The bigger PICTURE.
We cannot find ourselves in the present unless we are able to locate ourselves in a recognisable past.
The umbilical chord that binds the past to the present future is our imagination.
The instruments that weave these things together are our artists, however humble.
Ubuntu art honours and celebrates the present and the future by promising to protect identity and inheritance by safeguarding the art and imagination, for the children of tomorrow.
(Andries Botha – Artist)
This is particularly true in our country where the youth has all but forgotten the pain of the past and discovered how art became the tool of liberation, of identity and sanity. Today’s South Africa seems to be only mining its past for the guilty and not for the brave. In the process it deprives millions of their glorious roots and philosophy and art that underpinned it.
Ubuntu is a unique African word that defines relationship and responsibilities between people. It is the philosophical basis for our assumption that humans are unique in the animal kingdom.
At the Phansi UbuntuArt museum and its Seedbank of
Identity we celebrate those ever absorbing, evolving, spreading, adapting and changing roots that celebrate the community over the individual. Its roots lie in the 3 commandments of the ancestors:
Assure continuity, Show respect and Keep order. Nelson Mandela’s interpretation of Ubuntu was
I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE
The PHANSI, the UbuntuArt museum and Africademy developed outreach programs in order to share, conserve and grow this ART in the belief that it will help to build respect and skills in communities and show what can be achieved under the most dire circumstances. Art often only viewed with condescending marvel.
A recent visitor from Austria a retired professor, after listening to my lament about the difficulty of keeping our ‘cultural raft’ afloat asked me to give her a bit of background and suggest how she could become involved.
We wrote the following; maybe you have similar questions.
HISTORY
Phansi Museum began as a private collection that was shared with friends and acquaintances. Over the years, it grew into a major collection that has been visited by many international and local visitors and thousand scholars from near and far.
To a small extent, it has been financed by the province of KwaZulu- Natal. Lotto has also assisted with funds that allowed us to catalogue much of the collection. The major assistance has come from the Bartel Arts Trust that has always stepped in to cover the deficit. This fund has now closed and we are finding it very difficult to fund our operations and staff who have been such wonderful and motivated specialists in our adventure.
PARTICIPANTS
For those of you who admire and support our mission and establishment and wish to contribute to its survival and have a say in its affairs, we offer the following:
FRIEND OF PHANSI.
You will be kept in touch via Facebook, the website and newsletters.
YOU will receive the free -Art-Culture and Tradition desk calendar at the end of every year.
The annual subscription is 100 Rand. (more is welcome)
PARTNER OF PHANSI.
We are beginning to establish a worldwide Partnership of 2000
Supporters of the Phansi museum’s ideals and missions. Partners pledge 100 Rand per month (more is welcome) to keep the project afloat.
AMBASSADOR.
(the PHANSI-PONZI or Tupper Ware SCHEME)
Phansi Partners are requested to become our Ambassadors by
finding at least 3 others who also join as friends and Partners. Starting with 8 partners who reach out, we will reach the 2000 we need by the third round.
SENIOR PARTNER.
We suggest the monthly subscriptions of 1000 Rand or more for a minimum of two years. They will be acknowledged in all publications and have free access to the collections and venues.
DONOR.
With a donation of over 20 000 Rand per month, or service or material value YOU will be able to, by agreement use the premises for corporate or private purposes. Our trustee Mlambo will bring the music and the show.
DONOR.
With a donation of over 20 000 Rand per month, or service or material value YOU will be able to, by agreement use the premises for corporate or private purposes. Our trustee Mlambo will bring the music and the show.
OTHER FUNDING.
We welcome any other Funding and Partnering initiatives to assure our long- term independence and viability.
GENERAL
Please note that for foreign contributors we suggest the following; 10 Rand = one Dollar, Pound, Euro etc. if that is affordable.
Option 1: For safe, easy and quick online donations, please click on the button below:
Option 2: For direct deposits please see below banking details:
Phansi Resource Centre
Bank: Nedbank
Account Number: 1160617732
Branch Code: 198765
Swift Code: NEDSZAJJ