015 to the Nation project gives exposure to local creatives
The project was founded by Darren Ru van Rensburg to change the narrative that one needs to be successful only once one leaves the province for greener pastures.
POLOKWANE – The 015 To The Nation project, gives exposure to local creatives in the art space.
This project was founded by Westenburg resident, Darren Ru van Rensburg in 2020 and the aim, besides exposure, is to change the narrative that one needs to be successful only once one leaves the province for greener pastures.
The project was initially planned as a podcast, however, when the pandemic hit the organisers were prompted to find a new way of broadcasting.
“We were forced to be creative, and decided to use Instagram Live as a way to send out content. This led to a 015 To The Nation Masterclass Live, which had over 50 episodes in lockdown,” according to Van Rensburg.
After a hiatus, they are now back with their first podcast episode, which aired on YouTube on June 26.
They have moved from Instagram, he said, where they will still have ‘lives’ from time to time with artists, to YouTube, where users can subscribe to their channel to have access to all their content.
Van Rensburg explained that 015 To The Nation was inspired by the understanding and knowledge of the wealth that Limpopo carries in the arts space.
“We have artists such as Sho Madjozi and Makhadzi, and people like Nelson Makamo and the Ndlovu Youth Choir as well as the Mahuma Group team, to find creative ways to keep theatre alive in the province. There’s also different shows and various presenters that will be added to show how diverse and amazing Limpopo is.”
The name 015 To The Nation comes from the province’s area code, and ‘to the Nation’ means taking all the aspects of the province to the rest of the world.
“We can bring more people to Limpopo in the arts space for various reasons, including tourism and entertainment. We are not only a podcast, but an entire channel that offers diverse content for all our viewers, from adults at home to teenagers. We’re going to make sure you relate to Limpopo one way or another, as we take 015 To The Nation,” he added.
The project is funded by the merchandise they sell.
They also recently contracted an events company to create a space for the fusion of fashion and music as another way of flying the province’s flag high.
015 To The Nation will also be opening an academy for TV and stage acting.
Registration started on July 1 and classes will start in August.
You can follow them @015tothenation on all social media platforms.
