The revitalisation project, being led by Port Elizabeth Hotels, in collaboration with Mandela University, the Municipality and other partners, started earlier this year, driven by Tiffany Naidoo.
Happy Valley, once a beautiful park, which residents of Gqeberha had fond memories of visiting, had slipped into disrepair over decades. It became the site of overgrown vegetation, broken benches and debris in the river and pond and was viewed as unsafe.
The artworks were faded and others, damaged. However, in recent weeks the park was magically transformed, when Port Elizabeth Hotels, the University, Municipality, businesses, organisations and members of the public stepped in clean up.
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The recent celebratory event led by the Division for Communication and Marketing’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Unit, was part of the University’s Mandela Month activities and each society deliberately serenaded parts of the park, with performances. The performances form part of the Happy Valley Community Activation and Heritage Interpretation project,” said Giselle Baillie, Deputy Director, Arts, Culture and Heritage.
Arts, Culture and Heritage Officer, Neliswa Mahlangu said the concept “was designed as an immersive, site-specific experience rather than a traditional stage production. The audience journey through Happy Valley, stopping at various locations where each society present a performance inspired by the surrounding artwork, landscape or heritage significance of that space.
At the conclusion of each performance, the respective society creatively lead the audience to the next performance location through song, dance or movement.”
Student societies that performed included the BaSotho Society, Drama Society, the Le Strada Choir, the Ri Vhavenda Society, Xhosa Society and Madibaz Cheerleaders Society. Members of the Madibaz Poetry Society recited poems that had been composed for the event.
Mixo Letty Mhlongo (known as _ScribBle-), a third-year BCom Industrial Psychology and Human Resources) student recited a poem on the park:
Prelude:
This poem is a prayer that only exists in this moment.
So today
I ask that you do not listen to me.
I ask that we listen to what this place has long been trying to say.
This place is what will remember us when we have forgotten our Genesis.
I want you to imagine
the bridge above us -
as a page,
the water beneath us-
as ink that has never signed its name and
the editor who arrives every afternoon wearing the wind.
This is what Happy Valley has never stopped writing.
Movement I. The Opening Prayer
Before I ask You for anything,
let me first thank You
for a city that still remembers
the Spirit's first breath
in the grammar of the waters.
Movement II. Happy Valley Remembers
Before laughter echoed through these gardens,
Before the first springs of one's cradle streamed,
Before the People could associate
the Sakrivier with both life and chaos.
This valley...
David Jones, former Director of the School of Music, Art and Design at Nelson Mandela University and his wife, Andrieta Wentzel, a senior lecturer in the now School of Visual and Performing Arts, are supervising the refurbishment of the artworks, having put in considerable time towards this over the past few months, together with artists and students drawn from the University. “David and I had great fun with the enthusiastic public bringing back colour to Happy Valley,” said Andrieta.
On 24 July, artworks, which had their first coat of paint applied by members of the public on 18 July, had their second coats applied; some of the other artworks were cleaned up in preparation for repainting, while railings were painted. This was undertaken by members of the student societies and staff of Communication and Marketing at Mandela University, amid the joy of being outdoors in a now transformed park.
A week earlier, on Mandela Day, Mande Bage, International Sales Manager at the Port Elizabeth Hotel Group told volunteers gathered at Happy Valley she knew “it would take a village to undertake this project. Where doors closed, others jumped in. Our goal is to make Happy Valley usable and to restore a sense of civic pride”. She said collaboration and partnerships are essential, as “we need people with fresh ideas”.
The public turned out in their numbers, to scrape away old paint off the railings, concrete benches and stools, and to repaint them and clear away tree cuttings.
Ridwaan Rajaal, Chairman of the Seagulls Lifesaving Club, brought a contingent of members who sanded down and painted tables and stools.
Radio Algoa FM personality, KayCee Rossouw, whose wife, Carmen is the General Manager of the Beach Hotel, doubled up as DJ for the morning and said the “turn out is amazing. I am very impressed.” The project requires ongoing support, “so that we can restore sites to their former glory”. He said Gqeberha has cruise ships bringing in tourists and Happy Valley as well as Bay World need to be attractive to visitors.
An excited Lia Blignaut (10) who helped pick up debris and broken bottles, said, “this used to be Sad Valley. Now it is Happy Valley again.”
While the public volunteered their time cleaning up, DJ KayCee played popular old school songs, with people dancing to the Village People’s YMCA and Whitney Houston’s How will I know?
View the activities
PE Hotels thanks the following sponsors and partners:
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Alex Maintenance and Electrical
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Gardmed Ambulance Service
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Pumba Private Game Reserve
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Nelson Mandela’s Horticulture Department
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Nelson Mandela University’s Division for Communication and Marketing
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City Lodge Hotel
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The Paxton Hotel
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The Beach Hotel
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Ginger Restaurant
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Kingfisher FM
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Paxton Hotel & Paxton Luxury Apartments
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Hacklewood Hill County Home
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The Sands @ St Francis
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The Kelway Hotel
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Talisman Hire
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Ahead Tree Felling
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Kaycee Rossouw - Algoa FM
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South End Museum
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The Water Boy
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Cell C
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SRAC- Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture
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Summerstrand Neighbourhood Watch & Marshall
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Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber- Beachfront Geographical Cluster