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Simple but effective methods are being used by a British arts programme to unite communities both locally and globally, through 1mile2.
COMMUNITIES in Johannesburg are linking with others around the world as part of 1mile2, with two interventions already completed and others still to come.
1mile2, a British initiative, is a three-year global arts programme that kicked off in October. British artists Lee Griffith, Sandra Hall and Simon Walker are spearheading the Joburg interventions, and will be here for the next two months. They are working with Joburg artists Kyla Davies and Anthea Moys.
Making use of recycled coke bottles
The programme works by bringing ordinary members of various communities on board, in a variety of ways, to map the biodiversity, cultural diversity and aesthetic diversity of their neighbourhoods, working in collaboration with artists and ecologists.
These communities, along with their experiences, are then linked across the world through an internet platform that shares and challenges their findings, perceptions, ideas, experiences and creativity and encourages new connections between people.
Interventions come from unique, simple ideas which use out-of-the-box lateral thinking. The criteria behind them are that they should be inexpensive, should use material that is already in the current environment and should be easily copied to be used by other people and organisations to reach out to the community.
GreenHouse
On Wednesday, 21 October, the intervention took place at the GreenHouse in Joubert Park, in Hillbrow. The goal was to get people to cross the "GreenHouse Threshold" or boundary, given that they usually simply passed through the park without paying much attention to the GreenHouse in their midst. Those who took part were people walking through or relaxing in the park, or on their way to the nearby taxi ranks.
They were cleverly drawn to the GreenHouse, using an unusual invitation strategy, where they were introduced to the programme and were involved in activities that helped map who they were within their space. On the way out, each participant planted an edible plant in an empty two-litre plastic bottle. This activity was symbolic of "growing the nation".
From the outside, the GreenHouse, situated near the Johannesburg Art Gallery, looks abandoned. Plants grow wildly and the structure, built in 2002, still stands naked as walls and windows have not been put in place. Yet its offices are open on the premises.
The first intervention, on 14 October, was an attempt to bridge the gap between the northern suburbs and Hillbrow. Griffith and Hall went from door to door in Parkview, asking for flowers to decorate George's Boxing Ring in Hillbrow, which was converted into a stage on which local children danced later that day.
Interest
It is hoped that through the interventions, interest gained would be translated into something tangible, like the proper maintenance of the GreenHouse by groups from Hillbrow and the north, with funds being made available and volunteers helping with maintenance.
The next event takes place on Wednesday, 28 October, when members of the public will be invited to join in and identify trees in Joburg, that they love.
It aims to foster a deeper recognition of the green spaces surrounding people and to impart knowledge about Joburg's trees. Tree specialist Sean Hide will be helping. Participants will draw their trees on a Joburg map of about 16m2 in size, and will then walk through to the Johannesburg Art Gallery into an open space where they will position their tree art work.
On 1 November, those who took part in the previous activities will bring back work and documentation of their activities to launch "I love Hilbrow" postcards. Pictures taken will be used on postcards, which will be sold to generate money for non-governmental organisations that deal directly with the needs of the community.
Walker says: "When our two months of residency are over here in South Africa, we hope that we would have been able to raise funding for activities that will keep children busy after school, as well as have imparted skills and knowledge to the local artists [Davies and Moys] we are working with - skills and knowledge that will ensure that the work we have started lives on."
For more information on coming events, email Lee Griffith at
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or Kyla Davies on
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.
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