Artists donate artworks to rescue a community specialist school from troubled waters
By CityLIfe Arts Writer
South African visual artists have stepped out to donate artworks for a fundraising auction to support a struggling Cape Town based New Muzienberg School.
The auction is set to take place on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at The Common in Cape Town. With parents losing their jobs due to Covid-19 induced retrenchments, the Cape Peninsula based school is struggling to pay for the day to day operations. It is among the specialized schools in South Africa that have been struggling to keep afloat due to the problems posed by the outbreak of Covid-19. The school is looking to raise R200 000 through the art auction and online donation portal.
New Muzienberg School was established by parents and teachers in 2015 and has employed five teachers and one assistant. The funds raised will pay for property rental, teachers’ salaries shortfall, general school supplies, and municipal services. Unlike other schools which receive a government grant, New Musienberg School survives on school fees paid by parents.
The community school has adopted a Waldorf education concept which was created by Rudolf Steiner in 1919 in Germany. The education concept strives to develop pupils’ intellectual, artistic, and practical skills in an integrated and holistic manner. The concept assists in the cultivation of pupils’ imagination and creativity in ways that serve their developmental needs. To date, the Steiner education exists in 75 countries.
Among the four artists who donated artworks include Gabriel Raaff, Keri Muller, Marc Nicolson, Christie Niederhumer, Marelise Keith, Tatiana Kelm, Fritha Langerman, Elaine Millin, Krispin Kazadi, Lauren Fowler, Olivie Keck, and Bonita Alice among others.
Melany Bendix who handles the school’s publicity said since the school was not government funded yet its fee structure allowed parents to pay according to what they earn, and those who cannot afford the minimum were directly sponsored or generally funded via fundraising initiatives.
“The donations will go a long way in helping the school community find its feet this year, so that we can build a strong foundation going forwards into 2022. The school’s fee structure requires the school to regularly fundraise, and The Creativity Auction aims to be the school’s biggest fundraiser, providing supporters with the opportunity to acquire valuable work from renowned artists at never-to-be-repeated prices, all in support of equal-access education, ” she said.
Andrea Van Meyergaarden, one of the parents who is also part of the school task team said their fee structure allowed each family to pay a 10 percent of the family’s average monthly gross income.
“We are a collective of parents and teachers reimagining the concept of school. Together, we re-imagined the future of our community, and creatively experimenting with different learning approaches. Through our combined efforts we have created a school that pushes the boundaries of education and is inclusive of all families, no matter their social-economic status.”
Van Meyergaarden said the school was still in its toddling years and has started the long process or registering the school with the department of education which takes about five years. After registering, the school can also benefit from the department’s funding scheme.