The Ladysmith Cultural Hub is a plan by the town’s Tourism Office to celebrate 300 years of the culture, heritage and history. It is to be located in the town’s old double-storey Victorian building, which is to be turned into a museum.
Pieces of the Puzzle
Built in 1903, the building was originally used as a railway hostel. Plans for its transformation include housing the current Siege Museum exhibition – a tribute to the Anglo-Boer war - on the ground level.
‘But this only focuses on 118 days,’ says Fifi Meyer, the Cultural Hub’s project manager. ‘We also need to explore and celebrate the rest of our 300 years of history and heritage.’
Mahatma Gandhi
Other aspects of Ladysmith’s history such as the floods, the Indian influence on the town and a profile of Mahatma Gandhi who once lived in Ladysmith will be displayed on the top floor.
Each project will include newspaper cuttings, film clips and photographic displays of epic events.
History Talks Back
There will be an oral history project capturing the lives of interesting people who have lived in Ladysmith. These will include 114-year-old Themba Mkhize who fought in both world wars, was imprisoned on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela, and still rides his bicycle everyday.
Apartheid will also feature. Using the Apartheid Museum as a model, an interactive installation will be created.
Interactive Environment
A point of attraction is sure to be the market place, which aims to stimulate economic growth. Here you will find the works of local artists, traditional cuisine and interesting Zulu crafts. And an interactive space is envisioned to revive interest in Ladysmith’s culture, which has many selling points such as musical group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Still in the early stages, a feasibility study sponsored by Gijima (a European Union funding organisation) is to be completed within the next 6 months. During this time the tourism office is sourcing funding to finalise the project.
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