A whole host of Heritage Month celebrations will be held in the Free State on Tuesday, 24 September.
The art of unwinding
Activities in Bloemfontein include the Oliewenhuis Art Museum Heritage Day celebration, held at the museum from 10:00 to 15:00. The public can join in on some relaxing and unwinding in the art museum’s serene settings.
Attendees are encouraged to bring along their own prepared picnic lunch and soak up the sun in the front garden, before or after appreciating the diverse art exhibitions on show. A DJ will provide a variety of background music and there will be a few stalls selling food, snacks and refreshments. The day can be rounded off with a leisurely stroll through the sculpture park or along the walking trails.
For the little ones there is the unique African Carousel, offering rides for just R5, ensuring that everyone has a memorable and enjoyable experience.
Attendees are encouraged to wear heritage-related and proudly South African attire.
Three exhibitions are currently open at the museum. These are the 35th annual Sophia Gray Memorial Exhibition, the 30 Years of Democracy: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Freedom presentation, and Interconnections, a solo exhibition by Majak Bredell.
Sophia Gray (1814-1871) is considered to be the first woman to practise architecture in South Africa and one of the earliest women in the world to do so.
As a tribute to her achievements, the University of the Free State (UFS) instituted the annual Sophia Gray memorial lecture and exhibition in 1989 to recognise the contributions of a practising architect. This year’s lecture and exhibition, In the Making of Meaningful Things, is presented by André Eksteen and Braam de Villiers, founders of Earthworld Architects.
Ahead of the game
Heritage Month celebrations in Bloemfontein will also see the Indigenous Games Festival held from 24 to 26 September.
Young people will compete in various codes such as kho-kho, jukskei, diketo, kgati, morabaraba and debeke.
Medals and trophies will be up for grabs.
Hats off to the heroes
This year, the province hosts a national Heritage Day event at the Meqheleng Stadium in Ficksburg, which is located in the Setsoto Local Municipality.
This will be under the theme “Celebrating the lives of our heroes and heroines who laid down their lives for our freedom”.
This year’s theme puts a spotlight on South Africa’s liberation movements, which experienced various forms of solidarity and support from neighbouring countries during the liberation struggle.
Homecoming at the heart
At a national level, government, in collaboration with various key entities, is hosting several activities aimed at celebrating our unique cultural heritage, reflecting on our liberation heritage, as well as healing the wounds of past injustices.
The highlights will include the national Department of Sport, Arts and Culture collaborating with the Department of Military Veterans and other key stakeholders to host the Homecoming and Repatriation ceremony on Friday, 27 September, at Freedom Park in Pretoria.
This occasion is the return of the human remains of some of the struggle stalwarts being repatriated.
A new country-to-country repatriation model will also be launched.
The acceptance of the human remains of the liberation struggle stalwarts, from Zambia and Zimbabwe, on 25 September will be done at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria.
