Colourful Us? Surely not!

The Midlands is home to an unusual blend of colourful personalities drawn to its celebrated natural beauty and focus on the arts. This Christmas morning, two of the region’s most inimitable characters will be forgoing the customary festivities for whimsy with a purpose, raising funds for a uniquely meaningful and enriching addition to the community: the Yizwa Centre for the Eco Arts.

Eidin Griffin, permaculture pundit, artist, and one-time clown, and Tasha Saha, art teacher, yoga instructor, undercover artist, and friend of trees will undertake a day-long ‘carbon-neutral’ journey on horseback along the Meander, canvassing support and raising funds for the innovative project. The centre will function as an educational facility firmly planted on the essential interface between environmental conservation and the creative arts, helping ensure the sustained prosperity of these twin concerns.

The programme for 2010 will include workshops on Food-Gardening, Recycled Art, Kite Making, Yoga for Kids, and other activities designed to stimulate creative thinking, support curriculum - based learning and thoroughly nourish the soul. Children from under-resourced schools will be sponsored to attend these uplifting workshops and programmes which will be hosted in the purpose equipped premises neighbouring Kings School, Nottingham Road.

Adults will have a chance to play and learn too at community focus days, workshops, exhibitions and events. Planned for March 2010 is the 1000 Artworks Day in which artists and non artists, locally and internationally will be invited to donate A4 sized artworks, each one of which will be sold for R150. Larger pieces will be auctioned and all proceeds will go to the Yizwa Centre.

The two passionate proponents of this unprecedented collaboration will be an unmissable sight on their clip-clopping way. Decked out in playful, exuberant costumes on their mission, the message of fun and delight in the resources and limitless potential of the exchange between the environment and arts will be emphatically displayed. Tasha and Eidin will be sponsored for every kilometer they ride, and anyone wishing to contribute a voluntary amount is encouraged to contact them directly (details below). The project is a certified Non Profit Organisation, and relies entirely on funding and the generous support of its fundraising activities by the public. Thanks to projects with forward-looking vision like this, Midlands invaluable position in KZN's cultural tourism trade looks set to flower bright opportunities for the future.

For information on upcoming events, or to make a contribution to the Carbon Neutral Christmas Day Ride, please contact Eidin- 083 4292867 or Tasha 083 2797258, email yizwacentre@gmail.com or visit www.yizwacentre.blogspot.com