Grahamstown’s failing infrastructure threatens to scotch a move to make the city the creative capital of the country.
Grahamstown’s failing infrastructure threatens to scotch a move to make the city the creative capital of the country.
At risk is the joint partnership by the Makana Municipality and the National Arts Festival to establish Grahamstown as the Creative Capital of South Africa by 2020.
Due to recent water and electricity outages and a national broadcast by Carte Blanche on infrastructure issues, Grahamstown has had a conference at Rhodes University cancelled and may face a further decline in tourism due to water and electricity outages.
According to Susan Waugh, Makana Tourism Director, the water and electricity crisis has caused tourism opportunities for Grahamstown to be missed, as less people are likely to come to a city because of its lack of basic necessities.
“We have seen a huge conferences backing out from coming to Rhodes, which is very detrimental to the town. The conference cost over R300 000 just to put together, so you can imagine how many people are attending. And [with] the speakers and everything, and that has a knock-on effect,” said Waugh.
Water outages in Grahamstown led to strong protest in August. Rhodes University led a march to the municipal offices after some campus residences and the dwellings of citizens went for nine days without running water.
The presidency intervened and the water outages were temporarily alleviated, only to fail intermittently from suburb to suburb throughout Grahamstown over the successive three months. The national coverage on persistent water and electricity outages in the city poses a challenge for businesses and residents alike.
The Creative City Project was established to stimulate creative entrepreneurial activity in a city best referred to as the Festival City because it hosts the third-largest arts festival in the world.
According to Carolyn Stevenson-Milln, the project coordinator, the aim of the project is to create employment through training and by creating a platform for local artists and performers to showcase their talents.
“We are trying to create a platform for people in Grahamstown. We know that there are talented people in Grahamstown, so why not give them a platform?" said Stevenson-Milln.
"I want to find out, who are the artists in the township? Where are they exhibited? Are they exhibiting? [I want to] give them a platform.”
For Tracy Jeffery, owner of local craft shop Kisma & Co, the idea of the Creative City project is promising because it implies more people will visit Grahamstown throughout the year, not only during festivals and the Christmas season.
“The Creative City project can only be good for us. Grahamstown is a creative city – it's just not always evident," Jeffery said.
"I think people are overwhelmed by the Festival and are surprised that we look like an ordinary city for the rest of the year. But there is a lot of hidden creativity in Grahamstown and I think it would be great to show it off.”
Although Grahamstown is outgrowing its initial town planning and infrastructure, the prospect of job creation and a re-branding of Makana through the Creative City project is a promising and exciting initiative.
According to Mayor Zamuxolo Peter, creative industries play an important role in revitalising Grahamstown. The project aims to unlock the city's potential and uplift the economy through the arts.
