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Art and Culture in Cape Town

From Malaysian slaves, Dutch, English and French explorers to indigenous Khoisan people, the origins of Cape Town’s three million inhabitants are extremely diverse. Since Cape Town’s establishment as a halfway stopping point on the ‘Spice Route’ to India in the 1600’s, the centuries that followed saw an influx of explorers, settlers and colonists arriving in the ‘fairest Cape’ to live among the indigenous tribes already there.

Together with South Africa’s recent colourful and often painful history during the apartheid years, it’s small wonder that the city has emerged as a vibrant, edgy and eclectic place with a rich and textured cultural heritage. In Cape Town, the arts are alive and there’s a lot to see and do.

Theatre venues in Cape Town combine food or drink with jazz, cabaret, Shakespeare, musicals… whatever your taste, the city has the live performance venue to suit you.

Cape Town Theatres that I would suggest:

Artscape
Situated on the Foreshore, Artscape hosts major drama productions and is also home to the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. You can enjoy regular classical concerts, as well as ballet, opera and theatre.

The Baxter
The Baxter Theatre consists of three different venues and offers a wide range of performing arts, from kids’ shows to Zulu dance spectaculars.

Kalk Bay Theatre
With only 78 seats, The Kalk Bay Theatre is an intimate theatre and restaurant. A great place for a night of unique entertainment and dining

On Broadway
With its casual ambience, On Broadway offers unique and contemporary local theatre in a restaurant-style setting.

Theatre on the Bay
On the edge of the Atlantic Seaboard in Camps Bay, this theatre hosts conventional plays and one-person shows.

Cape Town also prides itself on being a happening art venue. Check the local press for details of upcoming exhibitions, as exhibition venues are often not only limited to the city’s major galleries.
However for a taste of South African art culture, try the following:

South African National Gallery
This world-class gallery has a collection of South African and international painting and sculpture.

Rust-en-Vreugd
This museum is a good place to learn about Cape Town’s colonial past. Housed in an 18th century townhouse with a large back garden, the range of contemporary paintings is wide.

District Six Museum
This is a fascinating window into the painful and colourful history of South Africa. The museum is homage to the now obsolete District Six, a settlement that was destroyed by the South African government during the apartheid years. Note that all township tours stop here first to explain the history of South Africa’s pass laws.

South African Jewish Museum
This modern gallery documents the history of the South African Jewish community, which today numbers around 90 000. Adjoining the museum is the Cape Town Holocaust Centre, where the history of anti-Semitism is set in a South African context and is likened to the local freedom struggle.

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