An exciting arts and culture event brimming with activities for young and old will take place at the Generations school campus at Imhoff on the Kommetjie Road this month. Think live performances, music, stand-up comedy, pottery workshops, sound journeys, art exhibitions, chef-led food offerings and more…

With its motto ‘the art fair for everyone’, Vision 24 aims to be an accessible event with something for everyone, from everywhere. Kicking off on the public holiday on Thursday, 21 March 2024, the event will run until Friday, 22 March 2024. General entrance is free, with select individual performances and activities ticketed separately.

‘We will bring you a truly authentic show with various zones activated throughout the event,’ says enthusiastic and dynamic organiser Susan Proctor Hume. ‘You will be able to find brilliant work from professional artists in our booths in the school hall as well as ambitious work by emerging artists in the classrooms. There will be a dedicated area for poetry, prose, drama and musical contributions, as well as various food options from our in-house chef.

‘The creative contributions are not limited to only art - we will have fashion, music, ceramics and beadwork,’ continues Hume. ‘Visitors are welcome to bring their own bottle of wine and enjoy the mouth-watering curries, parfaits, smoothies and snacks served at the canteen by chef Steven Nair.’

Hume is the creative mind behind SPH Fine Art Fairs & Events as well as the Kommetjie Fine Art Gallery. An artists’ agent and an artist in her own right, she curates the ongoing art exhibitions at the stylish Gorgeous George hotel in Cape Town’s CBD. While this is her first artist-led fair, Hume’s vision is expansive and she plans many other such events and dreams of taking local artists to international fairs.

‘We offer opportunities for artists who are building their careers and seeking to share their skills with the world. We are an art movement where collaboration is the essence of our vision. We have partnered with Generations (a Cambridge school) as well as a number of other partners and individuals to bring you two days of visual art and performance art,’ she says.

Vision 24 is all for a good cause - 10% of any nett income derived from this venture will go directly to the Generations School Bursary Fund, and the event has partnered with Tears Animal Rescue and 1 Kennel at a Time, as well as local art institutions.

‘One of our partners is Ocean View Public Library. This is a centre for education, social connection, upliftment and security for learners and all members of the community,’ says Hume.

‘Peter Clarke Art Centre, represented by Fabian Hartzenberg, provides art lessons at this library as well as a number of other satellite centres around the Western Cape. In this era, libraries have become critical to the wellbeing of society and it is a fact that libraries are visited three times more than movies in US by all age groups. The Ocean View Library is immaculate and caters to everyone; they even have a section where a parent can borrow toys for their children, and exchange those toys regularly. Wytske van der Meulen will represent the Ocean View Library with free clay classes and art classes at Vision 24 on both days.’

The two-day line-up of things to do is dynamic and varied, with many highlights. There will be a live performance by award-winning music act Indlovuzaki, which has been recognised for promoting the use of Siswati in music. For a sound experience of a different kind, Kristy Snyman will be sharing one of her beautiful restorative sound journeys on the Thursday. Also on the Voices Programme, well-known personality Marianne Thamm will give a ticketed performance titled A Round of Applause, South Africa's still standing. Thamm is a South African journalist, author and stand-up comedian. She is the assistant editor of Daily Maverick and has written several books. In 2016, she released a memoir, Hitler, Verwoerd, Mandela and me. 

‘Marianne has an hilarious and brilliant outlook and we are delighted to host her show at Generations during Vision24,’ Hume comments.

In addition to the live events, the art exhibition in the main hall will feature 30 artists, each with their own display booth. You’ll find a mix of painters, photographers, sculptors and ceramicists, with a fair amount of representation from well-established and emerging artists from the Deep South community and artists from farther afield too. You’ll be able to view work by painters like Thandazani Ndlovu, Jan Barend Wolmarans, Nina Minke Holloway, Zack Mukwira, Dave Robertson, Bridget Heneck, Chantelle Hopewell, Patricia Watson, Lauren Shantall and many others; and formed works in clay by respected ceramicists such as Elizabeth Vels, Cathy Stanley, Nada Spencer, and Hume herself.

Besides the artists in the main hall, there will be work by 30 more artists from the Kunye Art Foundation on show in the classrooms, along with another 10 represented by Peter Clarke Art Centre, a few represented by Masi Creative Hub, plus ceramic artists from Glencairn-based studio The Muddies. Five art students hailing from Generations will exhibit in the school’s art department.

The fair is open to the public and all are welcome to attend. Opening hours are from 11h00 to 16h00 on Thursday and 10h00 to 16h00 on Friday. Remember, although there is no entry fee, you do need to book a free general admission ticket for each day via Quicket: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/250176-vision24/?ref=events-list#/

Here’s the free line-up:

Pottery workshop for 7-13 year olds from 11h00 to 13h00 on 21 MarchFashion show curated by Liberty Nene from 12h00 to 13h00 on 21 MarchVarious art exhibitions on both daysSoccer matches between Masi Soccer Club and Imhoff Soccer ClubDrama presentation of Waiting for Godot from 11h00 to 12h00 on 22 March

Ticketed events include:

Sound Journey with Kristy Snyman on Thursday 21 March from 10h00 to11h00, R300 per person, book through Quicket: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/251513-sound-journey-the-art-fair-partners-of-sph-fine-art-fairs-and-events/#/Private art preview on Thursday 21 March from 10h00 to11h00, R100 per person, book through Quicket. Marianne Thamm will give a ticketed performance titled A Round of Applause, South Africa's still standing, book through Quicket.

For more information on Vision 24 and to find out about the participating artists as each one is announced, follow @sphfineartfairscapetown on Instagram.