A thriving community such as Mitchells Plain, cannot buzz with vitality without the food of life, and no, we aren’t talking about The Food Mistro this week, in Shakespeare’s words : “if music be the food of love, play on”. Our Brews & Views team head over to The Mitchells Plain Music Academy, this neighbourhood’s very own music school under the direction of Trevino Isaacs. This academy has an intriguing story, come journey with us.
THE MITCHELLS PLAIN MUSIC ACADEMY
Established in 2014, The Mitchells Plain Music Academy, had humble beginnings with just one student and one instrument in the family home of its founder, Trevino Isaacs. It has since seen an influx of over 170 students, with lessons in a vast range of instruments. It has also expanded into Kraaifontein, that alone is a sign of how much this music project has flourished since its inception.
Trevino lets Craig in on how it all started. A student auditioning for the Grahamstown National Arts Festival approached Trevino, who was not teaching at the time, to help him learn his performance piece. Needless to say, he nailed his audition and the ball kept rolling from there. More students came running to the highly-skilled pianist and soon Trevino had no choice but to gather some of his music mates and officially offer music lessons.
Another motivation driving the academy is that music has been removed from the school’s curriculum, that gap became the premise upon which this music school is built, with many students wanting to explore their musical curiosity.
With the backdrop of students, geared up with their instruments, Trevino proudly speaks on his students’ accomplishments and highlights: from performing at the Jazzathon to also playing their very own show at the V&A Waterfront to a massive audience.
As the students indulge us to some soulful grooves, Craig chats to them about what music means to them and what the academy has offered them, here’s what they had to say.
“It is a safe space to allow me to express myself, [...] without words.” They also said that the opportunities afforded them through the programmes helped boost their exposure to the tourist community in Cape Town “it’s really amazing for us to showcase what is here in Mitchells Plain”.
The music theory classes offer the entire scope of education from beginner to advanced level, which sets you up to continue at university level.
Passion, dedication and sheer love for music is what this academy is all about, if you wish to be a part of this amazing venture, be sure to check them out on all their social media platforms.
Next stop is KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE. We get an inside peek into this initiative which was founded in 2009 in Bridgetown, an initiative for social innovation.
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
Robynne sits down with Genevieve Adams who is a lead for this initiative also called The Learning Journey. RLabs hosts an experience where international or local groups from universities, schools, companies and the like take a day out to learn about what RLabs has to offer and stands for. It is in this exchange, where these groups gain knowledge and at the same time, offer knowledge about themselves.
Genevieve says :”this [...] is an in-depth, you know, diving deeper into what RLabs is all about. RLabs boasts an amazing 15 university count, at this exchange and that only in 2023!
The RLabs guests visiting the site this week are from Maryland University, with a focus on business. These MBA students are interested in learning how RLabs invests in businesses and what their strategies are for equipping them to succeed. The Knowledge Exchange offers more insight into how RLabs operates as well.
As an organisation built on collaboration and building strong networks between clients and businesses with a focus on community, RLabs offers client support to partners and businesses. On site, there is an area located for collaborative working called the co-working space. It is said to be a space that provides a “sense of community [...] with a diverse group of people where you can connect with them {and collaborate], as one client support leader describes it.
The Knowledge Exchange is an experience through which you can gain knowledge but also share it, with people who are open to diversity and collaboration.
Now a sense of fashion is always in style, and of course, Westridge precinct has all the show when it comes to fashion, let’s meet the team behind Design26 Foundation.
DESIGN26 FOUNDATION
Suraya Williams, a Rocklands-bred woman, is the founder of this company. She turned pain into purpose, when after losing her mother, she explored an untapped gift.
She was inspired to design garments for special occasions like the coming of age 21st birthday celebration and has since become a role model for young women who want to stake their claim in the dressmaking industry. She wanted to make them see that they too can become employable or self-employable by developing this skill in order to become self-made.
Deisgn26 flows into two entities, a profitable company and a foundation. It is through the foundation where young women are trained and upskilled to empower themselves with an invaluable resource. Young girls are given opportunities to either work for the company or further their dressmaking skills.
In Capetonian culture, dressmaking holds a reputable place. Our history is rich with threads and needles that weave our stories and also our clothes. Some of this died down in the 80s but Suraya and her team of trained craftswomen, are paying homage to this history by reviving the rich textile industry through their contribution at Design26.
The alumni at Design26 sings its praises by explaining that it is not mere dressmaking skills you learn here but also valuable life lessons. The passion Suraya and her team has is not only used to teach young women but also to empower them.
If you are interested in exploring your own love for dressmaking and design, find Design26 on their social media platforms or if you are in the Mitchells Plain area. And, if you need to get glammed up for your special event don’t forget the designers at the foundation “care about what you wear”.
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