The Joubert Park Project
1st Floor West Block
Drill Hall Precinct
14/15/16 Twist Street
Joubert Park, Johannesburg
P.O.Box 23561
Joubert Park 2944,SA
Tel: +(27) 011 333 11 12
Fax: +(27) 086 640 96119
e-mail: jppap@worlonline.co.za
Project Contact: Bie Venter, 083
728 56 06
Dorothee Kreutzfeldt, 083 956 0507
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Joubert Park Project
The Joubert Park Project is a non profit collective of artists who share
a passion for the inner city of Johannesburg. We have been based in the
Joubert Park area since 2000, mainly working with arts and culture and
inner city communities. We have recently moved to the Drill Hall, which
was redeveloped over the last year through the efforts of the Johannesburg
Development Agency, the South African Heritage Authorities and the City
of Johannesburg and has been declared a 'heritage site'. Best known for
hosting the infamous 1956 Treason Trial, the Drill Hall has played a crucial,
if at times secretive role in the conflicted, often wondrous and explosive
development of Johannesburg. It had been abandoned by the military in
the 1090s, was then occupied by squatters, burned down has now been refurbished
as a public square and one of the city's key heritage sites. Presently
it houses the Joubert Park Project, the Rand Light Infantry, the Child
Welfare and Community Chest (social welfare organizations).
The JPP has been entrusted with activating the cultural and educational
programme at the Drill Hall. This includes managing an exhibition space
at the precinct, which is the base for a range of activities, workshops,
events and exchanges that we are planning and fundraising for. The city
granted a budget to start up the infrastructure and a heritage exhibition
as well as a schools programme/publication, all of which started last
year and will be completed by April 05. The permanent exhibition included
hand-painted displays and a large scale moscaic which contextualise the
history of the Drill Hall for visitors. Both components were developed
with sign-writers and crafters from different parts of Johannesburg. They
were showcased as part of our first exhibition in November 04, which presented
the outcomes of a visual literacy and photography workshop, facilitated
in partnership with the Market Photography Workshop.
The Drill Hall has offered an extraordinary opportunity to refocus and
expand our aims and endeavors until now, building on experiences and partnerships
so far. The JPP was formalised as a trust last year and is now directed
by a strong team of trustees and management committee/members who share
different portfolios to realize the vision for the precinct.
JPP's aims for the Drill Hall precinct include
Cutting edge/ interactive cultural and heritage programming based on comprehensive
research
Arts related skills training and development written into projects (management,
curating, logistics, technical skills, etc.)
Imaginatively engage the complexities of the Drill Hall, urban experiences,
broader inner city transformation and development
Make the space available to artists, learners, communities etc. to realize
projects, workshops and exhibitions that support the collective mission
of the JPP
Support cultural institutions, initiatives and practitioners working within
the Inner City, particularly Drill Hall tenants and the Johannesburg Art
Gallery and its programs
Critical engagement with contemporary art debates and practices, particularly
within the public art field and questions/issues raised by the Drill HallÕs
heritage (e.g. Treason Trials - fight for democracy, military society
- protection of ideologies and territories, urban renewal - democratization
of space)
Promote creative production and artists through publicity and media, attract
interest and attention from a broad public and potential sponsors to sustain
the project
Support the city's renewal plans through arts related programming and
activities and by engaging the specific heritage and inner city communities
Our objective is to offer and create a forum for artistic activity and
cultural exchange both based within and drawing from the inner city, through
the implementation of our underlying principles:
Collaboration: Creating and maintaining partnerships, working collaboratively
with individuals and groups, including neighbouring communities and schools,
self trained artists, professionals and educators, the city, business
and sponsors
Cutting across disciplines: collaborative practice with people from a
broad range of disciplines, supporting and facilitating new media and
established forms of expression and inquiry (include. dance, street performance
and poetry.
Training
Support of existing initiatives, projects and institutions
Mission
The JPP envisions
an inner city suburb of Joubert Park that is vibrant, dynamic and safe
a cultural axis within Johannesburg that is driven by the voice of its
communities, artists and cultural practictioners, that is rooted in its
history and links significant historical and contemporary sites (Drill
Hall, Constitution Hill, Johannesburg Art Gallery, the Fashion District
and Newtown, Kliptown, etc.)
a focal point, the Drill Hall precinct, that draws together diverse audiences,
fosters critical social and cultural dialogue and production and engages
with the challenges and possibilities of a transforming city
Management
The JPP has been running over the last five years as a primarily voluntary
organization. During this time the organization was based mainly at the
Johannesburg Art Gallery and sustained itself initiating and co-faciliatating
project. Since moving to the Drill Hall and formally registering as a
trust, JPP's aim is to maintain a steady income through grants and partnerships
that can ensure continuous working and activities at the Drill Hall.
As such the management team is made up of a core group of people who share
different portfolios (Bie Venter, Joseph Gaylard, Dorothee Kreutzfeldt,
Keren Ben Zeev), a gallery manager who is in charge of running the Drill
Hall space and overseeing the current projects, and project managers who
are responsible for specific activities. Terry Kurgan, the chairperson
of the trustees attends management meetings to ensure good governance.
(treasurer) meets regularly with Ben Zeev to ensure sound financial management.
Members of the JPP team have a range of qualifications in different fields,
the main area being arts and culture, exhibition logistics, curating,
writing, teaching and management.
Other JPP members include artists, researchers and young professionals
who share the interests of the JPP and actively support its mission (Johanna
Mavhungu, Nkosana Ngobese, Keorapetse Mosimane).
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