Kite festival preview: The Virtual 26th Cape Town International Kite Festival
✅ When: Saturday 10-31 October, 2020
✅ Where: Anywhere in the world. The festival is not geo-locked
✅ Virtual platform: www.capementalhealth.co.za/HopeOnTheRise
✅ Tickets: www.capementalhealth.co.za/HopeOnTheRise –suggested minimum donation R50 per person. If you cannot pay, you can still attend
In the year of Covid-19, with national lockdown measures in place and concerns over public safety, The Cape Town International Kite Festival in partnership with Cape Mental Health, is going virtual for its 26th festival, with #HopeOnTheRise- with a three week virtual festival. The festival lifts off on October 10 – World Mental Health Day.
In pre-pandemic times, the festival was held over two days at Zandvlei Nature Reserve in Muizenberg. To clarify, there will not be any events in Muizenberg for 2020, which have been arranged by the festival but it is a public space and people are welcome to go and fly kites in the vlei. The festival invites kiters to arrange their own mini kite festival events wherever they can and post photos and videos on its platforms. You will get into the fresh air and experience the exhilaration of all that lockdown stress releasing. It is way cheaper than paying for therapy. Never mind, that most people cannot afford that luxury. We are all familiar with the concept of fun runs and walks to raise awareness and fundraise for worthy causes. The Kite Festival is putting out that challenge for #HopeOnTheRise – Cape Town International Kite Festival 2020. Go out and fly a kite for Cape Mental Heal. Consider making a donation– which will assistCape Mental Health with its vital work- which has increased exponentially due to the pandemic and national lockdown.
Read on for info supplied by The Cape Town International Kite Festival
What’s so special this year?
- It’s our first-ever VIRTUAL Cape Town International Kite Festival
- People can participate wherever they are in the world, when it suits them
- We’re combining online activities and real-life kite flying – because flying kites is good for mind and body
- It’s the 26th Cape Town International Kite Festival
- Kiters from all over the world are involved – providing onlines kite-making workshops, sending messages of hope and raising funds (including Australia, Colombia, Germany, Italy, Poland, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA)
- The Virtual #HopeOnTheRise Showcase featuring comedian Dalin Oliver, singer/songwriter Jarrad Ricketts and drag artist Manila von Teez. On 7pm, Saturday 24 October. This is included in your kite festival ticket.
What’s the theme and why?
- Our theme is #HopeOnTheRise – Invest in Mental Health and wehope to raise over R250, 000 to help Cape Mental Health provide free, essential mental health services
Tickets – what’s included?
Tickets are available on the Cape Mental Health website from 1 October for a recommended donation of R50 p/p. Your ticket includes:
- Kite-making workshops: including an easy-to-make diamond kite made with everyday items found at home; a traditional Cape Swaeljtie kite made with bamboo and kite paper; applique feather banners; miniature kites made from a coffee filter and various other workshops led by international kite-makers.
- Kite films and interviews: meet professional kite-makers and kite-flyers from around the world and find out why they fly in support of Cape Mental Health.
- Kite colouring-in competition: for children 6 years old and younger.
- Kite Creatives contest: bake, make, sew or grow a kite using absolutely anything. Let your imagination fly high and you may win a prize for innovation.
- The #HopeOnTheRise Virtual Showcase (7 pm, Saturday 24 October) with music, kites, laughter and dance. Singer/songwriter Jarrad Ricketts, comedian Dalin Oliver and drag artist Manila von Teez will be providing the laughs, dance moves and tunes to entertain you in the comfort of your home.
- Certificate of participation: an official certificate of participation in the virtual 26th Cape Town International Kite Festival will be issued to all ticket holders.
- Fly your kite to win: Ticket holders can join kiters all over the world and fly your kite at the virtual 26th Cape Town International Kite Festival then share your pics on social media, tagging #HopeOnTheRise and @CTKiteFest, to feature on the official CTKiteFest feeds and for a chance to win fantastic prizes.
- Buy your tickets online – www.capementalhealth.co.za/HopeOnTheRise – for a suggested minimum donation R50 per person. We hope to sell over 5,000 tickets and raise over R250, 000
- If you can’t afford to contribute you can get a free ticket – we want everyone to be able to experience some kite festival magic this October!
