THE inner city is a vibrant district with a unique character that can easily
claim to be the Culture Capital of the country. It has a wide-range of cultural
venues, and serves as the base for many creative and cultural industries.
It features a number of theatres, including the Civic Theatre, the Market Theatre, the
Wits' theatres and the Alexander Theatre.
The inner city is very often the venue of choice for many of the city's
cultural events; the prime one being the annual Arts Alive Festival , which
sees many activities taking place in Newtown and surrounds. Another major annual
event is the Dance Umbrella.
Many of the creative and cultural training institutions are also based in
the inner city: The University of Witwatersrand's School of the Arts, the
National Arts School, the South African Ballet Theatre, Moving into Dance Mophatong, the Dance
Factory, the Market Theatre workshop, the photographic laboratory, Creative
Industries Collective, the Bag Factory to name but a few.
It is also the home of several major art galleries, including the
province's premier institution, the Johannesburg Art Gallery, as well as the
Standard Bank and Absa galleries.
Historically, the inner city is where the city was born. It was here that
the first gold-rush shanty town was established. To this day there are reminders
dotted around the inner city pointing to historical events or social
developments. Mary Fitzgerald Square
in Newtown refers to the strikes of the 1920s, while the Fort at Constitution Hill, which once housed
many of the freedom fighters over the years, is now home to the Constitutional
Court.
The regeneration initiatives of the City have identified several areas
that will expand this sector:
Related
stories:
Turning the inner city into Jozi's playground
A
number of interventions have been put on the table to turn Joburg's inner city
into a vibrant artistic and cultural hub, cementing the city's reputation as the
cultural capital of the country.
Read more
Joburg is SA's culture capital
With a handful of new
theatres and audiences streaming to see hit shows, Johannesburg is cementing its
position as the country's capital of culture.
Read more
<< Back to Inner City home page
|
