Freedom to Create, an international organisation that encourages the use of arts to inspire social change around the world, celebrated its prestigious annual Prize events in Cape Town this month.
The week long programme of community outreach events that were organised by Freedom to Create in Cape Town, culminated in a spectacular Freedom to Create Prize awards ceremony and concert at the Kirstenbosch Gardens on 19 November 2011.
Showcasing 60 press and artistic photographs by this year’s Prize participants, Freedom to Create presented a unique open-air Exhibition along Government Avenue in the Company’s Garden. By bringing the Exhibition outdoors to this popular public heritage park in Cape Town’s central business district, Freedom to Create hopes to engage new audiences in a dialogue around pressing social issues that the Exhibition brings to light. The exhibits will be on display until 18 December 2011.
As a contribution towards the plans of Cape Town Tourism to regenerate key areas of the city as creative hubs to showcase creative talent in the city, and inspire and encourage the development of innovative concepts for creative expression, Freedom to Create is delighted to announce the donation of the 2011 Freedom to Create Exhibition to Cape Town Tourism. Freedom to Create and Cape Town will retain their close link and continue to work together to transform lives through creativity.
Priti Devi, spokesperson for Freedom to Create said, “We believe that this Exhibition has an excellent potential to encourage creative initiatives and inspire the people of Cape Town to harness their talent through the examples of the courage and creativity of the artists whose works are displayed in this Exhibition. Freedom to Create is very grateful for the opportunity to leave behind a creative footprint in this beautiful, vibrant city.’
Says Mariette Du Toit-Helmbold, Cape Town Tourism CEO, “Making cities more livable through design and creativity is a core focus of Cape Town’s World Design Capital 2014 designation. The incorporation of the legacy of Freedom to Create into the Freedom Walk will have longevity far beyond 2011 into 2014 and connect Cape Town to exhibitions in other international cities of innovation and creativity.’
The 2011 Freedom to Create Exhibition combines powerful artworks with important messaging and is a physical manifestation of how creativity is being used to influence social change around the world. It addresses the importance of empowering dreams to transform lives, and celebrates the power of the arts in confronting barriers to creativity and prosperity.
Central to our work is the belief that communities themselves hold the power to creatively address and find solutions to the issues that our exhibitions bring to light.
The Freedom to Create Exhibition offers participating artists an opportunity to share their work on an international platform. Resonating among members of the global art world and humanitarian sectors, previous Freedom to Create Exhibitions have been held in London, New York, Harare, Kabul, Cairo, Mumbai, Sarajevo and Xiamen, where the exhibition has enjoyed tremendous success and acclaim.
A number of the 2011 Freedom to Create Exhibition artists, made international headlines this year for their courageous and often dangerous work and include African, Middle Eastern and Asian artists who have pursued freedom and universal human rights in the face of political oppression.
