Newsletter | August 2024 | Life is Good

"Women should be celebrated every day... It doesn't just honour the iconic women who have changed history, but encourages new generations to dream big and know that anything is possible." - Molly McCook

On the 9th of August, we celebrated Women's Day here in South Africa. This month, we honour and celebrate our incredible team of women - the strong, resourceful, and generous individuals who work tirelessly and with so much heart for the children and youth in the Overstrand communities.

"If each person has natural gifts and innate talents, then the true nature of education must involve the awakening, inviting, and blessing of the inner genius and unique life spirit of each young person." - Michael Meade, The Genius Myth

Our Early Learning Programme speaks to the core of our mission: to support each and every child we work with - uniquely - according to their talents, needs, and interests. We focused on hand skills, movement, and perceptual skills.

Within the framework of our Arts & Cultural Appreciation Programme, the art workshops led by Tracy Algar at Die Bron Primary School in Stanford and by Antje Shone at the Grootbos Hub in Masakhane continued with vibrant and creative drawing and painting activities.

We are thrilled to announce that this month we submitted artworks from these workshops for entry into the Western Cape Department of Education's Art Celebration Competition. We are excited to participate in this competition again this year, with a total of 19 entries.

A heartfelt thank you to Die Bron Primary School for the collaboration and to Grootbos Foundation for the use of your Hub in Masakhane (https://grootbosfoundation.org/).

Art with Tracy Algar at Die Bron Primary School in Stanford

Visual Art with Antje Shone at the Grootbos Foundation Hub in Masakhane, Gansbaai

In other exciting news, the 2023 Star Search winners from our Arts & Cultural Appreciation Programme took the stage for one-hour concerts at two venues as part of the Kalfiefees Festival in the first two weeks of August. The performances included the acapella group Zwelihle Young Brothers, solo singer Nolundi, and a traditional dance act. The performers were energized by the large professional stage at the Whale Coast Theatre in Hermanus, the impeccable acoustics at the Hermanus Waldorf School's hall, and the enthusiastic engagement from the audience, especially local Zwelihle fans. Preparing for and delivering these concerts was an invaluable learning experience for our young talents.

Our exceptional Overstrand performers are eagerly anticipating further opportunities to showcase their talents throughout the year. Check out what our performers had to say about the concerts in the following videos:

Solo singer and STAR Search 2023 Winner - Nolundi: Watch here.

Acapella group and STAR Search 2023 Winners - Zwelihle Young Brothers: Watch here.

A special thanks to Darren Paulse, aka DJ Dego, who, as a sound engineer in training, supported the young artists with the sound equipment during their performances.

Creative Skills Factory and Rockpool Media extend a BIG thank you to the Kalfiefees Festival organizers for giving our young artists the opportunity to perform.

We are also excited to announce that Star Search Overstrand is hitting the road again for the 2024 auditions! Auditions will be held in Gansbaai, Stanford, Hermanus, and Kleinmond between August and September, with the finals in October.

If you'd like to participate or learn more about the Programme, please contact Star Search Overstrand.