According to Harry Penberthy, project manager for CityVarsity Newtown, it's a development that was meant to be.
"Newtown is a cultural creative melting pot. It brings together diverse cultures with diverse creative disciplines. It is a communal centre that inspires creative people to push boundaries and develop talent. It is truly representative of South Africa and the perfect breeding ground for true African designers and artists," he says.
CityVarsity Newtown will meet an urgent and growing demand for specialist higher education in the fields of creative arts and media in Gauteng, which generates a third of the country's GDP and 10% of the GDP for Africa... with 40% of that being generated by the City of Johannesburg alone.
The regeneration of Newtown reflects its rich history as the hub of cultural and creative exchange and has been identified as a key focus area with the potential to attract major investment, particularly in creative industries, culture and tourism.
According to Penberthy, much of Newtown's creative energy is at the moment resident in its offices and buildings. But he predicts that it is just a matter of time before this energy really starts spilling out onto the streets. "I'm thinking creative hubs such as Brick Lane in London, Temple Bar in Dublin and Londonderry in Northern Ireland," says Penberthy.
Newtown is strategically positioned in the Johannesburg metropolitan context, within reach of a broad spectrum of city users and close to the SABC, the national broadcaster. There are a number of opportunities for investment in the creative industries, specifically film, television, music, as well as for recording and production, crafts and design, multi-media and information technology.
"Newtown is an exciting place for creative people to be - we are leading the way in innovative media arts education," concludes Penberthy.
CityVarsity School of Media and Creative Arts was established in 1996. The institution specialises in film and television; multimedia studies; journalism; fashion and craft design; animation; sound engineering; production design; motion picture make-up; photography; and acting. It also offers career-focused short programmes in film, creativity, design, photography and sound.
CityVarsity Newtown is located at 39 Gwi Gwi Mrwebi Street, Newtown, Johannesburg. For more information, email .
