Art with heart: Origins staff help Ennerdale children connect with their roots
- Tammy Hodgskiss
At the Origins Centre, we are honoured and thrilled to be involved in a very special outreach activity that goes right to the very heart of what we do at the museum: giving the children of Ennerdale insights into their unique heritage.
Through the years, we have maintained close ties with the Khoisan Council, some of whose members are based in Ennerdale, south-west of Johannesburg. In September, we were delighted to be invited to the launch of the Ennerdale Khoisan Women’s League and the “Hope of the Hopeless” feeding scheme.
The event was attended by members of the Ennerdale community and the Khoisan Council, as well as government officials and traditional leaders. It inspired us so much that we thought it would be wonderful to return to Ennerdale to let the community know what we offer at Origins – and have them be a part of their own history.
At Origins, we celebrate the origins of art – with South Africa, incidentally, being the birthplace of art and symbolic expression – and the amazing rock art of South Africa’s indigenous people. Most of this rock art was created by San hunter-gatherers and Khoi herders, and part of our mission is to celebrate these early artists and understand how and why they made their art.
It was therefore a privilege for us to join hands with the Ennerdale Khoisan Women’s League to bring this rich history and cultural heritage to life for the children of Ennerdale, many of whom did not know how their ancestors lived all those millennia ago and that they made such beautiful and meaningful art.
During our return visit in early November, we treated children to some of the activities that we offer at Origins. These included making paint from stones during an ochre painting workshop, creating art from this ancient paint, face-painting, and colouring-in. The children also got the chance to touch and find out about real archaeological artefacts like stone tools, bones and metal objects.
There were about 150 children taking part and it was a fun, lively, noisy and messy afternoon!
Our Origins team also had a great time. Here’s what our chief tour guide, Brian Mogaki, had to say about the visit: “The Ennerdale outreach programme was a challenging experience – a multi-ethnic pool of a true rainbow future. The stars of the show were the toddlers with so much energy and interest, and then the boys and girls who were so enthusiastic, creative and full of appreciation for our presence ... The elders were charming and welcoming. The photographer, the cooks, the elders – all fed us with their lovely prayers, food and hospitality.
“It was one day, a few hours, but it felt like a slice of a lifetime’s experience. Thanks to Tammy and all the Origins Centre crew who gave Ennerdale a palaeoanthropological hug.”
We are looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership with the Ennerdale Khoisan Women’s League and the Hope of the Hopeless feeding scheme. From 2019, this feeding scheme will be expanded into an aftercare facility and a library. Should you wish to donate books to the library, or volunteer your time, please contact Margo at 084 661 0846.
- Dr Tammy Hodgskiss is the curator at the Origins Centre