A group of third year Surface Design students are getting hands on experience in the world of opera and set design.

The 12 students are currently hard at work building three sets which will be used in the Cape Town Opera production of The Barber of Seville which starts later this month.

The collaboration is part of a Service Learning project and the five week long endeavour saw students conceptualise, design and ultimately build the sets.

Working under the guidance of resident designer for Cape Town Opera, Michael Mitchell, the sets are slowly taking shape in a workshop in Epping.

Mitchell, who is himself a former graduate of our institute, says the students brought vitality and a youthful slant to the build.

“They also are more adept at using technology, most of which we don’t even use in industry yet,” he says.

“Hopefully from us they have learnt how to work timeously towards a brief for a client and we have opened up the idea of set design as a career choice to them.”

Lecturer Penny George says the experience has broadened the student’s horizons in terms of their design style.

“We are used to working in very fine design but the sets forced us to think on a grander scale because we needed that visual impact,” she says.

The sets, which are all made from second hand parts, will go on display to a select group of audience members after opening night.

Written by Lauren Kansley

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A project, which was initiated by a CPUT lecturer and focuses on the 50th commemoration of District Six being declared a whites-only area, continues to gain exposure.

Surface Design lecturer Penny George initiated a partnership with the District Six Museum, which saw 50 local and international artists participating in the compilation of a print exchange portfolio under the theme: Remembering 60 000 Forced Goodbyes.

Last year marked 50 years since the apartheid government declared District Six a white area under the Group Areas Act on 11 February 1966.

“I had previously done a print exchange and wanted to do one again. My colleague Micah Chisholm does a lot of community work with the District Six Homecoming Centre and we explained what the portfolio was about and we partnered with them on the project.”

George said support for the project was received from Sanlam, CPUT and a range of other sponsors.

The portfolio of 50 prints was exhibited at the District Six Museum Homecoming Centre in November and December 2016.

The portfolio was also exhibited during the recent Woordfees in Stellenbosch.

“One major outcome of doing a print exchange is that all the participating artists and all the supporting organisations each get a box of portfolios, containing all of the participating artists’ work. This means that each of the artists received all 50 prints.”

George said plans for more exhibitions of the portfolio were in the pipeline, including at international venues.

“The portfolio box is easy to send off and to exhibit at any gallery. There are many possibilities for this collection.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Surface Design students are giving the doors in their department a nature-themed makeover as part of a project inspired by Cape Town’s water crisis.

Lecturer Penny George says the project draws attention to the effects of the drought on nature while at the same time helping to brighten up the Design Building.

Sections of the building suffered fire damage last year.

She said students were required to visit a forested area and draw inspiration from the impact the drought had on different plants, with some plants battling to survive while others continue to thrive.

“The students had to make use of these elements of life and death that they had found and photographed in nature as well draw on their own senses and they have created beautiful designs,” says George.

Third-year student Jaycee Charles said the project was intense and helped to raise awareness among students about the impact of the drought.

“It is also nice to know that even when we are done studying people in the department will still be able to look at our work,” says Charles.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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