What about kite flying?
- People all over the world will be flying theirkites at the virtual 26th Cape Town International Kite Festival.
- You can fly when and where it suits you anytime between 10 and 31 October.
- Organise a ‘Flash Fly’ kiting pop-up. Gather family, friends or colleagues and plan a ‘flash fly’ to enjoy time together in the fresh air at a safe, social distance while helping give hope and raising funds for Cape Mental Health.
- When you fly, share your photos, videos and messages of hope on social media, tagging #HopeOnTheRise and @CTKiteFest to feature on the official CTKiteFest social feeds.
Can you buy kites?
- YES! Cape Mental Health’s Training Workshops Unlimited has a variety of affordable kites for sale – all the details will be on the website.
- There are also 6 different kite-making workshops to watch when it suits you on the virtual kite festival page, so you can make your own kite too.
What types of kites can you make?
There are 5 different kite-making workshops on offer at the virtual CTKiteFest:
- Simple diamond kite – with Dylan Oktober and Corne Mouton from Cape Mental Health. Make a kite with everyday materials you have at home. Ideal for children.
- Cape Swaeltjie kite with Bobby Gathoo and Gerald Gelderbloem from Cape Town – make a traditional Cape Swallow kite from bamboo and paper
- Feather banners – with Linda Sanders of Oz Feathers, Australia – learn how she designs and creates beautiful applique feather banners
- Miniature kites with Scott Hampton, Utah, USA – make a colourful miniature kite using a coffee filter and khoki pens.
- Eddy kite with Alicja Szalska from Poland – learn to make a beautifully simple Eddy kite
How is the Kite Festival connected to mental health?
- Flying kites is an affordable, accessible activity that can be enjoyed by almost anyone, regardless of ability. A simple kite can be made from newspaper, string and bamboo so it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to do.
- Cape Mental Health organised the first Cape Town International Kite Festival in 1994 and since then this event has become one of Africa’s biggest kite festivals. Now mental health organisations around the country have adopted the kite as a symbol, and use kites to raise awareness and funds.
- The event is the highlight of October’s Mental Health Month, which this year has the theme ‘Mental Health for All – Greater Investment – Greater Access. Everyone, Everywhere.’
- It’s an opportunity for children and families to get outside, be active, enjoy time together and look up! These are all activities that are good for mental health and well-being.
Tell us more about Cape Mental Health and its services?
- Cape Mental Health is an award-winning non-profit organisation providing, or facilitating, comprehensive, proactive and enabling mental health services in the Western Cape.
- We reach more than 34 000 people each year through our family-focused mental health services and intervention programmes.
- Our community-based services provide enabling mental health care to persons with emotional adjustment problems, and those with mental disability (intellectual and or psychiatric/psychosocial), and adopt a holistic, family-focused approach.
- Our life skills and work skills projects for persons with mental disability include a focus on skills training and workplace experience, individual job coaching and ongoing support, on-site support for the employer and employee, reasonable accommodation, and assistance with support structures. We are recognised at national and international levels and were awarded a prestigious Zero Project Innovative Practice Award 2017 for our Training Workshops Unlimited’s intensive skills development and career path training programme for adults with intellectual disability.
How can people support Cape Mental Health?
- Buy tickets to the Kite Festival or make a donation on www.capementalhealth.co.za/HopeOnTheRise
Where to get more info?
- Website: www.capementalhealth.co.za/HopeOnTheRise
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/CTKiteFest
- Tickets: www.capementalhealth.co.za/HopeOnTheRise
- WhatsApp: +27 67 321 9572
- Telephone: 021 447 9040 (office hours)
- Email: info@cmh.org.za
#CTKiteFest / #HopeOnTheRise
Links / URLs:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CTKiteFest
Twitter: @CTKiteFest
Instagram: @CTKiteFest
Website: https://capementalhealth.co.za/hopeontherise/
Tickets: https://capementalhealth.co.za/hopeontherise/
Hashtags: #HopeOnTheRise and #CTKiteFest
Contacts:
WhatsApp: +27 67 321 9572
Telephone: 021 447 9040 (office hours)
Email: info@cmh.org.za
❇ Promoted post. Image credit: Supplied.