'Night of 1000 Drawings' to raise funds for better learning conditions

All doodle sessions culminate in a one-night-only exhibition - 'The Night of a 1000 Drawings' on Thursday, 28 August 2014 at the Good Hope Centre. The event comprises of a massive inner-city art sale of all doodles collected over the lead up to the event.

Uniting young and old in the fight for better learning conditions

As this year's beneficiary, 443 learners at Thomas Wildschutt School in Retreat in Cape Town stand to reap the benefits of this campaign, which sees three social upliftment enterprises namely See-Saw-Do, Greenpop and H.E.L.P. unite to improve conditions for the learners. All funds raised from The Night of a 1000 Drawings will be used by each enterprise. See-Saw-Do will paint murals to brighten up certain areas of the school, Greenpop will run a two year urban greening program that comprises planting trees, monitoring the success of the trees, and teaching maintenance skills to teachers and learners. H.E.L.P. will use the funds to further their homework enrichment life skills programme with the school and purchase eight new computers. The school caters for Grades 4 to 7 with 12 classes in total and at a ratio of one teacher to 38 learners. Identifying the needs of Thomas Wildschutt School is just one step in the right direction to show how all South Africans can make a difference in their own communities.

Why Thomas Wildschutt School?

The school prides itself on top success rates of past learners. While it does not have matriculants, owing to the fact that they cater for Grades 4 to 7, they regularly keep tabs on the progress of learners at different neighbourhood high schools. In 2013, a student that went on to matriculate at Zwaanswyk High achieved five distinctions and also represented the high school at a Maths and Science Conference in Washington DC. Another learner scooped most of Sibelius High's top matric subject awards in 2013 and currently studies BSc at the University of the Western Cape. The school is also a hive of activity over the weekends, offering extra Maths, English, Afrikaans, Science and Computer Literacy for adults and children in separate programmes in partnership with the Cape Centre for Children, Families and Refugees (CCFRD). The work that is being done at the Thomas Wildschutt School is proof that when communities work together dreams can be achieved.

Director of 1000 Drawings Cape Town, Shani Judes, says, "When deciding where the funds raised from 1000 Drawings 2014 should go, we engaged with the three NGOs mentioned and got the idea from a conversation we had with See Saw Do that 1000 Drawings should concentrate on one project, the uplifting of a school. We feel that everyone deserves the right to education within a happy, safe and sanitary environment. After all, school is where the future leaders of our country are being educated and we want the best for the country we are proud to live in, work in and love."

Charles Jansen, Principal of the Thomas Wildschutt, comments: "We, the community of Thomas Wildschutt are deeply moved that we have been selected as recipients of the 1000 Drawings 2014 project. The learners who will benefit from this project deserve to be nurtured, inspired, encouraged and uplifted. We have a proud history of academic and sporting achievement, despite challenging circumstances beyond our control. However, our learners have the fortitude and tenacity to triumph over adversity. We wish to express our heartfelt and sincere gratitude for this wonderful act of kindness on your part. We are humbled that you have chosen Thomas Wildschutt to receive the proceeds of this fund raiser. We are aware that an enormous amount of thought, planning and hard work went into this project and for that we are grateful too. The following quote by Lionel Hampton comes to mind, 'gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.' Your kindness will remain etched in our hearts forever."

The Night of 1000 Drawings in August promises to spoil buyers with an artistic mix of doodles, scribbles, graffiti, sketches, watercolour and oil paintings, experimental and conceptual works, all on sale and going for a song. At R100 a piece, you could get your hands on a one-of-a-kind, original work by tomorrow's big stars, or just something beautiful to make you smile.