What went down at a Night of a 1000Drawings.
THE PEOPLE OF JOZI CAME OUT IN DROVES TO SUPPORT THE NIGHT OF A 1000DRAWINGS The much anticipated Night of a 1000Drawings took place on Thursday 7 November 2013 at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown, Johannesburg. This bi-annual event saw record-breaking numbers, both of people through the door and artworks sold. Event creator Felix Frankenberger said “We are humbled by the enthusiasm and dedication of the public that donated over 3000 doodles. The ideas and quality of drawings we received were amazing, if not revolutionary, and made this event possible in the first place.” Over 1700 people attended the exhibition, and 1275 artworks were sold. A percentage of profits from the sale of food and alcohol has also been added to the bounty, amounting to a grand total of R170 000, all of which goes directly to the charities. The three charities being supported this year are Paballo ya Batho, Mmabana Foundation and Intuthuko Embroideries. “On behalf of Paballo ya Batho, I would like to thank all the people from all walks of life who donated their drawings, and those who came in big numbers to buy the drawings. I’d also like to thank all the volunteers that came out to help; students from the University of Johannesburg, the RAG Committee and medical students from Wits Medical School – thanks so much for your precious time! The money raised will be used for our feeding scheme and also skill development projects for the homeless people in the inner-city of Johannesburg” said Samuel Mugambe, the project coordinator for Paballo. Although the event is primarily a fundraising initiative which sees thousands of donated A5 artworks being sold at a one-night-only inner-city art exhibition, it is also about democratising art – it is art by the people, for the people. In this way, artists are invited to express their talents on the night across various platforms and mediums. This year’s event saw roaming tattoo artists drawing on those that were willing to offer up their limbs as canvases. Chalk artists created a massive artwork live as exhibition-goers looked on. And in a crowded courtyard, 7 of South Africa’s best graffiti artists had an hour to create their graffiti masterpiece. So impressed were the crowd with the artists’ graffiti work that many offered to purchase the 2m x 3m boards, providing an unexpected and welcome boost to the night’s profits. Not only were exhibition-goers treated to over 3000 artworks for sale, but live DJ’s and bands entertained them late into the night. Impande Core, Carri Wolfe and The Stella’s took to the stage while DJ’s Pasta, Ultra-Mel, and Pizo & JT kept...
Art, Band, Graffiti and a Dinosaur Smash Together at Sci-Bono for The Night of a 1000Drawings 2013
The venue for this year’s Night of a 1000Drawings has been announced! This mass art exhibition for charity will take place on Thursday 7 November 2013 at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown, Johannesburg. Sci-Bono began life as the Electric Workshop. The building was initially the First President Street Power Station, commissioned in 1906 to power the new electric tram system. During Newtown’s years of decline as an industrial centre in the mid-1970s, the building stood derelict. In the 1990s, the building was often used as a music venue particularly after the elections of 1994. In 2004, the Gauteng Department of Education and the private sector initiated plans to develop a major interactive science centre. The new Sci-Bono Discovery Centre was to become the largest science centre in Southern Africa. Doors open at 6pm with the artwork on view until 8pm. Then the race to get a sticker on your coveted A5 masterpiece begins! At 9pm the artwork is taken down and collected by its new owners, and then the party begins. Four live bands will take to the stage, followed by DJ’s. A live Doodle Battle will take place in amongst the crowd, and party-goers can also expect to see Jozi’s hottest graffiti artists battle it out on the night. Partners Converse, Adobe and Red Bull have generously donated some great prizes for the artists participating in the battles, as well as those that have created artwork for the exhibition. Over 1000 pieces of artwork have been collected to date, and we’re still collecting! Join the 1000Drawings team at the regular Doodle events held around Jozi where A5 paper and drawing implements are supplied at the city’s hippest venues in a fun and chilled atmosphere. The public can also drop-off their A5 creations at any one of the partner coffee shops around town. For a list of these venues, go to the Drop-Off Points page on the website. The Night of a 1000Drawings is all about uplifting the inner-city and while things have improved since 2006 when 1000Drawings began, there are still many people who live extremely hard lives on the streets of Johannesburg. Paballo, our main charity, continues to feed and support homeless people living in the inner-city every week. Entirely run and funded by volunteers and donors, they need all the help they can get. These volunteers will be working at the Night of a 1000Drawings. Our second charity, Mmabana began when one of Paballo’s success stories – Nosiku Kalonga returned to her home in Zambia and decided to create an organisation that would do for the children of Choma, what Paballo had done for her...
An interview with Angus from a 1000 Drawings.
Represent got in touch with Angus, the man behind a 1000 drawings. Read the interview below. 1. Hi Angus, please tell me who inspired the 1000Drawings project? I have taken this off of our website – I think it is a good summary of how we started 1000drawings: In 2006, Paballo, an inner-city charity faced a big problem. Its bakkie had been stolen. Paballo ya Batho (sotho for “caring for the people”) organises a mobile soup kitchen every Wednesday night to support the Jozi homeless community. The loss of the bakkie made transport of soup and bread to inner-city homeless people near impossible. Something had to be done. A little rescue plan was dreamt up. It was hoped that a fundraiser would collect enough money for a new bakkie. In addition, it was hoped that money would be raised to help pay off some of Paballo’s debts and allow Paballo to put time and money into new endeavours. It was in an effort to address these needs that the Night of a 1000Drawings came into being. The name originates from an existing commercial model that began in America but the 1000Drawings concept now has a uniquely South African flavour as it grows and spreads around the world. 2. I see there’s a story behind a 1000 drawings, in turn, who do you aim to inspire with it? 1000Drawings seems to have a powerful appeal and attraction for those who work in typically creative industries. It allows people to explore art and drawing and engage with people who share this interest but most importantly it allows people to make an impact or change lives through interaction with the charities involved. 3. Who are the driving forces behind this project? The project was conceptualised by Felix Frankenberger and Dave Chong and they, along with some great supporters and sponsors, managed to get volunteers together to put it all together from 2006. The project has grown and now each region has its own committee and volunteer group who put it all together. 4. Who’s eligible to draw or submit a drawing? Absolutely anyone. 5. Will this people be credited for their artistry? Some of the A5 drawings are donated by well-known artists but we display all the pieces together and sell each drawing for R100. Generally you would only know that you had acquired a drawing from a well-known artist after you had purchased it. We are quite strict about this as we aim to give exposure and opportunity to every artist and we want people to understand the main objective of 1000Drawings is to raise money and support charity. 6. How can...
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