A tentative first step

In this first section I explore my thoughts about the city, and I find two voices I associate with life in Grahamstown. The purpose of this first entry is to wrap my head around ideas associated with Grahamstown so bear with me.

Whenever I think of Grahamstown many images filter through my mind. It's a place of art, movement, life, excitement, extreme wealth, extreme poverty, a merge of the two economies, completely separate living, churches, different religions. It's a hotpot of contradictions and ironies, and a world of divergent ideas and beliefs.

This week I will focus on developmental arts, especially Ubom. Ubom is a local theatre company that engages with people from all walks of life. Ubom has recently done a tour through small towns in the Western Cape where they performed to children who otherwise experience education as dreary and bland. I will find someone who took to plays there to speak about educational theatre, and the impact the experience has had on the lives of the performers. But more importantly I want to find out what it means to be part of a cultural endeavour now in this part of the world and in the political and social climate of Grahamstown. 

A second thing I think of, related to developmental art, is the presence of the women at Under the Arch. They are the cultural hub of the university, the creators of hippie fashion, beads, beanies, scarves, and it often just takes one woman with a sewing machine to clothe a university populace. I've had my clothes mended there when I didn't have a mom to sew my buttons or take in a skirt. 

Then there's also the street musician, who plays guitar by Steers. There used to be two of them, but the one is gone. I wonder where he went. 

My thoughts are mainly concentrated along High Street, because that's where I always go and where all the action happens. Another street I love is Bathurst Street, for the old buildings and the museum, home affairs and the copper kettle, the one pub where locals can go where students don't hang out and annoy them. 

That's enough for now, my fingers are tired. More later!