One of Cape Town’s most popular public gardens, the Company’s Garden, is to host a visual art and design project sponsored by the British Council in March and April.

It is also gearing up to host some of the events that will form part of the Cape Town Festival at the end of March.

The Garden – considered by many to be a green jewel in the city centre  – is one of the city’s top tourist attractions and most important parks.

“It is over 350 years old this year and is a haven of peace and tranquillity in the middle of a busy metropolitan city. Many developments have taken place this year, with the renovation of old buildings and various new paving works as well as landscape improvements. This is South Africa’s original garden and is internationally known as an important historical garden,” said Rory Phelan, Manager: Company’s Garden.

The art exhibition, entitled Rivers of the World, is a creative visual art and design project which links over 2 000 young people around the world. Students from Cape Town, London (UK), Shanghai (China), Kolkata (India), Cairo (Egypt), Sao Paulo and Recife (Brazil) and the State of Veracruz (Mexico) worked with artists to create artworks inspired by their city’s river.

These artworks have shared themes such as working river, city river, river culture, river life, water resource and polluted river, and are based on the styles of leading contemporary artists.

“The core aim of Rivers of the World is to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the featured rivers,” said Jean September, director of the British Council.

Six Cape Town schools (St Georges’ Grammar, Bokmakierie Primary, Syabulela Primary, Heideveld High, Rhodes High and Garlandale High School) participated in the project, and each produced a 3 metre x 1 metre artwork dealing with Cape Town’s Liesbeeck River.

The exhibits will be on display along Government Avenue, which is inside the Company’s Garden.

“As this is the second year for participating schools, one teacher, one learner and an artist were given the opportunity to visit and experience the art exhibition at the Thames Festival in London, as well as meeting with their partner schools in 2008,” she said.

The City of Cape Town is one of the partners for the exhibition. The others are HSBC, Thames Festival, City of London and the Jack Petchey Foundation.

The exhibition opened on 3 March 2009 and will end in late April.

The Company’s Garden website is located at: http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/parks/facilities/Pages/CapeTownGardens.aspx