District Six – local triumph in reclaiming memory and heritage

13 Mar District Six – local triumph in reclaiming memory and heritage

2001: NLDTF grant R14,7 million

The District Six Museum in Cape Town portrays a story of local triumph that emerged from a campaign that supported people’s right to return to the land from which they were forcibly removed – and to reclaim stolen memories and heritage.

The Museum involves residents in the telling and interpretation of their stories. Vibrant programmes stimulate young minds to explore the past impact and current legacies of racially-motivated forced removals and other forms of displacement. The content also challenges local and international visitors to find lessons and apply them to present day occurrences.

The NLDTF funding has advanced the following projects at the Museum:

• The renovation of the second museum building, the Sacks Futeran and the exhibition Fields of Play – a dynamic intersection of memory, forced removals and football in the history of Cape Town.
• Creation of a multifunctional theatre that spans the old Congregational Church (built circa 1857) which will act as a home for the ‘performance of memory’.
• Design and display of the Two Rivers exhibition which explores how the racist legislation shaped urban and living spaces in Cape Town.
• A community survey which enables the Museum to keep up with the evolving lives among residents in the community and inform how it works with this public.
• The performing and expressive arts, using music and performance to articulate the experiences of oppressed and disposed people in South Africa.

Visit the Museum on www.districtsix.co.za