We also thought it would be a good idea to have a photograph of all the Club members present:
And one of us took the photograph and isn't in the picture....guess who!
This Week:
We have a visit from The Black Tie Ensemble as we hope to be working with them in the future...here's a little about them:
Determined to preserve the rich tradition of opera, South African diva Mimi Coertse and celebrated opera director and costume designer, Neels Hansen, established The Black Tie Ensemble (BTE) in March 1999. Their visionary spirit of entrepreneurship was underlined following the closure of the State Theatre and its performing entities in June 2000, which plunged the state of the arts in South Africa into a state of uncertainty.
However, the existence of The Black Tie Ensemble has ensured continued live performances of opera and 'serious' music, and has provided employment for many gifted singers who might otherwise have had no outlet for their talents. One of the aims of The BTE was, and still is, to create a conduit for gifted singers to attain their goals, nurturing and developing their talents, as well as to offer able artists with no formal training the opportunity to further their studies and to gain experience through the Incubator Scheme. The BTE has been lauded for its developmental work in the field, receiving numerous awards for their initiative.
The BTE project was established mainly to create opportunities for employment for South Africa's gifted singers of diverse cultural backgrounds, generating income on a continuous basis throughout the year, and is entirely dependent on corporate support for its survival. Largely through the Black Tie Ensemble's efforts, there are more opportunities available to young singers than previously, with many of the graduated singers being invited to perform both nationally and abroad. The Ensemble has developed into a vibrant, multifaceted opera company - one of the most exciting classical music and singing projects in South Africa - and is still growing steadily. In addition to its regular concerts, BTE brings opera and quality singing to a wider audience, regularly being invited to perform at various corporate functions. In addition, the BTE presents Industrial Edutainment Programmes, performing for employees from various industries as well as introducing the art of opera in schools and in outlying areas. The Black Tie Ensemble has become an established presence on the South African music scene, frequently appearing in concerts, arts festivals and corporate functions throughout South Africa (as well as the African continent), while successfully presenting several opera seasons. It has distinguished itself abroad as well, having performed to great acclaim in China and Hong Kong, and Austria. In addition, The Black Tie Ensemble appeared at the AICHI World Expo 2005 in Nagoya, Japan, also presenting a special Freedom Day Soiree at the South African Embassy in Tokyo at the invitation of the Department of Arts and Culture. At the invitation of The South African High Commission, The Black Tie Ensemble toured Nigeria in 2006, performing in Lagos and Abuja under the banner of the Youth Day celebrations.
In 2005, The Black Tie Ensemble established a permanent opera chorus as the next step in the Ensemble's development. This has allowed access to a semi-professional opera chorus which, with training, would meet the unique demands of an opera chorus. The chorus master of The Black Tie Opera Chorus is BTE Senior Repetiteur and Coach, Susan Steenkamp-Swanepoel. Whilst earning income through their chorus activities, the choristers receive ongoing training as well. The collective experience gained since the formation of the company has enabled it to embrace more challenging projects, such as the staging of operas and major concerts as and when funding is available. BTE staged its first opera production, Verdi's Rigoletto, during May 2001 to rave reviews. Its second opera production, Puccini's Madama Butterfly, was staged in the State Theatre, Pretoria. A generous sponsorship by SAPPI made it possible for The Black Tie Ensemble to stage Puccini's La Bohème in June 2004. In 2005 The BTE staged a double-bill of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi together with an abridged version of Rossini's Il Barbiere Di Siviglia. In September 2005, The Black tie Ensemble collaborated once more with SAPPI as sponsor to present the acclaimed production of Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor. In 2006 BTE staged Four Opera Vignettes to expand the repertoire of the young singers, performing excerpts from Puccini's operas Tosca and Madama Butterfly in tandem with Donizetti's Don Pasquale and L'elisir d'amore. This created opportunities for all senior BTE members, as well as members of the BTE Incubator Scheme, to be able to study and perform different roles. Later in 2006, this production was followed by the highly praised double-bill of Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci and Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, once again generously sponsored by Sappi, which took place at The State Theatre.
