We continue! Twenty-four children attended the second day of a four-day workshop for younger children on the theme of archaeology and the Olifants River Valley (Time and the Valley).
We began (after much-needed hot chocolate on a very old morning) by introducing new CBN facilitator Nadia Woodward and welcoming Anele Mhlahlo back once again. Books and stories included talking and reading about and looking at rock art images from the Cederberg and elsewhere in South Africa – and with books and stories as usual.
By eleven, everyone had warmed up a bit and we welcomed archaeologist Cuan Hahndiek to give a talk and a very exciting demonstration of how the paintings were made. Children ground their own ochre and then painted animals onto plates and pieces of pottery. While one group were busy with this, the other group made polychromatic paintings of animals that they chose from a selection of rock art books. They fully understood the terminology and made careful copies of the art – which will be displayed in a montage for Heritage Day.
After lunch we worked with Nadia Woodward on theatre exercises, building on the work the participants had done during the morning on San lifeways. Nadia gave the children the confidence to move and express themselves – and incidentally enjoy themselves hugely. We hope we will be able to wrk more with her in the future. Anele Mhlaphlo worked his usual magic – how children (who have often never heard solo violin before) love Bach. It never fails. There are always the rapt listeners and always a couple of boys who play air-violin and lose themselves completely in the experience. More books and stories and quiet reading time brought the afternoon to a close.
Thanks:
Thanks: This workshop was part of the Clanwilliam Dam Community Project (CDCP) in association with Clanwilliam Living Landscape Project, PGS Heritage and Clanwilliam Municipality, particularly their Library and their librarians who give CBN wonderful support. Sponsorship for the workshops comes from the Department of Water and Sanitation as part of its Social responsibility programme associated with the raising of the Clanwilliam Dam wall.
After lunch we worked with Nadia Woodward on theatre exercises, building on the work the participants had done during the morning on San lifeways. Nadia gave the hchildren the confidence to move and express themselves – and incidentally enjoy themselves hugely. We hope we will be able to wrk more with her in the future. Anele Mhlaphlo worked his usual magic – how children (who have often never heard solo violin before) love Bach. It never fails. There are always the rapt listeners and always a couple of boys who play air-violin and lose themselves completely in the experience. More books and stories and quiet reading time brought the afternoon to a close.
Special thanks for local input:
Clanwilliam Superspar gave us a generous discount on groceries for feeding the children (a total of 75 meals were provided) as well as snack breakfasts and cash donations from Heather and Donald McAllister and an anonymous donor, which were greatly appreciated. Thank you all for being part of the project.
Archaeologists:
(PGS Heritage) – Wouter Fourie, Cedric Poggenpoel, Katharine Kyriacou, Cuan Hahndiek, Ross Lyall-Jennings
CBN Team: Lesley Beake, Rosemary Bangham, Anele Mhlahlo and Nadia Woodward.
We could not achieve as much in Clanwilliam without the serious input from Clanwilliam Library, particularly Lizel Koopman and Emiline Jacobs and Asanda Lobse. They not only register the children and drum up support, they also enter enthusiastically into every activity and are the life and soul of the party.
Thanks: This workshop was part of the Clanwilliam Dam Community Project (CDCP) in association with Clanwilliam Living Landscape Project, PGS Heritage and Clanwilliam Municipality, particularly their Library. Sponsorship for the workshops comes from the Department of Water and Sanitation as part of its Social responsibility programme associated with the raising of the Clanwilliam Dam wall.
Special thanks for local input:
Clanwilliam Superspar gave us a generous discount on groceries for feeding the children (a total of 75 meals were provided for them, as well as snack breakfasts), and cash donations from Heather and Donald McAllister and an anonymous donor, were greatly appreciated. Thank you also to Liezel Hofman for being an excellent caterer for us all, as ever.
Thank you all for being part of the project.
