PAST EVENTS
Women's Day Programme
8-9 August 2022
Join us on the 8th & 9th of August for a specially curated Women’s Day programme, as we embrace the spirit and beauty of the women of South Africa, the backbone of our society. This gathering is intended to create moments of meaning, honour and celebration on Women’s Day.
Connect with yourself, others and nature in The Cradle of Humankind, just 40-minutes from Johannesburg.
Our journey of connection begins on the evening of the 8th of August, with dinner at The Shed, a space to experience our food ethos and community values – offering deliciously made farm-to-fork meals.
Dinner will be layered with a live music performance by Pertunia Msani, a young solo musician and graduate from UKZN, who collaborates with her audience, holding space to co-create remedies for social ills.
Pertunia has a keen interest in exploring the power of the voice, so performs without non-vocal instruments. She has recently taken a piece of work called ‘Ekhaya’ to the 2022 National Arts Festival and curated spaces in Braamfontein. Her work is incredibly human-centred and personal – no matter who you are or where you come from, your story will be carefully held in Pertunia’s voice. Her music is an experience, an embrace which reaches through each person in the room. It is a call to see ourselves and for us to be seen.
The following day will begin gently, with an option for in-house guests to participate in a mindful walk guided by our Hiking Guide, Lesego Mapeka.
…In nature, we find stillness to tune back into our intuition and sacred feminine connection to the Earth…
Then, join renowned authors and speakers, Lindelwa Skenjana and Lwando Xaso in a conversation themed around the celebration of women, unpacking the important work they do, sharing their journeys, challenges and success as professional women and authors.
We invite you to continue the conversation over a slow Harvest Table Brunch, mindfully and lovingly prepared using fresh produce sourced from our surrounding gardens.
Tickets are available for guests who only wish to join on the 9th.
(Tickets include access to the talk with Lindelwa and Lwando and the Women’s Day Brunch.)
nuru moon retreats will be gatherings for people to get together and set intentions, clear energy, gain clarity and connect with themselves through communal energy.
Rediscover well-being and enjoy a weekend of release and ease with us in the cradle of humankind.
WHEN : SATURDAY 9 JULY – SUNDAY 10 JULY 2022
day one highlights
Artist Talk with:
Tawanda Takura
Live Music Performance
day two highlights
2022 NIROX Winter
Sculpture Exhibition.
“Good Neighbours”
ABOUT GOOD NEIGHBOURS
Following the successful inaugural OPEN LABORATORY Winter Sculpture Exhibition in 2017, NIROX Foundation enjoins local public institutions to co-develop and present a programme of exhibitions, residencies, workshops, talks, and concerts that interrogate and encourage good relations both within South Africa and amongst its neighbours. Examining relations with our neighbours, to foster peace and commonwealth, is a natural progression from Margins of Error, 2021, in which NIROX partnered with South Korea to present the Real DMZ Project — bringing global attention to the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea, in the context of human borders that divide and alienate.
This exhibition, Good Neighbours, is an evolving exhibition that aims to narrow down the broad question of borders to what it means to have neighbours; exploring relations amongst Southern African neighbours, both retrospectively and with an eye to the future; from the difficult subjects of xenophobia and land reform to the universality of all things, in an analytic, constructive way. The time is right is for public and private institutions to cooperate in addressing the relevant issues of our neighbourhood in the pursuit of a global peace.
ARTISTS TALKS
As part of our collaboration with NIROX, we have arranged for two artist talks over the weekend, featuring artists participating in the exhibition, in conversation with NIROX Curator, Sven Christian, on the work they produced for the exhibition, relating to the overall theme of ‘Good Neighbours’.
Thero Makepe:
Thero Makepe is an artist and photographer born and raised in Gaborone, Botswana currently working in between Cape Town, Johannesburg and Gaborone. Makepe’s work is informed by past and present narratives related to his
upbringing and lived experiences in Botswana and South Africa. Wavering between photographing handmade dioramas, existing landscapes and portraiture, his body of work contains images that evoke anxiety, tragedy and fatality, whereas others reflect calmness, light and eternal rest. He is also a founding member of the Botswana Pavilion, a collective of young artists from Botswana, concerned with advancing Botswana’s creative development and artistic archive.
Makepe recently completed his Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art with distinction at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town. In 2019, he was awarded the Tierney Fellowship for the Michaelis School of Fine Arts in partnership with the Tierney Fellowship Foundation. In 2020, he was selected as a finalist in the 2020 edition of the Blurring the Lines competition, conducted by the Paris College of Art.
