GPL Celebrations

Background: Having recently celebrated 10 years of democracy, The Gauteng Provincial Legislature wanted to mark the opening parliament in 2005, along with their new building in downtown Johannesburg. Moreover, they were looking for a cost-effective way of celebrating these milestones with the broader Johannesburg population.

Objectives: To co-ordinate a programme which would elicit interest and participation from the community, while communicating the history and purpose of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and profiling it in a positive way. Crowd control and security constraints were top priorities.

Concept: The People's Party - a five day programme of cultural activities, staged on two satellite stages in the GPL Piazza and four satellite stages on the Library Lawns. These comprised days devoted to Speaker Sessions (a "Speaker's Corner", designed to draw in the passing crowd), exhibitions by visual artists, musical recitals, industrial theatre and a democracy fair. The celebrations culminated on a Saturday, with a traditional opening ceremony, followed by a people's concert featuring a vibrant line-up of popular South African artists including Mafikizolo, Jabu Khanyile and Kabelo.

Result: A smoothly executed multi-cultural fair which engaged the Gauteng community throughout the week and culminated in an exciting live weekend concert.