Reddam House Durbanville has opened a new creative and performing arts facility. The addition gives students access to specialist spaces and technology for music, drama, dance, art and digital production.

Designed by The Architectural Cubicle and built by Remey Construction, the facility was conceived as a dedicated home for the school’s creative and performing arts. The original plans included an art studio, dance and drama spaces, music pods and classrooms. As the project developed, a small theatre and green screen facility were added.

A cultural home for the performing arts

Barry Nieuwoudt, Executive Head of Reddam House Durbanville, says the completed building gives the performing arts a stronger identity within the school.

‘It has become a genuine cultural home for the performing arts. It’s not simply a building where classes take place. It’s a space that students can regard as their own and a home base for the creative side of school life.’

Specialist spaces and technology

Students from Grade 7 to Grade 12 will use the facilities during the school day. In the afternoons, the school’s cultural clubs – including the Reddam House Dance Academy – will use them too.

The performance spaces feature specialised sound and lighting systems. In addition, the music facilities include new instruments and technology supporting both traditional performance and contemporary digital music-making. Apple TV technology throughout the building lets students and teachers share work wirelessly. Furthermore, the green screen room supports film and video production.

Arts at the heart of a well-rounded education

Nieuwoudt says the investment shows how seriously Reddam House Durbanville takes the performing and creative arts. The school treats them as part of a well-rounded education.

‘The arts are not an add-on to what we regard as the “real” education of a child. They are an important part of it. That is why we have invested in proper spaces, equipment and opportunities that allow students to take their creative work seriously,’ he says.

Drama and Public Speaking are compulsory at Reddam House Durbanville until the end of Grade 9. Students can continue these subjects in the senior grades. Nieuwoudt says the new performance spaces give students practical experience of speaking and performing in front of an audience. They will use the sound, lighting and other technical elements of a theatre environment.

Confidence and communication are not skills that should be left to the naturally outgoing students to develop,’ he says. ‘Whether it is a job interview, a presentation, a difficult conversation or simply being able to advocate for yourself, being able to speak clearly, think on your feet and communicate with confidence will matter throughout life.’

New opportunities for performance and production

The facility also creates opportunities that were not previously possible at the school. The small theatre will allow for more frequent productions and showcases without requiring the school’s main hall. Meanwhile, the green screen facility makes student-produced short films, digital projects and multimedia work possible. The music pods provide dedicated spaces for composition, recording, ensemble work and smaller performances.

The school plans to use the facilities to bring students from its three Western Cape Reddam House schools – Durbanville, Constantia and Atlantic Seaboard – together for larger collaborative productions. Opportunities to involve professional artists, musicians and performers through workshops and selected events will also be explored where these directly enhance students’ learning and exposure to their respective industries.

Human skills in an age of artificial intelligence

Nieuwoudt believes the human skills developed through the creative and performing arts are becoming more, rather than less, important as artificial intelligence changes education and the workplace.

‘As AI takes on more routine and technical tasks, qualities such as originality, adaptability, empathy, critical thinking and the ability to communicate effectively will become increasingly important. Crucially the performing arts give students repeated opportunities to practise those skills – to take creative risks, work with other people, solve problems and put ideas into action,’ he says.