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Avhashoni Mainganye.

Revival of home for artists in Vhembe

 

Two prominent artists in the Vhembe district, Avhashoni Mainganye and Matamela Raphalalani, have combined efforts to try and revive the defunct Ditike Arts and Crafts Centre, situated on the main road from Thohoyandou to Louis Trichardt.

“We want to revive Ditike, so that artists and crafters have a space to call home,” said artist Raphalalani. “However, to achieve this, we must first revive what used to be called the Vhavenda Art Foundation. Hopefully we will then be able to acquire Ditike as the base for the foundation.”

Depending on the wishes of stakeholders, the foundation will be renamed to be more inclusive – for example, it could be the “Vhembe Art Foundation” said Raphalalani.

Ditike thrived during the 1980s and early 1990s, and Vhavenda arts and crafts were sought after by South Africans and foreign nationals alike.

“Many national exhibitions promoted our work,” said Mainganye, “but this ended when the VDC (now LED) privatised Ditike and it subsequently collapsed.”

Raphalalani went on to explain that, in an attempt to address the artists’ needs, the municipality built an arts and culture centre. However, the structure is unsuitable for artists and crafters, and they also failed to market the artists’ products.

“Instead, the centre is today used as a venue for public functions and church ceremonies,” he lamented. “In the meantime, the Ditike buildings, which are much better situated, have been used as a car wash and beer-selling point and are now being vandalised.”

He went on to say that many traditional crafters and artists had passed away without first transferring their skills, so the traditional crafts would soon be gone if no drastic action was taken.

“We hope to reverse this trend, and to provide artists and crafters with a central point from where they can market their produce instead of having to travel long distances,” he said. “With Ditike as a base, different artists and crafters will be catered for, such as potters, woodcarvers, basket makers, mat weavers, bracelet makers, and others who produce works such as calabashes, mats, hats, handbags, wool spinners, brooms, wooden spoons and dishes.”

Ditike would strive to ensure that valuable economic skills thrive and are retained by hosting regular arts and craft seminars and workshops.

“Ditike will be frequented by school pupils both from within and beyond Limpopo, to learn about old people’s traditional skills,” he stated. “We also aim to help art teachers in schools, so that they can better facilitate art lessons in the schools.”

The revival of the foundation and subsequently Ditike has two main goals: to protect, promote and market traditional arts and crafts, and to enable the vast numbers of unemployed youths to earn a sustainable income through the production of sellable artefacts.

If you are interested in seeing both the foundation and Ditike up and running again, please phone or send text messages with the key word “Ditike”, your name and cell number to any of the people listed below. You will then be invited to a meeting at which the “way forward” can be determined and action taken.

Avhashoni Mainganye 0847259613, Matamela Raphalalani 0818130069, or Fiona Nicholson (Administrator) 0828976451.

 

News - Date: 19 June 2018

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Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Email: [email protected]

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