This year’s International Public Arts Festival (Ipaf) will serve as a lekker boost for local tour guides who have been out of work since last March.
The fifth edition of the five-day long festival will include six guided tours ranging from 3km to 25km, showcasing street art by Kaapse artists and also those from Jozi, the Eastern Cape and as far as Switzerland and Germany.
According to Alexandre Tilmans, co-founder of festival host Baz-Art, a total of 37 tour guides will be employed while nine artists will be showcased on 19 buildings in Salt River, Woodstock, the CBD, the Waterfront and Sea Point.
Tours will cost R200, to be booked online for a maximum of 10 people from 10 to 14 February. It’s the same price for all distances.
Festival organiser Lauren Fletcher says: “Our focus is on family-friendly walking and cycling tours this year. This is a safe, exciting way to explore the city in a time when many are seeking new and novel ways to get out and about.”
One of the tour guides who will benefit from the festival is Jeremy Knowles, a former teacher at SACS and a tour guide since 1996, who took the Daily Voice on a mini-tour of Salt River during the launch of the festival at the Zip Zap Academy on Wednesday.
“I have not worked since last March, so when I put on my name badge today, I was so overcome with emotion and excitement,” he says.
“I am certainly looking forward to these next few days.”
Jeremy told the story of Van Hunks and Devil’s Peak during the tour, stating that “it felt good” to tell the legendary tale again.
Mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith was also present at the launch and said: “This is a great initiative that will not only see our artists being showcased, but it will also allow some of our tour guides to do what they love.
“Hopefully, one day this festival can expand to areas across Cape Town, such as Manenberg, Hanover Park and Hangberg.”