Skate parks, musical theatre, and film festivals – things on the go at CN&CO

CN&CO is a firm supporter of, and contributor to, the creative economy. In reading our regular blog you will also have noticed that we value people, diversity and stories.

Here are of the things that we have been involved in over the last week.

If you follow the street skateboarding scene in SA (and around the world) you will be familiar with the work of Brandon Valjalo – three-time SA skateboarding champion, two-time African champion, currently ranked number one in SA and Africa, and 57 in the world.

“The things this guy can do on (and sometimes off) a skateboard will leave you gasping for breath!” says CN&CO’s Carel Nolte.

Here’s one of his latest videos, where he shared a bit about his love for skating and his partnership with EasyEquities.

A few of the team travelled to Heidelberg in the Western Cape to attend Hessequa Harmonie.

Hessequa Harmonie is an arts festival that focuses on classical music, showtunes, drama and art. This unique festival is held in the Southern Cape in the beautiful town of Heidelberg, located in the Hessequa municipality.

We were a sponsor of the opening event and our Carel Nolte also co-hosted the art exhibition.

This week also saw the 2020 edition of the Jozi Film Festival (JFF) come to life. JFF is the City of Gold’s longest running multi-genre film festival. For the first time in its history the festival went virtual and combined this experience with viewing at the Bioscope for those who were able to attend the film screenings in Johannesburg.

There is a lot on the go and we hope that you all had a great week. As we begin to rebuild things, let’s all remember that we all have a role to play in helping to make the world a better place. Support local, be responsible, and let’s make a difference.

At CN&CO we love the arts. We have a lot to learn from the creative economy and the talented artists in South Africa.

If you were wondering who introduced us to concept of the “creative economy”, here’s the back story.

A year or two ago, our dear friend Carolynne Waterhouse – who has the intriguing title of “creative counsel” at our partner Rand Merchant Bank – introduced us to the concept of the creative economy.

“A creative economy,” says Wikipedia, “is based on people’s use of their creative imagination to increase an idea’s value. John Howkins developed the concept in 2001 to describe economic systems where value is based on novel imaginative qualities rather than the traditional resources of land, labour and capital.

“Compared to creative industries, which are limited to specific sectors, the term is used to describe creativity throughout a whole economy.”

So now you know. 🙂

Check out a few of our regular blog series below:

I Wish Someone Had Told Me

Ted Talk Tuesday

Ink Link

Company We Keep

Where Were You at Noon?