07 Apr 2014
(Cape Town: 18 March 2014) The R50 million reimagining of the V&A Waterfront's existing Blue Shed and Craft Market is as much a drastic external renovation as it is an evolution of product offering and range. Well-established as an enterprise development platform, with traders traditionally offering wares from leather goods to African curios, a dynamic shift will see the focus broaden to craft and design, as well as the renaming of the space. A strong curatorial hand is required to navigate this change, and the Waterfront has found this in Trevyn McGowan.
McGowan, the creative force behind Source, is a formidable player in the South African design scene, and has played a pivotal role in promoting South African design to the global marketplace.
David Green, CEO of the V&A Waterfront, on the announcement: ''We are confident that our small business tenants stand to benefit from the enormous amount of experience and passion Trevyn McGowan brings. It is a wonderful coup for the Waterfront that she agreed to lead this exciting initiative.''
On her appointment and future collaboration with the V&A Waterfront, Trevyn McGowan explained, ''Southern African design has a unique place in the global market. Our designers follow a path with provenance, exploring their own identity and cultural history and their products carry a fertile and complex narrative. It is this point of difference that makes South African products so appealing and for over 10 years, we have been dedicated to growing an international footprint for many of our designers through the most respected retailers in the world. Our aim for this space is to bring this focus home, to present the very best of the continent under one roof, and to build our artisans and designers reputations for a local audience.”
This vibrant identity is exactly what the V&A Waterfront hopes to bring to life and foster through curatorship in Cape Town's newest dedicated craft and design space.
In the spirit of change, the new space will be renamed to signify the change of course. The Watershed, as it will be named, is the platform on which the V&A Waterfront's enterprise development is built and the entrepreneurial spirit of the African experience is grown.
The Watershed will be positioned as a talent incubator, giving tenants exposure to the millions of local and international visitors the Waterfront welcomes on an annual basis. It is also an ideal platform to showcase South African and African creativity, launching in a pivotal year for our design industy, Cape Town World Design Capital 2014.
Design is a powerful currency, as proven by the R22 million worth of international orders written by Source in 2013. '' South African design and craft has never been more on trend, more appreciated or more sought after. In other words there has never been a better time to provide a showcase of the best we have to offer, '' said McGowan.
In her role as curator, McGowan and her team at Source are tasked with ensuring the best possible tenant list and activation for The Watershed. They will be involved in discussions with each tenant around product assortment, presentation and display, possible workshops, performance/live production on site, stand requirements and signage.
Waterfront CEO David Green continued, “The reimagining of this space at a cost of R50 million is an affirmation of our commitment to enterprise development. By fostering local talent, we ensure that this is an industry that will thrive.'' Applications for The Watershed are now open to prospective tenants, with the last day of submission on 25 April.
ABOUT SOURCE
Since 2003, Trevyn and Julian McGowan have been responsible for transforming the South African design landscape by creating the proper infrastuctures to develop and promote local design. As founders of Source, Southern Guild, the Design Foundation, and orchestrators of Design Network Africa, they have worked with innumerable designers and artisans and are responsible for the majority of exports of African design product to the global marketplace. They have recently earned a place on Art and Auctions “Power 100” global list of the most influential players in the art world, and the City Press list “100 World Class South Africans”. In Feb 2014, the McGowans launched the first international design fair in Africa, GUILD.
ABOUT THE V&A
The V&A Waterfront is a 123 hectare mixed-use destination, and one of Africa's most visited cultural and historical hubs. Set on the edge of a natural, historic working harbour with the iconic Table Mountain as its backdrop, it offers local and international visitors a cosmopolitan mix of experiences ranging from leisure, shopping and exclusive entertainment. It also offers prime residential and commercial property. The prime positioning of the V&A boasts sweeping views of the ocean, city bowl and mountain peaks. Up to 100 000 people visit every day during peak season.
Contributing R198 billion to the South African economy over the last ten years, the V&A Waterfront's cumulative contribution to the provincial GGP since 2002 was over R173bn. The property also reported a 20.6% increase in retail trade sales for 2013, marking 29 straight months of consistent growth since August 2011, and concluding 2013 with an impressive 19.8% year-on-year growth.
Of the total visitors to the V&A, 55% are Capetonians, 19% are South African and 26% are international. Visitor numbers to the Victoria Wharf grew by 7% during 2013, and a peak of 175 000 visitors was recorded on 31 December of that year.
With 22 official landmarks on-site, it is also part of South Africa's historical legacy. Jointly owned by Growthpoint Properties Limited and the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), represented by the Public Investment Corporation Limited (PIC), the V&A Waterfront was developed in 1988 by the state-owned transport corporation, Transnet Limited, while official commercial trading commenced in November 1990.
Issued on behalf of:
Carla White
V&A Waterfront: Communications Manager
(021) 408 7500
Issued by:
Margot Gutteridge
Corporate Image
(021) 426 1233 / 084 296 2689
Email: margot@corporateimage.co.za
