Ballade

“Ballade” is a poetic homage to my birthplace, Cape Town. My strongest memories are of the Sea Point Promenade in Cape Town and its accompanying Pavilion swimming pool where I frequented the long walkway and its bordering vast grass areas through all of my formative years. I was born there, and my recall is one of tableaus transpiring through play, encounters and festivities. The pool, the walkway, the beaches and the green areas continue to serve as stage sets within which diverse performances unfolded.

Returning to Cape Town, I was once again drawn to these spaces where little seems to have changed in terms of structure and recreation but existing now with a celebration of cultural and social diversity post the Apartheid Era.

The Promenade, which starts at Mouille Point and runs along the water’s edge all the way to Bantry Bay, is one of Cape Town’s most well-frequented public spaces, bringing together cyclists, vagabonds, dog-walkers, joggers, cruisers, skaters, beggars, amblers, lovers, salsa dancers and homeless people.

For many, this area is their sanctum, the public space they don’t have in private due to cramped living conditions or because of the general pressures and continued challenges of life in South Africa.