Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Actor walks the talk by guiding young people at risk
USING acting as a catalyst for change is what drives Cape Town actor DannJacques Mouton.
Mouton, who honed his talent in
Noem my Skollie and 7de Laan, recently opened the doors of the Jacomus Foundation after he and his wife Tamsyn saw the growing need to try to make a difference in the lives of the youth. Through the work of the foundation, the couple say they want to address the many problems plaguing communities.
Mouton, who won Best Actor in a Feature Film for Noem my Skollie at the Saftas in 2017, said: “We as a nation are faced with many challenges and social evils. To be kept active and off the streets is imperative. We don’t just hear; we see and face these challenges daily, and our hearts go out to the youth.”
The foundation, whose name means “may God protect”, fulfils a dream Mouton had. “I always wanted to teach. My wife then challenged me and asked what legacy we’ll leave for our kids, specifically. She did a lot of research and decided,” he said.
“From there, Jacomus was born. We were still living in Johannesburg, then relocated back to Cape Town to plough back in to our area where we grew up: Eerste River.
“I would gain more insight into where our youth is on an intellectual level, as well as a God-given experience to interact with people from all areas of what we call life.
“The students would gain, working individually and as part of a team. They would be taught to make decisions and be in the presence of positive role-models, which are lacking in our communities,” Mouton said.
Student Caitlyn Gordon said: “I’ve learnt that there’s a lot more to acting than what I thought. When I first joined the classes I was not aware of my full potential as an actor and I only had one way of portraying characters. These classes helped me a lot in finding different, yet creative, parts of myself through acting a variety of characters in unique ways.
“I love how acting can literally be my form of escaping reality. I believe it’s important that I connect myself to different parts of my being and at the same time be so comfortable with being me at that given moment. It’s therapeutic; acting has helped me face a lot of bad experiences in my life.
“Joining an acting class doesn’t normally mean that someone will become an actor, but what acting classes can do is help people with their self-esteem and human development. People gain the ability to talk in front of crowds, be confident in a job interview or just in communication in their everyday life.”
Youth between the ages of 16 and 35 can join.