An Open Epistle to the Titans of South African Art
Just the other day, on my way to running an errand, I enjoyed the perfect daydream whilst roaming our Senior School campus. In my reverie, I was having an exchange with the giants of our country’s arts and culture. The conversation went something like this:
“Good day, Dr Esther Mahlangu. May I invite you to tour our beautiful grounds with me. But first, may I start by saying we stand alongside the world in admiring your extraordinary creative legacy. You are not only one of our country’s most celebrated cultural ambassadors; you are the living embodiment of how bold, authentic vision transcends every boundary.
If we could welcome you through the doors of our studios today, we would guide you through an explosion of imagination, inspired by the likes of you. You would see the brilliant output of our inaugural STARSFEST, which is a regional first that drew 120 entries and participation from over twenty schools across Gauteng and saw our students exhibit alongside the Capital Arts Fair Tshwane.
You would see our school securing first place in the Junior Artist category, and more than ten of our young artists whose pieces were selected for the prestigious final exhibition running during FIESTA ad in partnership with CAFT, from 18 to 20 September. From pristine graphite studies to cutting-edge digital designs, their works carried an integrity and visual courage that left viewers profoundly inspired. This, Dr Mahlangu, is a spirit of bold self-expression we know you would recognise immediately.
Yet our creative footprint stretches far beyond the traditional canvas, setting our Culture Hour programme in a league of its own. In our styling suites, our visionary Make-Up contingent completed vocational-level examinations. This is a rare and exceptional qualification for school-age artists. Parallel to this, our Inscape College Design cohort earned coveted certificates across specialized creative fields, excelling in Photography, Fashion Design, and Interior Design. These young women are not merely practising art, but they are qualifying in it, mastering the tangible architecture of aesthetics and personal expression with a professional discipline that honours your own legacy.”
Joining my musing next, was Mikhalé Jones.
“Mikhalé, you are the winner of the 947 Sound of Tomorrow award, a well-deserved nod to your trailblazing work at the intersection of music, rhythm, and modern visual storytelling. You represent the pulse of a new generation of South African creators who understand that art today lives not just on traditional stages, but across dynamic screens and interactive spaces.
If you turned your camera toward our campus, you would marvel at our student Content Creators. Quietly and steadfastly behind the scenes, this dedicated crew works to make our school vibrant, visible, and buzzing. They carry an entirely different creative brief: Capturing raw atmosphere, translating fleeting moments into lasting digital art, and giving voice to the life of our school. They do so with cunning visual wit and precision.
They bring life to the lens, vivid perspective to video, and sumptuous snippets to social feeds. Like you, they understand that storytelling in the digital age is an art form in its own right. Their quiet craft ensures our arts revolution reaches beyond the school gates.”
And then…To Mama Afrika, Miriam Makeba:
“We write to you across the divide of memory and melody, offering our deepest gratitude for being the ultimate trailblazer, a fighter of unyielding courage, and a magnificent musician. You showed the world that a South African voice carries not just notes, but history, defiance, and beauty. You paved the path for the music makers who now fill our halls at DSG. Drummers and vocalists who were victors in their overall categories of the high-status Noorderkruin Eisteddfod. Young student musicians who attained top results, doing what they love at Eduplex Eisteddfod.
Mama Afrika, if you leaned down to listen to our Performing Arts Centre, you would hear the music from a cohort of extraordinary young artists thriving in that very vein. You would hear the resonant pulse of our marimbas, in our students claiming Diplomas and Gold accolades at the National Eisteddfod Academy. You would observe it in the grit and dedication of those conquering rigorous Trinity College London practical examinations, which is a true international feat. We celebrate all our vocational level, standout students: Hannah Jacobs, who attained a Distinction for her Grade 5 Drums examination, Amogelang Khomo, whose technical command earned her a Merit for her final-level Grade 8 Violin examination, Isabella Haffajee who captured both her Grade 5 Drums (pass) and Grade 6 Piano (with merit), Giulia Del Gallo Grade 6 Drums with merit, Neve Riley Grade 5 Drums, and Buhle Mogashoa Grade 7 Violin. You would notice the sheer electric energy from our Senior School Orchestra which delivered stunning versions of Wimoweh and Take 5 at the Cornwall Hill Festival, and SMS, that enthralled the audience at our SS prizegiving.
It is a spirit alive with modern fire. We often wish our contemporary global sensation, Tyla, could slip into the back row to witness the sheer stylistic versatility here at St Mary’s DSG, from the discipline of classical technique to the contagious vitality of our St Mary’s Singers, and our brilliant Salon Singers, who fought off formidable competition to keep the STARSFEST overall Music trophy firmly home on our turf. The students who waved the DSG flag on regional stages, as part of Scenario Youth Productions, A-Arts and Pro Arte Arts Festival.
Above all, our musicians live by the wisdom shared by our beloved Lira: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are right now.” In every rehearsal, every early morning call, and every soaring crescendo, our girls pour their whole hearts into that truth, ensuring that the legacy of stunning South African song remains triumphantly alive.”
To Mr Athol Fugard and Dr John Kani:
“We address you as the architects of South African theatre. Storytellers who taught our nation that authentic human gesture and the power of the spoken word can shake the conscience and stir the soul.
If you were to take your seats in our hall, you would see that very design burning brightly in the next generation. During STARSFEST, our thespians and orators took to the stage with commanding conviction, sharing this platform with the 95 other participants. In Public Speaking, where we welcomed competent speakers from seven different visiting schools, our own St Mary’s students stood fearless on our turf, sweeping the premier awards (overall best Public Speaker and Junior winner respectively) with eloquence and emotional intelligence. DSG’s Debating team persuasively clinched an overall win and a trophy. In Drama, our young performers seized their categories with breathtaking physical theatre craft. Every line spoken and movement delivered with precision, discipline, and raw vitality.
And then came our Culture Hour Musical Theatre company, who kicked fairy dust squarely in the eyes of their opponents, delivering an electrifying, polished showcase of a Matilda number that secured them the prize in the Senior category.
We would walk you down the corridors of our English block, where students relentlessly craft and rehearse their thought-provoking, striking speeches. It is here that our dynamic Grade 10 team; Ndzalama, Wiza, Dineo, and Katlego; honed the searing conviction that blasted them to 3rd place in the entire country at the On the Tip of Your Tongue national competition.”
Standing in the wings amid the applause, one can only pause and wonder: could the visionary minds and bricklayers who first built the classrooms of our Performing Arts Centre ever have dreamed what these walls would yield? Could they have foreseen drummers striking gold at the Noorderkruin Eisteddfod, vocalists soaring at Eduplex and on international stages, or young women commanding the stages with such audacious authority?
They laid the foundations, but these young DSG artists are building our legacy, our dream. Arts@DSG stands proud, unafraid, and in profound dialogue with the giants who walked before us.
