A weekend immersed in Cape Town’s creative energy is the perfect recharge for the soul. A year round celebration of exciting talent, Cape Town is abuzz with galleries, public art, street art and art events.
For instant access to the local energy; gallery hop or visit some studios along the happening Woodstock strip. Get a copy of the Arts + Crafts Map to find out where and when or find it online right here
Extend your weekend to Thursday evening and make creativArts + Crafts Mape connections at First Thursdays – a monthly event (first Thursday of the month) that sees central city galleries stay open till 9:00pm. Follow it up with Thursday Late in the Woodstock area.
As part of their Hello Weekend calendar of great reasons to visit Cape Town, Cape Town Tourism is making it easier for visitors to get their creative quick-fix with the COLLECTORS & CREATIVES WEEKEND starting at R3 624 per person sharing. The package includes return economy class flights to Cape Town from Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg or Durban, two days of car hire from Avis and two to three nights of accommodation. Cape Town Tourism has also collated some top creative experiences to add to the weekend wish-list (activities are separate to the cost of the package):
Street Art Tour | Woodstock
Take a tour of one of Cape Town’s most significant outdoor art galleries – the streets of Woodstock. In this ever-changing neighbourhood, where heritage and hipster-culture mingle to create a rich urban experience, buildings are canvases for renowned street artists such as Faith47, Jack Fox and Freddy Sam making it one of the most popular street art galleries in town. Check Coffee Bean Routes
Dinner and a show |The Baxter Theatre | Rondebosch
Spend an evening under the iconic orange domes of the world-class Baxter Theatre Centre situated in Rondebosch. The theatre, designed by architect Jack Barnett, stages a riveting line-up of plays, musicals, classical concerts, dance performances and more. Make it an evening out by pairing dinner at the Maharajah theatre restaurant, where you can tuck into a buffet of Indian dishes, before being impressed by the talent on stage. Bookings for shows through Computicket.
First Thursdays | CBD Galleries
First Thursday of the month until 9:00pm. Next ones are on 4 June and 2 July 2015.
First Thursdays, a global movement, allows art aficionados the chance to explore numerous galleries in the central city of Cape Town till late, on the first Thursday of every month. The streets come alive as the art scene spills onto the sidewalks of the city. Check the website for a map of participating galleries and shops.
Don’t dismay, if you miss First Thursdays you can still have a rich art exhibition weekend – visit the up-and-coming art gallery district in Woodstock.
Clay Café | Hout Bay
If the creative urge strikes head over to the Clay Café to try your hand at ceramics painting at this lovely studio in Hout Bay, just twenty minutes’ drive from Cape Town central city. Choose from a vast array of unfired bisque and a wide selection of colourful glazes to create a singular piece that is an expression of your own creativity.
Iziko SA National Gallery | Company’s Gardens
Art lovers won’t soon forget their first encounter with Jane Alexander’s The Butcher Boys, just one of the striking pieces that count among the Iziko South African National Gallery’s permanent contemporary South African art collection. The gallery, set in the historic and beautiful Company’s Gardens, is also home to an exceptional collection of South African, African, British, French, Dutch and Flemish art.
Art class | Woodstock
Are you the next Picasso? Bright Creative Space is a Woodstock-based art and creative studio where you can hone your own creative talent with an array of classes ranging from figure drawing to expressionist painting. The studio also hosts bi-annual exhibitions of student work where you might just scoop up a collectable piece for a steal.
Says Cape Town Tourism’s Marketing Executive, Velma Corcoran: “Cape Town is the ultimate canvas. We are inviting South African’s to come and be a part of this creative revolution. Absorb the ideas driving our creative energy, express your own creativity and muse on the work of others. A creative weekend in Cape Town is a great place to forget yourself.”
For more tips and packages for a Cape Town weekend escape search #helloweekend #lovecapetown.
Visit helloweekend or explore Cape Town Tourism.