Thero will be discussing his artwork, ‘Almost Home Free’ made for the 2022 NIROX Sculpture Exhibition – ‘Good Neighbours’.
Artwork text:
The term “Good neighbours” connotes human relationships, but what about the multitude of nonhumans with whom we live alongside? What does it mean to be a good neighbour to the planet itself? Climate change is upon us. Environmental degradation is a fact we cannot escape. Being a good neighbour to everything and everyone around us matters now more than ever. This sculptural moment, titled [ear]Thy Neighbour – which can be pronounced ‘Thy Neighbour,’ Ear Thy Neighbour,’ or ‘Earthy Neighbour’ – features a washing line with digitally collaged earthscapes
made from digital, film, and satellite photographs. The collages are printed on recycled-plastic fabric. The prints are exposed to the elements like forgotten or abandoned laundry. In this way, degradation and deterioration become central to the artwork itself, weaving its central themes into the exhibition’s temporal process. The artwork is interactive and viewers are encouraged to move in between and through the prints, pondering our entanglement with the planet.
A couples retreat for Valentine’s Day at 58
Strengthen your bond with your loved this Valentines weekend at 58, where we will host a 1 and 2 night couples’ retreat, allowing you and your partner to reconnect and strengthen your intimacy, whilst immersed in the ancient natural beauty of the Cradle of Humankind.
Forget about your everyday distractions and responsibilities and use this weekend to tune in to each other.
Throughout the weekend enjoy healthy meals, made with fresh produce grown on our farm, daily guided nature walks, couples yoga and time to reconnect in nature.
On Sunday, couples will enjoy full access to the NIROX ‘Songs & Poems of Love’ Valentines Day Concert. This includes an all day program of duets conceived, developed and rehearsed by musicians in residence to create an entirely unique line-up.
Fresh sounds for renewed times. Punctuated with poetry. Uplifting with hope.
We welcome both long-term and new couples alike.
This is not a couple’s counselling.
Slow down and breathe - End of year full moon yoga retreat with Banesa and Anesu
The full moon is an ideal time to let go of things that no longer serve you so you can create space for something better. Join us for a weekend retreat that serves as a form of spiritual, mental, emotional and physical decluttering.
Gently unplug from your busy daily life and rejuvenate the mind and body through our immersive 3-day retreat.
3 days of conscious rest and movement in the Cradle, involving mindfulness practices, such as conscious meditative walks in nature, delicious food, sacred sound and self-healing practices that will allow your mind and body to wind down a recuperate from, the stresses that came with this passing year.
OUR FACILITATORS
Banesa Molauoa Tseki is driven by an innate purpose to serve others which has been encapsulated in her entrepreneurial journey thus far. Banesa in Sesotho means “Turn on the Light” , a divine purpose that guides her spiritual journey today.
She is a qualified Kundalini Level 1 and Level 2 teacher and recently entered the 30H teacher trainer academy under the stewardship of teacher trainer Ravi Roussous. She is a qualified kiddies yoga teacher as well as being certified in HIV yoga therapy and addiction yoga therapy. She initially sat on the forming board committee of the NPO Kundalini Africa Rising and now works as a core member on the Communications and Fundraising Committee.
Currently, she manages the B.Creative Group that encompasses a creative agency and wellness group as its flanker brands. In African culture, a child is said to inherit the meaning of their name – Banesa is Sesotho means ‘turn on the light’, a divine purpose that guides her spiritual journey today.
Anesu Mbizvo is an adventurous, passionate and driven 29-year-old young woman and qualified medical doctor currently working as a yoga teacher and small business owner in Johannesburg, South Africa.
She is a 700hr qualified yoga teacher who has completed a 200hr Vinyasa based yoga teaching training as well as a 500hr hatha, ayuveda and yoga based teacher training, both with Yoga Alliance registered yoga studios. Anesu has a wealth of yoga teaching experience and has been teaching vinyasa, hatha, meditation and yin yoga for roughly 4 years.
Anesu currently teaches both studio based yoga classes and private yoga classes with both able bodied students and students with medical challenges that inhibit them from practicing in group settings. She also has a wealth of experience teaching yoga and meditation for corporate clients, events and retreats. Her teaching style is not only focused on the physical practice of asanas. Instead, drawing from her own personal experience, Anesu teaches yoga as a journey back to Self and a learning that the real purpose of life is to rediscover one’s true Being and the fact that we are all connected.
