There is something about being at Nirox Scuplture Park. The endless lawns of lush green grass, the feeling of freedom that comes with being so far from the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg traffic.
I can take my shoes off; feel the grass in between my toes and take in the fresh air amongst a few half chosen creatives, artists and friends of the creative industries for the first, Soho House – Cities Without Houses (CWH) event in Johannesburg.
The #artwalkpaint experience was exactly what the spirit needed to kick off a colourful Jozi summer. An afternoon spent with creatives from various fields; from music, design, fashion, media and art sharing ideas and thoughts on what life with Covid-19 has meant for our collective industries, how Lockdown has affected and impacted our businesses, projects and spaces and how we would mobilise forward for the sake of reigniting the creative arts space.
And this is the essence of what the Soho House community worldwide is about. Founded 25 years ago in London, Soho House is a home away from home for people working in the creative fields. With more than 20 houses worldwide from Berlin, Barcelona, Istanbul, Hong Kong to New York and now Johannesburg and Cape Town’s Cities Without Houses (CWH) – Soho brings together a community that has a creative soul in common.
Cities Without Houses (CWH) membership is a unique offering that gives creatives and artists in cities that do not have Soho House the opportunity to belong to the one of the biggest and most prestigious global networks of like-minded people. With over 100,000 members world wide, Soho isn’t a club based on wealth and status, it’s a community that focuses on shared values of the creative. It’s a space for networking, collaborating and building connections with people who see the world and their contribution to that world in a similar way.
And my Saturday afternoon at Nirox Sculpture Park spoke to that exact ethos. A morning spent with fellow arts broadcaster Michelle Constance, luxury lifestyle curator Vika Shipalana, internationally recognized interiors designer Tristan, multi award winning musician Tresor, magazine editor Zodwa Kumalo, artist Nandipha Mntambo and PR experts Vista Kalipa and Nicole Ogle to mention but a few. All of us gathered to try our hand at an amateurs art class presented by Nirox Foundation artist in residency, Keneilwe Mokoena being the highlight of the morning. It goes without saying that our collective works would not be drawing an enthusiastic crowd at the next art auction but it was liberating to free our spirits and leave our strokes on a canvas…
Thank you Soho House for a beautiful day out enjoying the Jooi landscape and reconnecting with friends old and new – AND WELCOME to the Southern tip of the greatest continent, Africa.