the exhibitionToday is the last opportunity you have to check out the superb Kevin Factor: Painting the Town Green exhibition at Studio Bela in Morningside. Factor is a self-taught artist and photographer with a passion for all things green, and his art showcases the beauty to be found not only in natural settings, but also in the sprawling cityscapes of South Africa. The exhibition boasts vast canvases flaunting the skylines of Johannesburg and Cape Town set against vibrant, ethereal skies; bizarrely beautiful organic close-ups; and rambling snapshots capturing exquisite natural scenes.

The opening night of the exhibition was hosted by local celeb Dali Tambo, who is on the board of directors of the eco-friendly social enterprise, Food and Trees for Africa. A silent auction of one of Factor’s lovely framed canvases was held on the evening, with proceeds going to this fantastic organisation. The event was centred on embracing a more sustainable lifestyle, with Factor himself sharing a little about his everyday life in an off-the-grid community just outside of Knysna. I found it truly inspiring to learn that his expansive canvases are printed using solar power!

The exhibition itself spills informally...

I went into Awakening the Dreamer completely blind. Which, I suppose, is a good thing, considering the point of the half-day symposium is to ‘unblind’ and create awareness. I’d received an email recommending the workshop, which is an initiative of The Pachamama Alliance (a non-profit organisation based in the States), but I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from a course aiming to “change the dream of the modern world”.

Upon arrival I realised that I wasn’t the only newbie attending, as the symposium was one of the first of its kind to be held in South Africa. After milling around the coffee table for a while, we were ushered into a cosy conference venue, where we were greeted by our facilitator, Tracy-Kim.

She explained that the aim of the Awakening the Dreamer initiative is to “bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just human presence on this planet”. I found this approach to the many problems facing us today to be particularly refreshing, as it acknowledges that environmental, social and spiritual issues are all intrinsically linked and should be treated as such.

fourways garden pavillion green marketSaturday proved to be the perfect day for the launch of the Fourways Garden Pavilion Green Market in Johannesburg, as a week of torrential rain finally gave way to some sunshine.

After struggling to find parking in the busy Leaping Frog Centre, I was greeted by a wonderful, bustling little produce market in the nursery, with stalls selling all sorts of delicious goodies. This was the first market of its kind that I’ve been to in Jo’burg, and I found it to be an incredibly relaxing little slice of all things natural in the middle of the busy city.

The organisers wanted to keep things simple for the launch, but the variety of things on sale was very effective. There was a stall selling a wide variety of organic veggies grown on a nearby farm in Fourways, and a baked goods stall providing a host of delicious breads, croissants, brownies and other treats, which I’m told can be ordered in wheat- and gluten-free varieties.

Although it was Saturday, I pulled into Wits University with a lot more enthusiasm than I usually do. Having never attended a "green" gathering before, I was bubbling with excitement at the prospect of attending One Struggle, a one day event addressing an eclectic range of ethical and environmental issues.

On arrival at the Origins Centre, I was greeted by the sounds of live act UFO, a Green Africa Collective, and tables heavily laden with delicious vegan treats. The corridor leading to the conference venue was flanked by numerous display tables hosted by the Anti-Privatisation Forum, People Opposing Women Abuse, Beauty Without Cruelty, Earthlife Africa, and Food and Trees for Africa, among others.

First on the agenda was the anticipated launch of Animal Rights Africa, an amalgam of the Justice for Animals, Xwe African Wild Life and South Africans for the Abolition of Vivisection organisations. This was immediately followed by an address by Dr Steve Best, an internationally acclaimed philosopher and activist.