Qi Gong and Hiking Retreat with Michelle Levy
Taking place on 3 – 5 December 2021, we welcome you to join a retreat with Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Hiking Guides to offer a weekend of body movement, hiking, acupuncture treatments, farm-to-fork cuisine, immersion into nature, relaxation, learning and inspiration in a space where you can connect with yourself and the natural world around you.
In the quest for balance, the ancient sages of China would wander the woods in order to attune themselves with nature. The wisdom uncovered during these walks was simply called Tao, ‘the way’.
Qi Gong — the practice at the heart of Taoism — is dedicated to harmonising body, mind, and spirit with the elements of nature. In this age when so many of us feel disconnected and overwhelmed, nature remains a powerful healer and teacher, and qi gong can bring us back to the center.
Join us for a weekend retreat to learn more Qi Gong whilst immersing yourself in the ancient and beautiful Cradle Valley. We begin each day by practicing morning breathwork. After breakfast, we will set off on a hike to mindfully explore the rich biodiversity of the Cradle. All along the way, we will explore qi gong as a means of returning to a grounded and revitalised state of being, in harmony with nature.
After being introduced to Tai Chi in 2008, Michelle has become a closed-door disciple of Dr. Lin Feng-Chiao (Dr. Lin is a second-generation student of Yang Feng-Chu) and has opened her own practice and school under Sung Healing. Through Tai Chi and Qi Gong, Michelle has maintained concentration, balance and discipline in all her work activities.
Through extensive experience and training, Michelles possesses an innate ability to offer meaningful insight and inspiration for those seeking to better their lifestyles, working environments, health and wellbeing
The retreat includes 2 nights of accommodation with meals included on each day (view the itinerary below for a breakdown of each day) 2 guided nature walks incorporating Qi Gong, 2 breathwork sessions, and 2 Tai Chi sessions.
NIROX Summer Jazz Concert
The NIROX Concert Program reopens on Sunday 28 November with another impressive jazz line-up to celebrate the onset of Summer. Spend the weekend with us and connect with the artists, poets and NIROX team members over intimate conversations and experiences.
FARMHOUSE and Project 58 have put together an exclusive weekend ‘interlude’ to the concert to offer guests a memorable weekend experience, infusing music, art, food, and immersion in nature.
On Friday afternoon, join us in the main studio residence at NIROX to listen in on Vivid Afrika rehearsing live – a unique opportunity to connect with the band ahead of the concert on Sunday.
On Friday, just after sunset, join LeRoy Croft, NIROX’s Event and Operations Manager, and Concert Archivist, who will facilitate a listening session, overviewing the extensive music concert archive, expect a sonic retrospective, going back to 2017 until the present day, featuring Urban Village, Sibusile Xaba, Guy Buttery, Tananas, Madala Kunene and Mabi Thobejane.
Dinner on Friday evening will feature a botanical gin pairing experience in The Lapa with Inverroche Gin.
The following day, guests will opt between a sunrise or sunset hike, and enjoy a Boma dinner (weather dependent) with South Africa’s National Poet Laureate, Wally Serote, with an after-dinner conversation on the history of South African Jazz.
The weekend will culminate with the Jazz concert on Sunday – guests will be shuttled to NIROX in the morning.
Guests have the option to extend their stay over Sunday night, after the concert at a 25% discount on the room rate.
A scent workshop with HOUSE of GOZDAWA.
From November 19 – 21Agata Karolina, the founder principal of the HOUSE of GOZDAWA will be a guest resident at FARMHOUSE58, exploring the olfactory signature of 58/NIROX while making a live installation in collaboration with Manthe Ribane at NATURA, in the NIROX water pavilion.
Agata’s visit develops Project58’s initiative to capture this unique place through scent – paying tribute to nature, prompting memory and inspiring connection. We dream that with the passage of time a scent will evolve – representing the experience and place that is “58”.
Guests staying at FARMHOUSE58 are welcome to join Agata and be guided by our team, to forage the ancient kopjes and waterways; absorb the steaming earth saturated by highveld rains; pick vegetables from the garden; trail the freshly tilled lands…converse and learn about the capture, meaning and impact of smell..
Then, visit NATURA to watch the collaboration unfold.
