CHAPTER 8 CONCLUSION (AND RECOMMENDATIONS)
III. PUBLISHED RESEARCH
1.3 THE NOTIONAL CLIENT
The client for a project of this nature at Rorke’s Drift would be the Evangelical Lutheran Church Art and Craft Centre (ELC Art and Craft Centre). This client is most appropriate as it was the ELC that started the original fine art school at Rorke’s Drift in the 1960’s. During its 20 years of existence many of the school’s students won national and international acclaim.
These artists include John Muafangejo, Azaria Mbatha, Bongi Dlomo, Pat Mautla amongst others. Today, weavers such as Philda Majozi, Emma Dammann and ceramicists such as Gordon Mbatha, Joel Sibisi, and Elizabeth Mbatha are still involved with the centre. In conjunction with this, the land in and around Rorke’s Drift is still in the ELC’s possession meaning that the client would have the physical resources to enable the realisation of a proposal such as this.
1.3.1 The Client’s Organisation
The ELC Art and Craft Centre works under the umbrella of the Lutheran Church of South Africa (ELCSA) and is registered as a PBO (Public Benefit Organisation, PBO 930025276) and NPO (Non-Profit Organisation 076-446NPO). The Centre strives to perpetuate the historic activities of the school and promote empowerment of local individuals through art.
138 Similarly they curate the historically significant collection of works created by previous artists.
Additional stakeholders would be required to ensure sufficient funding for the proposal. From research, capital funding would be obtainable from four sources. Internationally, the World Evangelical Alliance as part of the Lutheran Church of South Africa would be willing to assist on the basis of local capacity building. Nationally, the Department of Arts and Culture via the UNESCO sanctioned Liberation Heritage Route Programme would be able to assist on the basis of development of a significant node of the pre-1994 struggle. Also nationally, the National Arts and Culture Lotteries Initiative (NACLI), managed by the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) would have capacity to assist. Provincially, Amafa through the National Heritage Council has already expressed interest in the project.
And locally, from the Msinga District Municipality, who have ear-marked Rorke’s Drift for Capital Expenditure in terms of Education and Infrastructure.
The associated stakeholders in a project of this nature would support the efforts of the ELC Arts and Craft Centre but would extend them, in line with their own mission statements, to include:
• The main-streaming of the role of Art and Culture in social development.
• Improving economic and other development opportunities for South African Arts and Culture locally and globally, through sustainable partnerships.
• The identification, conservation and promotion of Cultural Heritage.
• Guiding, sustaining and developing archival, heraldic and information resources.
• Improving accessibility to art and facilities associated therewith to encourage enjoyment thereof.
• Providing art facilities outside established centres.
• Preserve and promote awareness of cultural, historical, natural and architectural heritage.
• Nurture a holistic celebration of our country’s history.
1.3.2 The Client’s Requirements
The client requires an intervention that would facilitate the expression of the importance of Rorke’s Drift, both locally and nationally, whilst providing appropriate facilities for the preservation of its material and natural history. Further, the provision of appropriate elements
139 that would enable education and subsequent empowerment of local individuals would permit the client to continue and expand on the social potential impact that any intervention could have within the local conditions. A specific focus on the improvement of existing adjacent facilities and infrastructure, at an urban level, together with the inclusion of appropriate new urban components has been suggested by the client.
From the points raised above, it is clear that the client requirements imply a complete solution to the challenge presented, with a key emphasis on heritage, its promotion and protection and sustainable community development through art.
Bound within these resides the potential to actively engage with the significant narrative of Rorke’s Drift, improving public awareness and enabling local individuals to actively participate in- and benefit from local activity generated.
1.3.3 Client Brie f
The brief for this project calls for the provision of three basic components:
• A place for memory
• A place for empowering
• A place for retreat A Place for Memory
The client requires an appropriately designed Museum element for the documentation, preservation and display of historically significant artistic works, information about the artists and the broader conditions under which the works were produced. This facility should provide adequate public facilities in the form of a public square, foyer, commercial facilities, a temporary exhibition space/multi-purpose hall and a main exhibition space. Service components should include a public reception, security component, cloakroom, ablutions and a supporting administrative element. Operational facilities should include storage areas, workshops and technical facilities for the curation of a space of this nature.
Place for Empowerment
The client further requires an appropriately designed Studio and Education element for the training of artists, the production of artworks and the continuation of the story of Rorke’s Drift. These facilities should provide adequate spaces for training and production in the form
140 of appropriate studios for the arts of weaving, ceramics and print-making. Associated with these, the provision of additional studios and storage facilities for the various phases of the production process must be considered. Supporting these spaces, the provision of offices for studio masters must be included and washrooms should be easily accessed and universally accessible. Key focus must be directed toward the process of production, not production itself.
Place for Rest
The client finally requires appropriately designed Accommodation for part of both staff and students, as most will be from surrounding areas. These facilities must provide adequate space for private accommodation for the staff and shared accommodation for the students. All quarters must have clear and easy access to services, laundries, kitchens, common area and ablutions.
Broader urban considerations should build on the theoretical components of the intervention and should serve to enhance solutions. The area of urban intervention should include the adjacent Mission Station and local main movement node. As this intervention is supplementary to the architectural component, it should illustrate the same design ethos.
For a more detailed Schedule of Accommodation see Appendix 1.