Art and Craft Tour - Creative Trailblazers

Open a window into the design heart of South Africa, travelling around Cape Town, seeing creativity at the cutting edge of the cultural revival.

Experience the skills of artists in the ambience of their surroundings, and meet the people who are dynamically combining technical skill, knowledge of indigenous materials and creativity, to produce forms that are both art and craft.

Uncover artistry that pays tribute to past and present, to deep environmental knowledge and to the ways of life that give things meaning, producing forms that are practical and beautiful, or whimsical, one of a kind products which stretch the powers of innovation and production

SIGNATURE FEATURES
Meet a selection of artists who are interweaving culture, environment and technology
Participate in hands-on, interactive workshops
Visit a cultural destination going back to Stone Age times
Explore breath taking scenery, taking in the sights that make the Cape unique

THE HIGHLIGHTS
Craft’s potential for job creation, wealth generation and exports is huge - and exciting. Objects range from sturdy hand woven baskets to finely wrought jewellery and their locally sourced raw materials are as diverse as rough clay, brightly coloured wire, and felt made from mopane worm byproducts. Many skills have been developed over generations, using unique local materials. Crafts cover a wide range of techniques, numerous areas of origin, multiple uses, and collectively reflect the knowledge and skill of their makers, as well as the beauty to be found in everyday things.

 The journey offers special access, private viewings and visits to unusual cultural destinations.
You meet a hand picked selection of artists working in a multiplicity of media as well as innovators, job creators, role models and trend setters.
Many are product developers, bridging the gap between the strength and simplicity of local design and shifts in international trends.
Some are nurturers, drawing forth the best of the creative spirit, others are simply making something beautiful.
All have been chosen for their specific knowledge and their profound commitment to the creative process.
Encounters and social interactions are designed for you to experience, engage and enquire.

The tour focuses on the Cape Peninsula on the historical south western tip of South Africa, world famous for its breathtaking scenic splendours such as Cape Point, near where the cool Atlantic Ocean and warm waters of the Indian Ocean meet; legendary Table Mountain, known for its white cloud ‘tablecloth’; numerous wine routes with diverse terroirs; distinctive Cape Dutch architecture; botanical treasures within one of the world’s top Floral Kingdoms - all distinguishing elements that make the Cape unique.

Sample New World wines made on Old World estates, savour a cuisine that is a melting pot of recipes from far flung cultures over the past 350 years. Travelling around a city shaped by three major faiths you hear at least three languages daily. You encounter the complexity of first world and third world, with tangible remnants of a colonial past and the reality of a post modern present. In these extremes lies Cape Town’s great appeal. Stimulate your senses and experience a country where the craft sector is enjoying a burst of creativity. A fledgling nation is creating an identity and literally showing its true colours through craft.

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