New director for District Six Museum
The cultural historian Valmont Layne was recently appointed as director of the District Six Museum. Formerly head of the District Six Museum's Sound Archive, Valmont is acknowledged for his extensive research on the music of the Western Cape, from indigenous music through the Carnival to Cape Jazz.
Valmont takes over the reigns of an institution that currently draws some 60 000 visitors annually. Founded in 1994, the non-governmental institution is situated a short distance from Cape Town's key imperialist landmark, the Castle. It is listed in Cape Town Tourism's top ten things to visit in Cape Town.
The District Six Museum is widely recognised for its respected work as interpreter of recent South African history. In this regard, the Department of Arts and Culture recently awarded the museum a grant of R500 000, while the Ford Foundation donated a further $100 000 towards its current programmes.
Commenting on Valmont's choice as director of, cultural worker Zayd Minty says it happens at an important juncture in the city's history. In December 2002, after a period of protracted negotiations and studies, a cheque was handed over by the city to the District Six Beneficiary Trust. 24 families will shortly be moving into the area as the city begins to prepare itself for the redevelopment of the old District Six area.
"The area's redevelopment, the marking of key sites and the development of a memorial park around the memory of the demolition of the area in the late 1960s and the forced removal of over 60 000 individuals/families to the Cape Flats, offers many opportunities for the District Six Museum's ongoing documentation and healing work," says Minty.
District Six Museum, 25A Buitenkant Street. Tel: (021) 4614735. Hours: Mon - Sat 9am - 4pm
