape Craft & Design Institute June 2012
KAREN
Joyce
Mxangashe
Office Cleaner:
CETU
JOYCE
EUNICE
Agnes
Petersen
Creative
Training Unit
Receptionist
AGNES
SARAH
Eunice
Freeman
Creative
Training
Unit Admin
Assistant
Eugene
Newman
Business
Development
Facilitator
Karen
Stewart
Creative
Workshop
Facilitator
EUGENE
Dammon
Rice
Creative
Training Unit
Co-ordinator
DAMON
Sarah
Polonsky
Business
Support
programme
manager
7
Pashasha pop-up shop
Twelve craft producers from throughout the peninsula, who had taken
part in a retail readiness workshop with the Cape Craft and Design
Institute (CCDI), tested out their new-found skills at a pop-up shop in
The Fringe on Friday 11 May.
Their handmade products, on sale at the CCDI’s Creative Enterprise
Training Unit, included jewellery, leather bags, decor items, children’s
ware, cards and homeware.
“The shop was an opportunity for craft producers to put into practice
the learnings from the workshop and to get feedback from the public,”
said CCDI creative training unit co-ordinator Dammon Rice.
The craft producers are based all over Cape Town – Mitchell’s Plain
to Claremont, Khayelitsha to Sea Point. Some had the following
feedback:
Maura Assam of African Inspirations, based in Claremont, sold
handmade cushions: “I realised that you have to cater for the market
– you might love making something for your own home, but after
meeting retailers I now know more about which products will sell.”
Melanie Pierce of Quiver, based in Noordhoek, makes homeware
inspired by indigenous flora: “The CCDI’s help has been invaluable.
The wonderful lecturers were very supportive. I can now say I have a
business.”
Mairame Sow, of Suare Africa, from Claremont, sold her
leather products.
Maura Assam of African Inspirations, based in Claremont, sold handmade
cushions.
Mairame Sow, of Suare Africa, from Claremont, makes leather
products: “All in all the workshop was very informative and I learnt a
lot.”
The CCDI organises numerous business support and creativity
workshops. Fees are generally R30/day for CCDI-registered
craft producers, and R550/day for non-CCDI registered people.
(Registration is free). To book for a workshop contact: CCDI Creative
Training Unit admin assistant Eunice Freeman 021 461 4696 |
[email protected].
Melanie Pierce of Quiver, based in Noordhoek, showed homeware inspired
by indigenous flora.cushions.
Storage solutions competition
Cape Craft & Design Institute June 2012
A Western Cape furniture design initiative, now in its fifth year,
has evolved into a national competition with a new brand name ‘Jigsaw’.
8
The Western Cape Furniture Initiative is focusing this year on
storage solutions for small spaces such as township shacks, small
inner city apartments, students’ quarters and corporate offices.
“Designers are asked to find a way to maximise resources and
materials to create a design that has more than one function,” say
the organisers. “The proposals should encapsulate socially and
environmentally responsible design solutions, using your discretion
in determining the type of items to be stored, and how. “
There is R75 000 in prizes to be won. The competition is divided
into two categories – a closed competition for registered students
and an open competition. Both category entrants must be 18 years
or older and live in South Africa; and it must be possible to massproduce or batch-produce the storage pieces.
In the design stage, a quarter
scale model must be submitted.
Judges will be looking for
originality, innovation and ease of
manufacturing and assembly. In the
manufacturing stage, factors such as
eco-friendly materials, commercial viability and functionality come
into play.
Deadlines:
Entries close: 12 October 2012
Finalists announced: 1 November 2012
Finalists to manufacture designs: 15 February 2013
Finalists’ furniture displayed and winners announced: Design
Indaba Expo 2013
Contact: Western Cape Furniture Initiative | The Hostel 86
Commercial Street Cape Town | 021 447 6406 | F 021 447 0376 |
[email protected].