Oh Darling, you make my dreams come true
THERE’S a certain point on the road to Darling, says Pieter-Dirk Uys, where he has to pause and take a deep sigh of appreciation. It’s at the top of a gentle rise on the road from Mamre, and spread out before one is the gentle vista of rolling farmlands, grazing cows and sheep, and rows of vineyards.
These days the drought has taken its toll as one views the parched land but, driving up the main road, there are signs everywhere attesting to the buzz of activity in this culturally vibrant West Coast dorp; not to mention its burgeoning food and wine industry.
I’m on my way to Chicory Cheese, a restaurant housed in one of the old Victorian houses. Clustered around a trestle table are a group of Fine and Performing Arts students, and other creatives, from Fontys University of Applied Scien ces in the Netherlands. The students have set up house in Darling and have been working hard for the last 10 weeks at creating stories behind some 35 residents’ most valued objects.
After hearing the stories of some of the residents and students on how this came about and what’s happening, I’m convinced it’s one of the most heart-warming community projects ever conceived.
One of the most touching stories comes from Anna Cleophas who, over the years, has become P-D Uys’s “right-hand woman”. It wasn’t always that way.
Born on a farm near the Malmesbury road just outside Darling, Anna says she was forced to start working at 13. “I was angry that those were my prospects, and that I was torn away from school when I was so young, but later what happened was the farmer bought me a mountain bike and I rode to Darling to work. “Come rain or shine, I would cycle on the gravel road.”
Anna’s circumstances slowly improved as she worked for an artistic couple, and one thing led to another. After a few years she was employed by Uys – who eventually offered her a full-time job. Noting her dedication and ambition he then offered her a house in the village, just down the road from his own house.
“At the age of 50, P-D said I must go for my driver’s licence. So, from a bicycle to a car. But that’s not all,” she smiles as she relates how P-D’s 50th birthday present to her was a tour of Europe. Since then, she has also been sent on a trip to New York and is due to fly to Amsterdam in July.
Her story has been translated into a video installation by Fontys art student Maaike de Haard. “The starting point is that, wherever you are from, you can turn your life over and we illustrate this by creating a landscape to be screened on massive boards, showing a bicycle that slowly moves away to demonstrate a car and then a plane.
“One of the great things,” she says, “is that you can put on headphones and listen to the story. We really hope to accomplish this narrative and create a sense of wonderment.”
Among the other performances created around the objects of Darling residents is by newcomer Angelique Pienaar, from the Eastern Cape but fell in love with Darling when she was visiting a cousin in nearby Grotto Bay. Her treasured object is a knitted blanket that belonged to her late grandmother, who joined them when she and her husband moved to Darling two years ago.
“It’s symbolic of family connections – people don’t cherish their family enough. I was lucky to spend two years with her before she passed away and learnt so much about her… It’s these personal stories that we can all be touched by; this one again will be translated into a performance that takes it beyond what it is.”
Artistic director of The Darling Collection, Professor Jan Grolleman from Fontys, has been involved with the project since its inception three years ago. He says: “Each year, the residents of Darling have been incredibly generous in sharing stories behind their most treasured objects, and have said they experienced great joy in seeing these stories represented through art at the final exhibition.”
Other objects being showcased are a baking tray, a toy elephant and a book of sketches and music that, despite their seeming simplicity, hold a deep significance and sentimentality for their diverse owners.
“The students also gain invaluable experience, often having to step away from the traditional approach they have been taught in creating a work of art. They learn to listen, engage and incorporate an emotional and human element to their presentation, to do justice to these personal stories. The creative process is only truly sparked when the student and object owner meet,” says Grolleman.
“This year we are proud that dARTling is a 10-week long artistic adventure for a wide range of ages from community members from Darling. Workshops started in February with the first showcase on March 14. The inspiring talents taking part now become teachers as they give workshops to the children of Darling and create a performance piece to be premiered on the closing festival weekend of the Darling Collection, with the uniting theme of #healtheworld. We can’t wait to experience what these talented people have created!” says Grolleman.
Darling resident Marius Vlotman, one of those who has been involved in teaching the children in several workshops, said he cannot stress enough the importance of showing the youth there are ways they can expand their horizons. “There are no high schools in Darling and for many there is not enough money in the family for them to pay for transport to schools in Malmesbury or Atlantis. This is where we lose them as they up and go, or get mired in the cycle of drugs and crime.
“If we are able to keep them we can add value to the community. A project like this can awaken something in these kids – it tries to develop their talents to become more conscious of the amazing things they can do. And it also instills more discipline.”
The Darling Collection is the brainchild of Wim Visser, the former organiser of the Voorkamerfest , Fontys director Jur van der Lecq and artist/artistic director Jan Grolleman.
The performances and exhibitions take place this weekend from 7pm to 10pm; on April 21 from 12pm to 10pm and on April 22 from 12pm to 5pm in Darling. Tickets cost R15 for a day pass and R30 for a weekend pass. Contact 066 013 5119 or email info@thedarlingcollection.co.za Tickets also available at the door.