Tour the arts – and then some
GET TO KNOW THE CITY New inner-city tour sure to please theatre and history nuts.
hile the world is applauding South African gentrified neighbourhoods like Jozi’s Maboneng and Woodstock in Cape Town, historical spaces aren’t taking a back seat.
In Johannesburg, on-foot city tours are popular leisure activities allowing people complete urban emersion in a guided way. Last week, The Market Theatre launched their brand new tour through its Newtown precinct. It joins a few established tours that focus the lens on alternative spaces, sometimes underexplored areas with a rich history and an unfortunate reputation.
The joy of these tours is that the history, combined with the modern-day use of the city, creates an exciting experience where you don’t need artisanal coffee to make it better.
These tours are unapologetic, some gritty – but all important. Here’s the rundown of not-to-bemissed excursions in the City of Gold. The Market Theatre’s history goes back a long time. The Edwardian structure, once a market known as the Old Indian Market or simply Newtown Market opened as a theatre in 1976 (the same week as the Soweto uprisings).
The market’s cathedral-like dome was turned into three new theatres by, most famously, Mannie Manim and Barney Simon. The theatre has since been one of the most influential performance spaces in South Africa, even the world.
The anti-apartheid stance of productions, as well as it’s political agenda and fearless inclusiveness, has made The Market Theatre a beacon of hope in our downtrodden society. The new tour highlights its history, but also shifts focus to its future.
The newly built Market Square has brought an interesting dynamic to the arts hub in Newtown. Apart from its award-winning architecture and the superb design, the new building is a multifaceted space for creatives. Classrooms, rehearsal space, offices, boardrooms and an art gallery all form 010 492-5227
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part of a creative heartbeat.
The square, just across the road from the theatre complex and adjacent to Mary Fitzgerald Square, is a campus for students at the Market Theatre Laboratory and