Joburgers are
invited to join the conversation at a new neighbourhood initiative that is
aimed at getting locals meeting, creating and interacting.
At The Table is located in one of Parkhurst’s landmark buildings on the corner
of Second Avenue and Ninth Street, with plenty of secure, off-street parking.
It brings a multi-purpose venue into Joburg’s ‘The Parks’ – an area of the city
that is home to some of the country’s most interesting and innovative
individuals, including writers, artists, journalists, designers and more.
The brainchild
of sisters, Hermi King and Elmi Le Roux, the main focus of At The Table
will be regular events where guests – many of whom live in the area – will
converse over hearty homecooked meals and drinks and around the big table that
forms the centrepiece of the venue.
Already, the
ball has started rolling with the first At The Table event featuring
writer, theorist and multimedia practitioner James Sey talking about The Spear.
Over homemade bread and soup, Sey lead a discussion with 14 other guests that
proved as relaxing as it was inspiring.
“The real beauty
of At The Table is the intimacy that the space affords”, says King.
“This means that it really is a conversation, as opposed to a presentation.”
With just 16
guests able to fit around the table, Le Roux points out that the connections
that are made by strangers with an interest in a particular topic are another
key aspect to the vision these two Joburg creative have for At The Table.
“It’s almost in
a way recreating that ‘Kitchen Table Wisdom’ that defined communities over the
centuries,” she says. “So it’s about getting someone to share their experience,
knowledge, insights and opinions and then getting everyone at the table to both
gain from that and also contribute to the conversation.”
Designed with a
feel of luxury and exclusivity, At The Table is never pretentious. For
both King and Le Roux, offering a welcoming environment for Joburgers and
visitors to the city to have meaningful conversations is the main aim.
Alongside
newsworthy and current topics, like The Spear, At The Table will cover a
broad range including books, art, fashion, technology, trends, craft and more.
Cooking will also be an integral part of At The Table given Le Roux’s
expertise and passion for this increasingly important part of people’s
lifestyles.
Le Roux and King
are currently planning the calendar for the rest of the year and are aiming to
have children’s activities (crafts, nature, art and more) in the afternoons as
part of At The Table’s community offerings.
At The Table is also available for bookings for individuals or groups. So
whether it’s a fashion designer launching a new range, hosting a pop up store
or a company that wants an off-site brainstorming location that’s conducive to
creative thinking or a research space, the venue is a natural fit.
The emphasis,
however, is always on community and neighbourliness.
“Parkhurst and
its surrounding neighbourhood is a rich environment of opinion leaders,
mavericks and interesting people and this is a way of connecting with each
other, outside the Twittersphere and Facebook,” attests King.
That said, with
its welcoming atmosphere, At The Table is open to anyone who is
desperately seeking a return to good, old-fashioned, face-to-face conversation.
At The Table
Book At The
Table
For more
information:
Locate At The
Table
Corner Second
Avenue and Ninth Street| Parkhurst | Johannesburg
(secure parking
in second avenue)
Gatherings At
The Table
Upcoming in
August is our Celebration of Women month when we have a series of special
evenings planned. We kick-start the month with a champagne and cupcake kids
fashion launch on the 4th August 2012 presented by Sam Sam clothing. We will
host acclaimed actress Gretha Brazelle presenting an Afrikaans Poetry evening and
James Say sharing his appreciation of
musical divas. As part of the private school holidays we will host kids
activities like create your own storybook and tech toys. See our calender for
more information.
In September we
celebrate Spring and we have a Bring your Orchid to At the Table evening where
we will educate you on how to care for your plant. To lighten your house and
help you spring clean we have a declutter short course with Kate Emmerson. Lets
get bloody with writer Deon Potgieter, author of Rose of Soweto and James Say
who will discuss the role of boxing in popular culture. Los Angeles based Helena Kriel, screenwriter
of wellknown films like Tsotsi, Kama Sutra and Skin will be presenting a 2 day
screenwriter workshop in September.
Regular events
that are hosted At the Table includes Short Film Friday evenings where we host
the writer an/or director of a short film and a viewing of the film followed by
an in-depth discussion about it. On Wednesdays we have our foodie club that
meet to swop menus, discuss foodie trends and bring along an interesting array
of food for tasting. We also have our “Adventure in the Arts” evenings designed
to both educate and create conversation about local and international art
trends. To connect and meet your neighbour we have our Kinfolk evening where we
host interesting people.
For more
information on each event follow us on Facebook and Twitter or send us an
email.
About At The
Table
Started in
mid-2012 by sisters, Hermi King and Elmi Le Roux, At The Table is a warm,
intimate space located in the Johannesburg suburb of Parkhurst. Built around a
big table, with a kitchen on hand for great food and drinks, At The Table puts
real conversation around a huge variety of topics within the easy reach of
individuals looking for a counterpoint to the remote connectedness of the
digital age.
From
The Desk Of: Sam Manclark
| @sammanclark | sam@speakerscorner.co.za
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