FAR OUT - Atlantis

Construction of Atlantis, circa 1980, with Cape Town and Table Mountain on the horizon.

Since 2018, Very Real Time has been active in Atlantis, a town of roughly 70 000 inhabitants. Located 40 km north of Cape Town (2 hours by bus), Atlantis was built by the apartheid government in the 1980’s for people classified as ‘coloured’. The town is divided into five gang turfs, making it difficult for adolescents to finish school as they must cross opposing gang territories. They get drawn into gangs, or drop out of school to avoid them. Child pregnancy and violence against women are very high. Dance and music are strong elements in the culture. 
We collaborate with and support existing community structures which protect youth from violence, help them finish high school and build their artistic and professional capacities. Our main partners are community dance groups, church groups, and organisations run by local youth activists.
The problem for all our collaborators is the lack of spaces to carry out their activities. For this reason, one of our central projects is the creation of a 580 m2 Youth Centre to provide a roof for these activities.

A mentorship day with Cape Town-based, Sbo Ndaba Dance Company, 14 December 2022

Key Activities
We provide the means for the creation of new dance productions. The main aim is to build professional skills and capacities, enabling the creation of community leaders and role models. Dancers receive salaries, equipment, studio space and mentorship. They also attend training on business management, leadership, project development and marketing through the National Youth Development Agency.
​​​​​​​We arrange ongoing artistic collaborations with Cape Town-based artists. In 2020, a collaboration between the Swagg United Dance Crew and renowned photographer Pieter Hugo led to an article and commissioned video for Vogue Magazine, giving the group international visibility.
Caydee Lombard; 17 years old
Caydee Lombard; 17 years old
Agresio Swartz, 17
Agresio Swartz, 17
Agresio Swartz, 17
Agresio Swartz, 17
Caithlin Daniels, 14 years old
Caithlin Daniels, 14 years old
Cineeq Goliath, 18 years old
Cineeq Goliath, 18 years old
Cineeq Goliath, 18 years old
Cineeq Goliath, 18 years old
Mattwin Stevens, 18 years old
Mattwin Stevens, 18 years old
Moegamat Fisher 18 years old
Moegamat Fisher 18 years old
Moegamat Fisher 18 years old
Moegamat Fisher 18 years old
Skyler Adriaanse, 9 years
Skyler Adriaanse, 9 years
Jayden Prins 14 years
Jayden Prins 14 years
Jayden Prins 14 years
Jayden Prins 14 years
Frédérico van Sitters 19 years
Frédérico van Sitters 19 years
Justin Fortuin 20 years
Justin Fortuin 20 years
Aden Daniels 16 years
Aden Daniels 16 years
Lindell Diedericks, 24 years
Lindell Diedericks, 24 years
​​​​​​​Portrait series by Pieter Hugo, of dancers from SWAGG United Dance Crew, Atlantis, October 2020
​​​​​​​Development of a Youth Centre
Since 2021 we have been developing a space to provide a shelter for dance and music groups, trauma counseling, gym, arts and crafts, life and business skills, music, a library, a vegetable garden and other related activities. Our main partners are youth activists Monique Hansen (Gunfree South Africa) and Michelle Fortuin (Xtreme Youth). The building has been designed by Tsai Design Studio (https://www.tsaidesignstudio.com). We are working with local government and (through The French Institute of South Africa) building partnerships in France. The land for this building is provided by a partnership with a local church situated in central Atlantis.

Aerial view, rendering for Atlantis Youth Centre, Tsai Design Studio, Cape Town
Aerial view, rendering for Atlantis Youth Centre, Tsai Design Studio, Cape Town
In South Africa under the apartheid government, distance was not only used as a means to separate race groups, but also a means to ensure that non-white adults expend vast amounts of time and energy moving to and from work, limiting their capacity to organise community bodies. The result was the development of gang culture and drug dealing as replacements for normal family life and reliable income. 
Eelevation Dance Crew
Eelevation Dance Crew
Pieter Hugo video commissioned by Vogue Magazine
Pieter Hugo video commissioned by Vogue Magazine
Crowdfund, March - April 2021
Crowdfund, March - April 2021
Project development training with the National Youth Development Agency. 

Caydee Lombaard, (Elevations Dance Crew) with juniors at Atlantis Municipal Hall, March 2023

The Chosen Ones, a collaboration between Elevations DC and DJ Queezy, 11 February 2023

The Chosen Ones, a collaboration between Elevations DC and DJ Queezy, 11 February 2023

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