Observatory Museum

The Observatory Museum - A Portrait

Camera obscura at the Observatory Museum

This is a brief introduction to the Camera Obscura at the Observatory Museum in Bathurst Street in Grahamstown. It is an amazing device that I cannot show in operation. It reflects a 360 degree view of Grahamstown on the white plaster of Paris concave plate in the centre of the room. It is really with the visit.

A look at history of Makhanda, formerly known as Grahamstown

South Africans will recount and take stock of the last 25 years on Saturday,as they commemorate and celebrate the freedom day.
This freedom didn't come easy though. The country came close to brink of civil war. The country went through many phases before stability in 1994.
Part of that history played out in Makhanda, formerly known as Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape.
The city of saints as it was also known is hosting the annual celebration this year.

For more news, visit: sabcnews.com

ESSA 2017: A glimpse of Grahamstown through a mirror!?!?

A glimpse of Rhodes University and Grahamstown through a mirror at the Observatory Museum. Enjoy and remember to subscribe, like, comment, and hit the notification bell!

Toposcope at Grahamstown

This is just a look at a part of the horizon from a hill outside Grahamstown. It will give you a good idea of where it is. Sorry that the picture is quite bumpy.

Mikhael Subotzky, Moses and Griffiths, 2012 (excerpt)

Moses and Griffiths is a filmic portrait of two buildings and two men in Grahamstown, a small South African town with a strong English colonial legacy. Both men have been employed for many years as tour guides in historical buildings. Moses Lamani gives tours of the nineteenth-century camera obscura housed at the Observatory Museum. Griffiths Sokuyeka gives similar tours of the 1820 Settlers Monument, a Louis Kahn inspired modernist structure that was built in the 1970s to “guard over” the English language and culture in South Africa.

Initially I filmed the official tours, which both men repeat seemingly by rote for tourists and school groups. These tours offer a surprisingly narrow account of local history, completely ignoring the effects of apartheid and focusing instead on the influx of English settlers who left their mark on Grahamstown in the 1820s.

I then asked each man to give a personalized tour, to talk about his own history in the town and in the building where he works. The intimacy and pain of each man’s memory in these new personal tours contrast strikingly with the stale institutional narratives of their original official tours.

The four tours, both official and personal for each man, are all presented in one room on four screens hung on separate walls. The four narratives play simultaneously but the films have been edited so that each voice can be heard and through the pauses, overlaps and contrasts, a new conversation is created amongst them.

Moses and Griffiths is a meditation on the relationship between institutional and personal memory, and the discord that occurs when they are brought together. It is also a detailed study of both the protagonists and the politics that is written into the architecture that their stories inhabit.

– Mikhael Subotzky

When All Is Said And Done (Grahamstown Festival Highlights 2016)

Highlights from The Brothers Streep full band first trip up to The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. Halfway through the run, Dylan and Simon joined up with Derick Watts & The Sunday Blues for a comedy panel show hosted by Dalin Oliver.

On Russia's participation in the National Arts Festival 2016 in Grahamstown / SABC

Russian Embassy gives interview on Russia's participation in the National Arts Festival 2016 (Grahamstown). 30 June, SABC News.

Bonisele 'Nobou' Nesi

Produced by Bongiwe Tutu and Sibulile Magini, School of Journalsim and Media Studies, Rhodes University.

Bonisile Nesi, affectionately known as Nobou, is a Member of Parliament of Grahamstown. He was born in Grahamstown in 1965 and since his mother worked in Port Elizabeth he was raised by his grandmother on a Eastern Cape farm. He experienced the harshness and misery of Apartheid at a young age when his grandmother was beaten up by a white man and they were often hopeless. He moved back to Grahamstown in 1976 and witnessed the resistance to Apartheid that would shape his life. He joined the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) in 1980 and became part of student revolution.

Red Earth Cape Town.2011

A prophetess of Doom expresses herself through theatre, 150 years later

For the past week, Cape Town has been abuzz with activity, ever since Dutch award winning puppet Theatre company, Speeltheater Holland, landed on our side of the world to entertain and educate in our city, through an innovative theatre project that will give previously disadvantaged youths the opportunity to experience the world of puppet theatre. The company will not be doing this task alone; it has joined forces with Johannesburg based theatre body, Laway Theatre Company in running this exciting theatre project. Assitej South Africa is hosting all programmes between the two companies, for the duration of their stay in Cape Town.

However, the main association between Speeltheater Holland and Laway Theatre Company is circled around a collaborative theatre performance called Red Earth. Red Earth is a compelling theatre piece that takes its audiences back to a 150 years ago, in the Eastern Cape, near the Gxhara River, where a young Xhosa girl claims to receive information from her ancestors, who instruct her to pass this divine message to the rest of her people, However, it is Nongqawuse's prophecy of goodwill that leads to one of South Africa's most bizarre socio economic tragedies.

To me, this story is about tradition versus common sense and how a message of hope and prosperity transpired into circumstances of despair and poverty for its people says Red Earth playwriter, Saskia Janse.

We are not trying to judge Nongqawuse, but artistically unravel her, it's almost like we are giving her a platform to express her thoughts, a privilege she didn't necessarily get to experience because of how quickly it all got out of her control, the situation just became too big for a 14 year old to handle says Director of Red Earth, Onny Huisink.

Can we really blame Nongqawuse for what followed, what about her charlatan uncle, he gained to become a famous Sangoma through spreading the prophecy, and the British, who gained to finally get control over Xhosa people. Says performer, Macebo Mavuso.

