I remember that by the spring of 2019, South African hearts were dark. The news was filled with grim accounts of escalating violence and the post office murder that took place in Cape Town during August of that year still stands out for me as the story that left many feeling hopeless. South Africans were emigrating en masse and #IMSTAYING was launched in September of the same year to provide some stories of hope for those who were intent on making South Africa work. It was amidst this atmosphere that I found myself performing at another Voorkamerfest in the small town of Darling. The Voorkamerfest (roughly translated as the Front Room Festival) is truly unique. 21 homes in Darling open their doors and invite audience members into their “front rooms” for short 30-minute performances by a variety of different artists from South Africa. Audience members book a “route” (rather than a specific show) and local taxi’s transport small audiences to three different homes in different parts of Darling’s community to watch three varied performances, the details of which remain a mystery until show-time.
On the second night, all the musicians and artists were invited to perform a small part of their show in a community hall for their fellow performers. Without this, we would never have been able to see and hear the offerings from the other shows as we were “on duty” with little reprise. We needed to make sure that our show was ready for the arrival of the next taxi of guests. It was during this evening, where, as I watched the immense talent of South African artists that my heart that was feeling rather hopeless remembered the power of the performing arts.
As I sat there as an audience member, close to the beauty and the creativity of the musicians, dancers and a variety of other performing artists, I felt a spark. Something felt possible. I felt drawn to the beauty and immense talent of these performers and I felt strangely connected to my fellow audience members and the artists in front of me. It felt special to be in a smaller venue, watching up close. Somehow, that evening, hope returned.
The next morning, my group of 4 musicians returned to the home that was our station. A generous family had opened up their humble home and turned their living room into a small stage with plastic chairs for seating. Their home was in no way one that would ever appear on the cover of a Home and Garden magazine, although it should have, as it was a house that knew how to be a home. Over those three days, that home was the stage for the dispersion of beauty and connection of South African community. There was something incredibly special about making music so close to your audience. You can see their faces and they can see yours. It felt different to a concert auditorium. It was up close and personal.
It was on the back of this 2019 Darling Voorkamerfest that I began to ponder how this could become a more regular reality back in Cape Town in people’s homes and amongst their own community, friends and family. How could I find a model that wouldn’t feel too overwhelming for anyone? How do we explain that we are not wanting to showcase South Africa’s fanciest homes but simply open up everyday homes to people who are keen for this experience? In February of 2020, it made sense to try the idea out in my own home with the same group of musicians from Darling. I invited people from my road and extended the invite to friends and family. We had older people who seldom managed to make it to a concert hall sitting on my living room chairs and young children sitting on the floor in the front. The little excited whispers and badly-timed applause may have been frowned upon in a more formal setting but was heart-warming in my home. The programme was French and people were invited to dress up if they wanted to. Pesto Princess jumped on board with the offer of some of their wonderful pestos, pastes, hummus and dips which enabled us to offer the most delicious snacks without too much fuss.
It was the most wonderful evening and confirmed what I knew all along – in the midst of tough times, music and the arts are not a luxury but rather a necessity! Little did we know that Covid was about to hit and that these kinds of gatherings would no longer be possible for a long time. However, I did manage to continue playing solo in my driveway most evenings throughout that time until we were able to relaunch inhouse concerts in the autumn of 2021 in people’s gardens.
