The Nelson Mandela in Cape Town – Legacy Exhibition and Education Programme at City Hall won the first prize at the recent Western Cape Cultural Affairs Awards hosted by Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport

The Cultural Affairs Awards were hosted by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) and recognise and celebrate cultural, linguistic and heritage excellence in the province. The exhibition took top honours in the Museums, Heritage and Geographical Names award category for its contribution towards the promotion of local history and heritage.

Developed by the City of Cape Town and HelloFCB+ in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela in Cape Town – Legacy Exhibition is a permanent exhibition on the first floor of the Cape Town City Hall where Madiba made his first public address after being released from prison on Sunday, 11 February 1990. A bronze statue of Madiba was installed on the very balcony where he gave the speech.

The exhibition includes an installation created by HelloFCB+ on behalf of the City of Cape Town; it showcases South African national anthem composer, Enoch Sontonga’s life in chronological order, from his birth in the Eastern Cape, education at Fort Hare and career as a teacher, preacher, poet and composer.

The walk-through exhibition was officially opened on 10 December 2021. It is laid out in a timeline format and consists of interactive displays, interpretive panels, audio-visual experiences, and various newspapers, objects, protest posters, and letters written by Mandela, all expertly curated by the dedicated team from the City's Environmental Management Department. The resulting experience takes visitors on an emotional journey through the life and times of Nelson Mandela, including his years spent in Cape Town and on Robben Island.

In addition to linking visitors to the legacy of Madiba, the exhibition recognises the invaluable contributions of other Capetonians who were involved in the liberation struggle, including Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Cissie Gool and Ashley Kriel.

'We are extremely proud of the award and the recognition it gives to the work, planning, care and dedication that went into this exhibition. It is world-class, and the growing number of visitors to City Hall confirms the value of the exhibition and its contribution to our rich heritage.

‘I want to thank and congratulate the officials from the City's Environmental Management Department who collaborated with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to bring this to light. I also want to congratulate the Foundation and thank their personnel for their invaluable guidance and assistance with the exhibition,' said Councillor Aslam Cassiem, the Chairperson of the City's Portfolio Committee on Spatial Planning and Environment.

"Working on this culture rich installation with the City of Cape Town and the Mandela Foundation was incredibly moving. Unpacking the history of the country and that of the city through this curation, memorialises and provides home to crucial information of our past, as well as events that shaped who we are as a nation. We are therefore incredibly honoured to be recognised with this prestigious award, congratulations to our client and all the teams involved,” says Nadja Srdic, Executive Business Director at HelloFCB+.

The exhibition is increasingly popular with Cape Town tour guides, many of whom now either begin or end their tours at City Hall. By the end of September 2022, the exhibition had attracted 3,297 visitors, among which 1, 365 were primary and secondary school learners from public, private and home schools across the city. The exhibition and other Cape Town heritage experiences are promoted in partnership with Cape Town Tourism and have been included in the 2022 Cape Town Visitor Guide.

For more information about the Nelson Mandela in Cape Town – Legacy Exhibition and Education Programme, visit www.capetown.gov.za/MandelaExhibition.