The HOUSE of GOZDWANA makes exclusively natural fragrances inspired by Africa. On 28 November the latest range will be presented in NATURA alongside Manthe’s Limited BOX Linen Collection during the NIROX Summer Jazz concert.
CONSECRATION
An invitation to restore our relationship with the Sacred through the arts of dying and grieving
The only purpose of Life is Death. A man is born and before he dies he gets the opportunity to ensure that others after him will also be born and die. You may deceive yourself by thinking that there is more to life than birth, growth, mating, old age and death. But, sooner or later, Naked Truth makes itself apparent. Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa.
Consecration is a retreat and exploration facilitated by artists and healers, offering a space for conversations around death and life, and to honour the cycles of dying and living through creative, cathartic, and contemplative arts.
The sacred nature of life, reflected in the cycles of birth and death have always been honoured through the rituals and traditions of ancient cultures. We are living in a time where our global culture’s denial of death has diluted the meaning of ritual and ceremony. Our unexpressed grief is held as trauma when we lose connection with that which is sacred – perpetuating cycles of intergenerational pain.
When grief is held, supported, and celebrated for its role, the acceptance that follows become the seeds for a life of even more depth and meaning. There is a need for a renewed understanding of grieving and dying as intrinsic processes of creation and living; to resew the fit of our culture into nature, our invitation to restore our relationship with the sacred; to evoke our innate empathy and kindness and thereby addressing a myriad of symptoms of societal ills.
This retreat is an invitation to visit the human experience of life and loss on all levels – loss of identity, the loss of a dream, loss of life as we know it, and transitioning into a different phase of life. The invitation is open to anyone interested in exploring the sacred arts of living and dying for themselves and to be collaborators in the process of this exploration.
Awareness of death is the very bedrock of the entire path. Until you have developed this awareness, all other practices are obstructed. Dalai Lama XIV
Processes such as storytelling, walking the land, breathwork, ceremony and artistic expression will be weaved through the weekend. There will be time for reflection and connection. 58 in the Cradle of Humankind is a space of healing in nature. It offers pristine accommodation, open spaces, sacred land, and delicious food. Cost includes 2 nights’ accommodation, all meals, and attendance at all sessions. It excludes transport to venue and drinks
Facilitators
Dr Ela Manga
Ela is an integrative medical doctor with an ancient vision for the future. She is a specialist, author and speaker who uses Breathwork as a tool for self-empowerment, healing, and transformation. Ela is the co-founder of Breathwork Africa and the Pneumanity ™ method. She has a revolutionary way of facilitating groups for profound transformation. She is an expert in the field of energy management and burnout. Her first book BREATHE: Strategising Energy in the Age of Burnout, is the go to guide for managing energy and optimising physical and mental health.
Rutendo Ngara
Rutendo is an African Indigenous Knowledge Systems holder and transdisciplinary researcher whose professional interests have spanned from clinical engineering, healthcare technology management, socio-economic development, mathematics, leadership, and fashion design, to the interface between science, culture, cosmology, and healing. With a passion for integrating art, science, and spirituality towards healing of the Collective and restoration of the Whole, she is a spiritual coach, shaman, priestess, counsellor, and facilitator of several modes of healing. Rutendo is a practitioner of several physical disciplines, including Dance, Yoga and Wushu/Kung Fu/Tai Ji, having represented South Africa as an international silver medalist in the latter. Rutendo serves on several boards, including the Credo Mutwa Foundation (as Chairperson) and the South African Wushu Federation. She holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering, an MSc in Medicine in Biomedical Engineering, and is pursuing a doctorate in Philosophy of Education.
Anni Snyman
Deep environmental concern and the joy and challenges of the collaborative creative process lie at the heart of Anni Snyman’s art. Inspiring and maintaining a fluid long term collaboration process with multiple participants and contributors form the essence of her creative practice. She studied design at the University of Stellenbosch and developed the Creative Process curriculum at Vega School of Brand Communications in the 1990s. She became a full-time artist at the turn of the millennium. Selected exhibitions and projects are: The Icarus and Pandora Dialogues (with Chris Diedericks 2000/1); Searching for a Saviour (Museum Africa 2004); Ansisters (Old Fort Constitution Hill 2005); Memory of Water (UJ Gallery 2006); Disobedience Training (with Eugenie Grobler); and the Site Specific International Land Art Biennales in Plettenberg bay 2011/13. Since 2008 Anni and her brother have been creating huge earth drawings (geoglyphs) that are visible on google earth and can be walked as contemplative labyrinths