About the Grahamstown Foundation
For 50 years the Foundation has aimed to fulfill its mandate of enriching the cultural and educational life of our country – first in our home community of Grahamstown, but also through projects which span the whole of South Africa and touch tens of thousands of our people each year. We have four main focus areas:
Language
The Foundation aims to:
- Enrich the study of language
- Promote and enhance the way South Africans communicate by fostering, igniting and encouraging open and meaningful debate
- Improve the quality of language teaching
The Arts
The Foundation supports artistic endeavour by:
- Providing facilities for performers
- Creating opportunities for participation in the performing and visual Arts
- Promoting South African art, culture and literature
The Sciences
The Foundation promotes a love of science in South Africa by:
- Providing scientists with opportunities to make science accessible to all
- Showing that science, engineering and technology permeate business and everyday life
- Encouraging enquiry into the origins and different disciplines of science
Conferences
The Foundation believes in free and open debate and discussion, and to this end
- Facilitates conferences and seminars on matters of national concern.
- Maintains and provides a world class conferencing and meeting facility
MONUMENT NAME CHANGE
We have launched a process to identify a new name for the building we call home - the 1820 Settlers Monument.
Our Projects
The Grahamstown Foundation has initiated a number of projects that help us fulfill our objectives.
Management of these projects is undertaken through a partnership with the National Arts Festival.
Scifest Africa was established in 1996 to promote the public awareness, understanding and appreciation of science, technology and innovation (STI).
The project consists of the National Science Festival held in Grahamstown in March every year, and regional and national outreach programmes implemented throughout the rest of the year.
The South African Schools Festivals bring 6000 South African learners and their teachers to the threshold of artistic, educational, dramatic and social enrichment. The flagship National Schools Festival for grade 12 learners takes place in Grahamstown at the same time as the National Arts Festival. Then it goes on the road - and visits cities across the country with mini-Festival programmes of performance and workshops.
The English Olympiad is an English competition that draws over 8000 entries each year from around South Africa and its neighbouring countries. The competition is organised jointly by the Grahamstown Foundation and the South African Council for English Education.
We welcome participation from schools across the country in this prestigious competition. Contact us for more information about the prizes on offer and how to take part.
Each weekend we screen great movies at the Monument for members of our club – an annual membership and a bundle of credits is your gateway to some ongoing silver screen magic!
We have some great new projects and activities lined up...we'll keep you informed right here!
Partner Projects
Apart from the Foundation's core projects, we also work closely with other organisations on a range of projects and collaborations.
The country's flagship arts event – the iconic National Arts Festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Grahamstown each year to enjoy thousands of performances, exhibitions, a craft market, lectures and films.
The Shakespeare Society of Southern Africa (SSOSA) was founded to encourage and stimulate engagement with the works of William Shakespeare.
The Amaphiko Township Dance Project provides formal, modern dance training to 200 girls and boys.
- Support Us!To keep the Foundation sustainable, and to cover the costs of running the Monument, we rely on kind donations and support from the community, government, Trusts and corporate South Africa. The types of contribution we have received in the past include:
- Support for specific projects and activities. Tell us where your heart is, and we'll find something that resonates!- Maintenance grants for the Monument- Bequests and legacies that can provide ongoing support- Once-off donations- CSI partnerships with Corporates who align with our aims and objectives
Want to contribute or find out more? Give us your details below and we'll be in touch.
Funders
We are grateful to our funders and sponsors who contribute to our mission, our projects and to our organisation in a multitude of ways.
