Cavendish Square is giving young Cape Town creatives a public platform while transforming donated denim into opportunities for artistic expression, sustainability and practical skills development.
The shopping centre will host its Denim for Good exhibition from 22 September to 4 October, showcasing original creations produced from pre-loved denim donated by shoppers during the campaign.
The exhibition will feature work by 13 high school learners attending art classes at the Peter Clarke Art Centre, alongside pieces created by female entrepreneurs from the Amy Foundation.
For some of the participating young artists, the exhibition will be the first time their work has been presented to the public on this scale.
The learners come from 13 Cape Town schools, including South Peninsula High School, Norman Henshilwood High School, Pinelands High School, Star College Cape Town, Wynberg High School and Isilimela High School.
Other participating schools include Zonnebloem Nest Senior School, Groote Schuur High School, Maitland High School, Vista Nova High School, Oakley House High School, Zwaanswyk High School and Wynberg Girls’ High School.
Launched in July, Denim for Good invited Cavendish Square shoppers to donate gently worn denim rather than discard it.
The donated garments were handed to learners at the Peter Clarke Art Centre, where they became materials for exploring upcycling, sustainability and creative expression.
The Peter Clarke Art Centre has provided visual art and design education since 1943 and works with learners and educators from schools and communities across greater Cape Town.
“I’m incredibly excited to see our learners’ work come to life and to have them exhibit at Cavendish Square, with some experiencing a public exhibition of this scale for the very first time,” said Ras Silas Motse, Educator and Marketing Lead at the Peter Clarke Art Centre.
“It has been inspiring to see how they are reimagining denim and exploring sustainability through their creativity, and I can’t wait for the public to see what they have created.”
Motse said the collaboration provides young artists with an opportunity to have their creative work seen and celebrated beyond the classroom.
The initiative also extends into skills development through Cavendish Square’s collaboration with the Amy Foundation.
Remaining donated denim will be used as part of the Foundation’s Youth Skills Development Programme, which provides unemployed young people with practical vocational, life and workplace skills.
The programme aims to help participants prepare for employment, further education or entrepreneurship.
“We look forward to bringing the Denim for Good campaign to life and to see how this exhibition can create meaningful opportunities within our community,” said Warda Gertse, Marketing Manager at Cavendish Square.
“It’s especially inspiring to give young creatives a platform to showcase their talent, share their stories and have their work seen and celebrated at Cavendish Square.”
Cavendish Square will also make an in-kind contribution to the Amy Foundation for every gently worn denim item donated during the campaign, extending the initiative’s impact beyond the exhibition.
The Denim for Good exhibition will be hosted on the Ground Floor of Cavendish Square from 22 September to 4 October and will be free to the public.
Visitors will be able to view the young creatives’ work while learning more about the Peter Clarke Art Centre and the Amy Foundation’s Youth Skills Development Programme.