Even better, you can hear about them!
Wed 14th December
There is an Informal Breakfast at Cafe Sofia in Greenside. 7,00am onwards...and this is what it is all about!
Rotary partners with world's largest postgraduate water education institution
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Since 1957 UNESCO-IHE, the world's largest postgraduate water education facility, has provided master of science degrees and promoted PhDs to more than 14,500 water professionals from over 160 countries. Photo courtesy UNESCO-IHE
Rotary clubs will be helping train engineers and scientists to solve problems in water and sanitation, particularly in developing countries, through a new strategic partnership between The Rotary Foundation and UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education.
Through the partnership, the Foundation will offer packaged grants that Rotary clubs may use to select and sponsor scholarships for professionals in the water sector. Up to eight students a year may be chosen for any of three master of science programs at the institute in Delft, the Netherlands.
Both the institute and Rotary share a vision of making water and sanitation more accessible and more sustainable for all people, particularly the poor. The partnership directly supports Rotary's water and sanitation area of focus.
"This strategic partnership with UNESCO-IHE enables Rotary to work with a globally recognized leader in the training of water professionals at a time when such experts are desperately needed in many parts of the world," said Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair William B. Boyd. "By identifying high-quality, high-potential candidates for these scholarships, Rotary clubs will play an important role in addressing a serious global problem.”
"Eighty percent of diseases in the developing world are caused by the lack of water and appropriate sanitation," said UNESCO-IHE rector András Szöllösi-Nagy. "The cooperation with Rotary is an important milestone in the large-scale, global capacity building required to tackle this crisis.”
Since 1957 UNESCO-IHE, the world's largest postgraduate water education facility, has provided master of science degrees and promoted PhDs to more than 14,500 water professionals from over 160 countries. The institute also promotes research and capacity building projects, manages a worldwide network of educational institutions and organizations in the water sector, provides professional expertise on water education, and plays a role in setting international standards for postgraduate water education and continuing professional training.
Sustainability
By focusing on postgraduate degree programs, The Rotary Foundation is making a long-term investment in water and sanitation, helping equip students with the research, managerial, and technical skills they will need to solve domestic problems by thinking globally. Working with the institute is a particularly good investment for the Foundation: most of the institute's students are from developing and emerging countries where the need is the greatest, and 87 percent of the program's graduates are still active in the field a decade later.
Rotary Foundation packaged global grants support large, international projects with sustainable, high-impact outcomes in Rotary’s areas of focus. Because the initial work of finding a strategic partner and designing the general framework of the project has already been done, Rotarians can focus their talents and energies on the implementation.
One hundred Rotary districts are participating in the Future Vision pilot, a three-year test of the Foundation's streamlined grant structure, which began 1 July 2010. All districts will begin using the model on 1 July 2013.
The Foundation has previously approved strategic partnerships with Mercy Ships, Aga Khan University, and Oikocredit International. Pilot clubs and districts interested in packaged global grants with UNESCO-IHE can find more information, which will be posted online soon.
For more information:
- Learn more about UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
- Read about the strategic partnerships with Oikocredit International, Aga Khan University, andMercy Ships
- Learn more about the Future Vision Plan and packaged global grants
4 Comments:
At 2:11PM on 2 December 2011, DRFC D1600 Siebe Stellingwerff Beintema wrote:Very welcome fulfilment of the Area of Focus "Water and Sanitation". As D1600 is home of Unesco-IHE we look forward to help making the partnership a succes!
At 11:18AM on 1 December 2011, MAC PURCELL wrote:This is the way forward, use the strengths of the 2 organisations to MAX the outputs. 1+1 in Rotary "speak" makes 4 every time. Great news
At 11:17AM on 1 December 2011, Jan Stuip wrote:Congratulations! We are looking forward to close cooperation wit Rotary WaterPlatForm (WPF) D1570 and others.
At 3:31PM on 29 November 2011, Henk Jaap Kloosterman wrote:Excellent news, and the start of something beautiful !!