Macebo Mavuso forms part of the four strong cast, which includes the director of Red Earth, Onny Huisink, playwright Saskia Janse, and performer Tau Qwelane. Both Macebo Mavuso and Tau Qwelane have worked with 2011 Tony Award winners-- Handspring Puppet Theatre Company and have since branched off into their own project, Laway Theatre Company, previously known as Sisonke Theatre Company.


The five year old theatre production has been performed at various national events, such as the Grahamstown National Arts Festival (Main) and in 2006 made its first international debut in Holland,
Where it received full houses for its entire run. Due to public demand, the production returned to Holland in 2009.

Those intrigued by Speeltheater Holland can catch a lecture on the History of the company, followed by video fragments of some of the projects they have been involved in. The lecture will close off with a fun puppet manipulating demonstration, for those who love getting creative with their hands.
Those who are not satisfied with just a lecture, are invited to visit the company's website, speeltheater.nl

Red Earth will be performed from 8 -- 10 December 2011 at Theatre Arts Admin Collective, Cnr Milton
Road and Wesley Street, Observatory (Church hall next to Observatory Methodist Church)

Adult performances of the production will be on 8 and 10 December, at 19:30pm, with the children's
Show being on 9 December 2011 at 14:00 pm (children 10 years and up). Tickets cost R40 for adults and R20 for the children's show.

The Speel theatre lecture will also be held at Theatre Arts Admin Collective, with the lecture starting at 3:30pm. A fee of R20 will cover the entrance to this informative event.

Audiences are encouraged to attend all of these events, to experience colourful and creative family viewing, through puppetry, acting, singing, dancing and story telling

Grahamstown Eastern Cape South Africa

Grahamstown is located in the Eastern Cape, in South Africa. Home to Rhodes University and the National Arts Festival. Grahamstown was founded as a military outpost by Lieutenant Colonel John Graham in 1812. Home to over 40 religious buildings, Grahamstown is affectionately known as the 'City of the Saints'.
Copyright to

(copyright to Rooms For Africa) -

Grahamstown comes alive for Fest

A report by Sebastian Burger, Bracken Lee-Rudolph, Zondelela Njabo, Zizipho Majavu, Athini Majali, Mihlali Ntsabo
It’s one day before the National Arts Fest festivities begin and the last day that Grahamstownians can enjoy the quiet of the city before the 42nd edition takes off. These streets will not be empty for much longer. Bring on the 11 days of amazing!

Video by Cue Media reporter Lolu Ncukana

Südafrika - From East London to Port Elizabeth

Een rit met leuke stops. In King Williams Town een bezoek aan het Amathole Museum ( met de story van Huberta, 's werelds beroemste nijlpaard) en aan het Dale College, een Boys' Primary School. Daarna door naar Grahamstown voor een lunch, bezoek aan de Cathedraal (1824) en het observatory museum met camera obscura.
Dit stadje doet een beetje Victoriaans aan. Door naar Port Elizabeth en na het inchecken in het hotel onder leiding van een plaatselijke gids een excursie gemaakt in een Township. Schrijnend om te zien hoe daar de levensomstandigheden zijn, je bent sprakeloos. De dag werd in het Township afgesloten met een lokale maaltijd, zang en muziek. Uiteindelijk afgesloten met het lied Africa en een Hollandse polonaise.
Achtergrondmuziek:
Monkota and Tafi Maradi by Kevin Macleod.
A ride with nice stops. In King Williams Town a visit to the Amathole Museum (with the story of Huberta, the world's famous hippo) and at Dale College, a Boys' Primary School. Then to Grahamstown for lunch, visit to the Cathedral (1824) and the observatory museum with camera obscura.
This town does a little Victorian. Passing through to Port Elizabeth and after checking into the hotel under the guidance of a local guide an excursion made in a Township. Painful to see how the living conditions are there, you are speechless. The day ended with a local meal, singing and music in the Township. Finally ended with the song Africa and a Dutch polonaise.
Background music:
Monkota and Tafi Maradi by Kevin Macleod.
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South Africa Telescope

South Africa is in a bidding race against Australia for a telescope expected to be the largest and most sensitive radio telescope ever built. Known as the Square Kilometer Array, the telescope will eventually utilize 3,000 antennas, patterned over a huge swath of sub-Saharan Africa. VOA's Vincent Makori has more.

LOTv Style Up Your Life - Ep 3 | EASoc RU: Gold Starndard | (Part 1) Promo

Episode 3 - No Effort. No Entry
Mananya Senona and Sheyvonne Natanya are out and about with the EASoc RU committee talking about the upcoming Gold Standard event on Friday 29 July 2016 at Prime Night Club in Grahamstown, South Africa. The committee spoke to us about what to expect and all the fashion to look out for on the night.

Recorded: Thursday 21 July 2016

Recorded at: Grahamstown, South Africa

Hosts: Sheyvonne Natanya and Mananya Senona

Camera and Photography: Mudiwa ‘MobbJustice’ Gavaza (Liyon Media, LOTv)

Editing: Mudiwa ‘MobbJustice’ Gavaza (MobbJustice TV, LOTv)

Music:



[We do not own the rights to this music.]


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Skydive Grahamstown

Skydiven in Grahamstown bij EP Skydivers.

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Pretoria lightning time lapse

Impressive time lapse of an intense lightning storm as it moves over Pretoria East on the 21 November 2013.