Bishop Lavis youth, who are intrigued by and have a passion for the arts, will on Saturday have a spectacular “voorsmakie” (appetiser) of what they can look forward to when a new school will be introduced in the community. 

On Saturday, January 17, the community’s youth will be treated to an explosion of the arts at John Ramsay High School from 11am until 3pm, and entry is free.

The showcase will introduce children to learning the ropes of poetry, acting, playing a musical instrument, deejaying skills, as well as break- and rieldancing.

Founder of the Lavis School of the Arts, Patrick ‘Bomba’ Daniels, who grew up in Bishop Lavis but currently resides in Australia, said that while growing up, there weren’t many community programmes, and this drove his vision for his childhood community.

The Lavis School of the Arts will be having quarterly sessions for 2026 and will formally launch in 2027, with weekly engagements to young people. 

“Growing up in Lavis, there weren’t many community programmes besides the popular sports. This, along with the lack of progress within our community, has driven me to implement additional activities for our youth, who are our future leaders. This is very important as I believe this will provide them with other opportunities and skills, also opening up avenues for them to see what else is available for them,” said Daniels.

He has urged community involvement, who can volunteer their skills, to partner with the school, which is expected to open next year. 

Daniels also expressed the need for funding, adding that “grants from government within the arts field would help immensely”.

According to Daniels, opening up a School of the Arts in Lavis has been a lifelong ambition.

“We want to give back to our community, which has been reeling from social ills like gangsterism and a host of other negative tendencies. We must invest in our youth to use the arts as a medium to bring about societal change,” said Daniels. 

On Saturday, an extraordinary line-up of artists will conduct structured workshops with attendants.

Among facilitators on the day, Euodia Lynn Samson and Royston Stoffels, renowned actors on the South African scene, will pique the interest with a session on the intricacies of acting on stage and television.

Writing skills in the form of poetry will be presented by esteemed poet, David Kapp, while the legendary crooner, Lesley Kleinsmith, will talk to learners about vocalising on stage.

Breakdancing as an art form will be presented by Ramone de Wet, previously from Prophets of da City. 

An introduction to playing musical instruments will be led by Daniels. 

For more information, contact Daniels on +61 417 577 122, Julia McLaughlin on 071 289 7865, or Mike Hofmeester on 079 795 6121.

chevon.booysen@inl.co.za

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