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Learning Cape Festival

Creativity is an engine for economic growth

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:14

By Munyaradzi Makoni

Western Cape Cultural Affairs, Sport and Recreation MEC Cameron Dugmore is calling for more attention to creativity as part of the economy to nurture development of talent in the country.

"Creativity can grow the economy of the country. There is need for more people to promote creative activities for this to be realized. This is a small piece but a part of the bigger vision to create a vision economy," he said while visiting three students who were recording music at Red Bull South Africa studios.

The students, Rochell-Veronica Wildskut of Worcester Secondary, Tisetso Nokane of Vusisizwe High both from Worcester and Mpumelelo Mogale of Mandlenkosi Secondary School from Beaufort West emerged as winners amongst other youth that competed in the mini-festivals' singing competitions, dubbed, the 'Battle of MCs' that were held during Learning Cape Festival between August and September last year. The recording deal was their winning prize.

MEC Dugmore said he hoped this opportunity to record their music would assist the students to take their learning experiences to other youths in respective communities, learn the business side and explore the opportunities in the music industry.

While up beat about the relationship between Learning Cape and Red Bull, he said the challenge was to build upon this experience and give hoards of youths across the Western Cape a chance to display their talents.

The Learning Cape, which promotes opportunities for learning in the Western Cape, organized the recording with Red Bull South Africa as pilot programme to expose promising talent from the rural communities.

"We wanted to give students an opportunity to know commitment to learning has its reward".

"The reward they are receiving is a memorable experience of working in a music studio where arts and science are merged as the music they create is engineered on a CD, which they will use to promote themselves," said Beverly Barry, whose organization is passionate about promoting lifelong learning.

The students who went through tears, pain, sweat and laughter on their first ever day in a recording studio on Tuesday are expected to record a joint song and a song each by Friday when their musical recording experience ends.

"These are youths with talent, they just need direction," said Red Bull manager, Ivan Turanjanin.

"We are always looking for great South African talent to send to attend international music competitions every year and we have found a way to get a wider variety of raw talent to choose from with this project".

"The international audiences will be absolutely thrilled to listen to tunes from a learner with rural background from South Africa," he added.