You may or may not be aware: Artscape turns 50 this year. That is half a century…half a century of tremendous successes and equally huge challenges. But, like I always say: mistakes of the past should never be repeated…we must constantly strive to become more inclusive, more just and more accessible in our quest to always be a home for all in the creative industry but also become the leading Arts institution in the city, the province, the country, in Africa.

To this end, we are going to make available a visitors’ book at Box Office. I am hereby appealing to you to write a message in the book – of support, of encouragement, of criticism – anything that lays close to your heart. Tell us about your experiences here at Artscape…the good, the bad and the ugly. As the CEO, I promise to look at all your messages and to take them to heart. Who knows, among these messages could be the very pearls of wisdom that my team and I might have overlooked, and that could help make Artscape what it needs to become, going forward. Drop us an e-mail message where you share your thoughts, email: artscape50@artscape.co.za

And, this way, you become part of the history of this building – forever documented and displayed in its annals. Remember, without you, there is no us. That is the basic principle of Ubuntu.

As we slowly begin to make our way back to the theatre and to public spaces, be mindful of the Covid-19 regulations, please. I cannot emphasize this enough. It is vital that we stick to protocols and play our parts in preventing the spread of the virus and the possibility of a “third wave.” It takes vigilance on all our parts if we want to return to some semblance of normalcy.

From Artscape’s side, we can assure you, we have been doing, and will continue doing, all that is possible to keep our staff and patrons safe when they enter this building.

Thank you for your time and effort. I look forward to reading your messages.

Marlene le Roux, CEO, Artscape