BROADWAY IN SOUTH AFRICA'S Travel Blog- Day 1 In Diepsloot
By: Broadway in South Africa Jun. 30, 2011
Diepsloot Day 1 (6/28/11)
We've hit the ground running and couldn't be off to a more amazing start. Today was the first day of our Diepsloot Camp- our first camp in JoBurg and our first camp we've ever run that is co-taught by BSA US Artists (Sean, Frankie, Lilli and myself) and BSA SA Artists (South African Musical Directors Bryan Schimmel and Rowan Baker, and our dear friends Steven and Rochelle Hicks- without whom, this endeavour would not be made possible.) In fact, this particular trip is full of firsts: the first time we've ever been picked up at the airport by friends, the first time we've ever had our t-shirts, supplies and camp logistics supplied and provided on the ground in SA (thanks to generous contributions made by Montecasino and the support of BRyan Hill at the Teatro and Ryan Nicholas at Monte,) the first time there's been such a small group of BSA artists traveling (4) and the first time we've ever been able to come back to SA twice in one year.
But Today's first was the most special! Today, we met our Diepsloot students and fearlessly began the work that will carry us through the week.
It's always such a rush meeting a New Group for the first time. New faces, new smiles. New Sandiles, Mphos, Phalesas and Thabos. New playlists on the ipods and prompts for the "human barometer" game. A different color BSA t-shirt, but always the same mission: to empower the underprivileged youth of South Africa through BSA's curriculum of arts education. Our overarching curriculum objective is to engage, develop and reinforce the use of the students' own imagination and we seek to accomplish this by using the skills learned through exposure to the arts to open their minds, expand their horizons and let them know that not only are people here to listen to them, but that their story is worth hearing. We believe in them, so they can believe in themselves. And they amaze and inspire us every second.
We met two incredibly inspiring boys, Louis and Josious, that we will be working with this week at the Akani center in Diepsloot. They will then travel with Steven and Rochelle to NYC the first week of August for workshops with us in the city and BSA will experience yet another first: A true cross-cultural exchange. With a first-ever Leadership Initiative in Durban immediately following the camp we started today- I'm sure BSA Summer 2011 will continue to provide many more firsts along the way. And we are ready! Inspired. Excited. And Full.
To learn more about BSA check out:
http://www.broadwayinsouthafrica.org/
Diepsloot Camp Students
Diepsloot Camp
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