Imagine a space with a studio, a stage, workshop rooms and creative playground all existing within a cafe. Here you could work and play, with freedom, love and joy. A meeting place for many artists, musicians, writers, actors and anyone who was seeking creative expression.
Alive Cafe – Creative Experience Hub was a space to enable creative expression while offering a familiar, comfortable environment. Our main purpose was to inspire creativity which, in turn, promotes positive change or growth in the lives of those who experience it. This took the form of an Artistic Studio, Theatre, and Live Music Venue with an excellent coffee shop.
We believed that when we engage with something that we love on a regular basis, our whole being comes alive. Our stress levels are reduced; we attain a healthier self esteem; our ability to problem solve or grasp concepts increases; and our sense of purpose and connection to the world around us deepens. It was with this belief that we founded Alive Cafe. A dynamic Co-Playing space.
We hosted and facilitated artists, designers, photographers, writers, musicians, etc, to practice their passions in a fun and collaborative way.
Members were able to engage with their projects either on stage, the studio space or one of the workshop areas. They were able to teach art, run workshops, host plays and events, or collaborate with each other to create even bigger initiatives which went far beyond the confines of the studio.
Our coffeeshop/restaurant then functioned as an interface between the public and the members. This created an opportunity for those who didn’t necessarily think of themselves as creative to take a leap, be inspired and explore.
We encouraged our members to become involved in the community around them, thereby removing the barriers that are so common in many Art/Creative Collectives.
While Alive Cafe was occupied daily with various activities and events, we also felt a need to create our own. Three notable events were:
Open Nights
This was a monthly event where anything could happen! It was kept as spontaneous as possible, with the entire space available for anyone to use (non-members included). The art space was equipped with supplies and ready, the cafe and bar was open and the stage was waiting for all kinds of performances. Poetry slams, open mic, music, art and good conversation was all part of the night.
Mixed Music Night
This was similar to open nights but only focussed on music. Amateur musicians and garage bands were able to sign up to perform in a concert made up of various genres. We could think of this as an “organized open stage event”. This event was held monthly and sometimes we went out and found musicians hidden in the corners of Cape Town.
Photographic Exhibition
This was a photographic event that was strictly for non-professional photographers. This event saw more than 200 people come through the doors on the opening night. A few photographers sold prints of their work for the very first time in their lives. Some of them went on to become popular and successful photographers in South Africa today.
The project ran for 18 months and was more successful than we hoped. Artists had a platform to showcase themselves, musicians launched albums from our stage, and photographers launched their careers from our space. We aided in building a community around the arts.
