Celebrate Women’s Month with your girlfriends

Every August, South Africa marks Women’s Month. We pay tribute to the thousands of women who marched to the Union Buildings on the 9th of August 1956, in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. 

Women all over South Africa use the celebration as an opportunity to exercise their freedom and forge stronger bonds with their tribe of sisters, daughters, mothers and friends. Here are some great ideas for fun and interesting activities in George and Wilderness, to celebrate sisterhood. Few things are as rejuvenating for the soul as a girl’s night out!

Calming Crafts at Bomkisi Ceramics

Featured Image: Bomkisi Ceramics

The ceramic artists at Bomkisi have created a haven for the crafty and creative. Mother and daughter team, Tayla and Chantal Stewart, are the passionate artisans behind the Bomkisi range of functional art. Their thought-provoking and original pottery includes four unique ranges of designer dinnerware and wash basins; inspired by the diverse people of South Africa, tropical vegetation and the retro 70’s vibe. The ladies work out of a funky art space behind the Stiles Tiles store, in Levallia. Their studio is filled with music, hanging plants, colourful paintings and antique wardrobes stacked with beautiful pottery. You’ll find their hairy black Labrador, Freya, lounging on one of the couches.

The Bomkisi team offers a range of fantastic workshops and classes suitable for all levels of creativity. During their ‘Girls Night Out’ Workshop, students can learn to build a coil pot from scratch and then decorate it, while sipping wine. Their Sgraffito class is a great option for groups of ladies of varying levels of creativity. Sgraffito is a decorative technique used on a clay surface, it involves scratching into a glaze to create a graphic image. Learn to throw a pot on the wheel or glaze ceramics while leaving all your stress behind. According to Chantal, working with clay is totally soothing; “art is very therapeutic, but clay has a way of calming anyone who interacts with it, as it massages your fingertips it releases built-up tensions, calming even the most energetic individual.”

Theatre for Tea

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Grab your leading ladies and book yourselves a private tea in the historic opulence of the George Arts Theatre, at 125 York Street. You can star in your own stage show or relax in their private venue; the Backstage Lounge Cafe. The entire theatre was refurbished in 2016 with striking stained-glass windows, rich furnishing and Art Deco themed wallpaper, curtains and carpeting.

Dress up and enjoy a high tea. Allow your inner diva to dive into the theatre’s huge wardrobe department and explore costumes from shows such as Sleeping Prince, Robin Hood, the Great Gatsby, the Little Shop of Horrors and Back to Broadway and so many more. Don velvet gloves, trilby hats, flapper dresses, feather boas and drink champagne, take selfies and explore your thespian roots. The George Arts Theatre is a community theatre and dates back to 1905. To book your ladies day at the theatre, contact Jolene at events@georgeartstheatre.co.za

Coffee Appreciation

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Coffee-loving ladies will enjoy the African Coffee Pairing at Milwick’s Café, at the Cornerstone Lifestyle Centre, in Blanco. Local coffee roaster, Ben Ferreira from Brothers Coffee, hosts a regular coffee appreciation session, where he describes the process of sourcing beans in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda and working to uplift African coffee growers. He charmingly demonstrates alternative brewing techniques.
Ben’s passion for coffee is infectious and he describes the roasting process as one involving ‘science and the senses’. The African Coffee Pairing is a great opportunity to taste Brother’s four single origin coffees and learn more about their alluring aromas and fascinating flavours.

Brothers Coffee Roastery was nominated for Roastery of the Year in 2019 and 2020, in the Coffee Magazine Awards. Milwick’s Cafe is conveniently located in the Cornerstone Lifestyle Centre where patrons can enjoy restaurants such as Meet and the Corner Club, and partake in some retail therapy at Mantellis Direct, Bee Botanique, Tack and Tuck and the Corner Emporium Winery and Deli.