This is according to metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe, who said that, to date, the development of the city’s Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network (IRPTN) has created employment opportunities for approximately 440 local residents.
Most of these opportunities were the result of two contractors who have, to date, upgraded the complementary route in Hospital View, in the north, from two to four lanes.
“The public art programme created more jobs for 30 local artists; while four photographers involved in the project received experience in the form of skills transference from their mentor – professional photographer Raymond Mokoena.
The photographers are Happy Motha from Kwa-Thema, Thabiso Freddie Ntanda from Duduza, Hlompo Moloi from Duduza and Nkosana Dube from Kwa-Thema
They are all from Ekurhuleni and were selected to take part in workshops following inclusive briefing sessions in Benoni, Daveyton, Tembisa, Kempton Park, Springs, Kwa-Thema, Germiston, Katlehong and Vosloorus.
They included poets, designers, spoken-word artists, rappers, DJs, photographers, visual artists, sculptors, gum boot dancers, fashion designers and printmakers.
Ekurhuleni Roads and Transport MMC Clr Petrus Mhlarhi said all of their creative skills mixed together depicted a visual journey.
“Each artwork has evolved and travelled from a moment of inspired interactions between teams reaching a destination of a completed artwork, ready to be translated into a public artwork which can make the community of Ekurhuleni proud,” said Mhlarhi at the opening of the showing.
“The exhibition was curated in way which reflects the journey of all the artistic teams. The journey shows an organic, creative process and is mounted in a constructed environment, to represent the building of the Ekurhuleni BRT Bus route and the construction of a different and positive kind of travel future.”
Designing artwork for the stations aimed to provide an opportunity to harness and create a cross-section of visual artists, story-tellers and poets who are also future commuters and cultural producers within their communities.
Thomas Musubi and Raymond Moeketsi, from Boksburg, participated in the Ekurhuleni Public Art Exhibition.
