The Cape Town Annual Jazzathon 2024

“Music education can help spark a child’s imagination or ignite a lifetime of passion. When you provide a child with new worlds to explore and challenges to tackle, the possibilities are endless. Music education should not be a privilege for a lucky few, it should be a part of every child’s world of possibility." - Hillary Clinton

So... we can't be biased - the Die Kop Youth Group were invited back to play with the Bottelary Blokfluit Blasers who are also mentored by our music mentor, Manuel Jardine, Founder of the Manuel Jardine Arts Foundation, at the Cape Town Jazzathon - these children are great, only the great play at this event.

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who supported the children's outing to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town.

The day started with lots of excitement waiting for our driver, Martin from D&J Tours in Gansbaai.

We had a wonderful trip to Cape Town with lots of sightseeing from the bus. Table Mountain was a highlight. 

Some of the children had never been to Cape Town before.

We discussed the different peaks, Devil's Peak, Lions Head and Table Mountain.

When we arrived, we had some breakfast to make everyone strong for their performance and then we met up with our music mentor, Manuel and the Bottelary Blokfluit Blasers with whom the children had been rehearsing during the week.

The "Call Time" for the children was at 12 o'clock, to prepare and rehearse backstage, and then at 1 o'clock, they moved onto the big stage.

The children had the privilege and honour to open the Jazzathon for the day and to play with wonderful musicians Rudolph Bostander, Phillip Vermeulen, Elton Abrahams and Charlton Abrahams, playing with them on the big stage which made for a wonderful performance.

With music teacher Manuel Jardine’s mentorship, care and guidance, a total of 24 children performed together in the V & A Waterfront Amphitheatre on Sunday.

The children played for a full half hour accompanied by professional musicians.

After the event, everyone gathered for some hamburgers and muffins, chatting and reminiscing on their performance with so much youthful exuberance.

What a joy!

It was an exciting day and the best start to a brand-new year.

“Music has a power of forming the character, and should therefore be introduced into the education of the young." - Aristotle

“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning." - Plato

“Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education." - Plato

Thank you for reading our news and for your interest in what we do at Creative Skills Factory NPO.

Creative Works after-school and school holiday workshops (literacy, movement, arts & crafts and play) at our centre in Stanford called the Learning Tree.

Arts & Cultural Appreciation Programme - music, drama and visual arts workshops, tutored and mentored by professionals.

Youth Programme - Rap and the Spoken Word group learning sound engineering, writing poetry and making music.

Riding High Programme - horse therapy.

Beautiful Therapy Room at Die Bron Primary School offering small group intervention for children needing extra educational support.

And last but not least and very close to our heart, our Early Learning Perceptual Programme - offering Early Childhood Development and Occupational Therapy in schools, creches and playgroups in the Overstrand, and educational workshops for parents, caregivers, and teachers.

Warm wishes everyone and take care, until next time...