Sharing stories is perhaps one of the very first art forms that human beings have engaged in. The simple act of telling others about an experience that we’ve had and listening to the others do the same allows us to build a shared narrative and make sense of our lives.
AwethuArt’s first storytelling event marked a shift from previous events in many ways. The principles of art being publicly accessible and socially relevant came to the fore in this event. This was the first event that was held at a public venue. The Mayfair library was kind enough to meet with us and buy into the vision we had to transform the library for an afternoon, from a space where stories were shared through books, to one where stories were shared through people. Many of the attendees had memories of the library from their childhoods but were no longer library users. And so the storytelling event had multiple spatial objectives: to get people back into the library, to remind them of the value of public space and to activate the space that often lies under-utilized.
Mayfair is an extremely diverse area. Residents of the area just West of Downtown Johannesburg cross boundaries of race, class, religion and ethnicity. In the months prior to the event the City of Johannesburg had begun work on the Precinct Design Framework, a document that would shape the area’s development for the coming years. As with all city plans there was a period of public engagement and consultation needed. During this process it was apparent that the diverse groups had conflicting ideas about the space. Issues of belonging were raised, and it was clear that there was no shared vision for the area. The storytelling event aimed at creating art that was relevant to this context. Through the sharing of stories it was hoped that a shared narrative of the past could be understood by all, to make sense of the present and move towards a shared vision for the area’s future.
We were grateful to have Khanival Media at the event to record the stories being shared.
awethu art 