Brent Meersman investigates wether Cape Town theatre’s grand plans might just be an unrealistic dream.
The Artscape theatre complex’s eye-watering R1.5-billion makeover made front-page news in the Cape Times last week. But that does not mean it’s under way. The announcement is part of a public relations campaign to sell its management’s vision to the public and cultural agencies that hold the public purse, who have not committed money to the plan yet, although the government has promised R140-million for capital upgrades over the next few years.
One board member, who asked not to be named, believes the revamp may be a matter of survival. Artscape needs to increase its revenues, broaden its services and, by becoming a more appealing and inviting space, find a way to inject itself into the lifeblood of the city.
The solution proposed by the management is to create a cultural hub that conquers its geographical isolation, caught as it is in a wind-lashed no-man’s-land next to the colossal foreshore freeways. The hope is to connect Artscape to the Cape Town International Convention Centre and the new bus terminus at the Civic Centre. According to Maas, the convention centre has expressed interest in the proposals.
Dream or reality, pros and cons – for the full story: Artscape’s R1.5-billion revamp plan | Arts and Culture | Theatre | Mail & Guardian.
