Embocraft is a little gem tucked away in Botha’s Hill, writes Garth Johnstone. Go see for yourself.
If you’ve ever driven past the Embocraft sign and wondered what it was all about, wonder no more. On a recent visit I found plenty of inspiration and lots of affordable arts and crafts on sale.
The training centre’s shop is the perfect place to stock up on gift items for friends, for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, Christmas, whatever the occasion. It’s full of interesting knick knacks like knitted dolls, elaborate beaded key rings, pens with a difference, stained cloth materials with elaborate designs, beautiful original gift cards with Zulu designs, beaded pots with traditional motifs and a range of dyed T-shirts reflecting local culture.
It’s also satisfying to reflect that any money spent goes towards a worthy cause . . . the upliftment of the local artists who come to the centre to improve their skills and increase their chances of securing work or one day starting their own business.
Training courses
Embocraft, which has been around for about 20 years, runs a number of different training courses: basic sewing; textile craft, in which the artists mostly learn how to produce a unique product; and business training. Many of those from the Embo and KwaNyuswa Valleys who come to Embocraft, learn a single skill such as sewing to help generate some form of income. Others, however, progress through the courses and at the end of the day are able to produce a product and learn key skills like production and marketing, taking into account factors such as the pricing of materials and cost of marketing. The centre has a computer and business training centre where courses are held.
A fairly new initiative, which centre manager Beryl Tonkin hopes will generate capital and launch the careers of some of the talented artists working at the centre, is the “Indabuko” art project run by Margarida Vidal Beneito. “Indabuko” means “origins” and, under the guidance of Barcelona born volunteer Margarida, the artists involved are producing stunning designs and learning the necessary skills to produce a beautiful range of printed items.
“I have tried to get the artists to think about what they are saying through their work, what message they are trying to convey,” says Margarida. “They are comfortable and motivated to pass on the story of their culture and heritage and most of the designs reflect this.”
The plan is for all the artwork, dyeing and screen printing to be done by the artists themselves, thus improving their skills base. Every effort is made to source materials locally and develop production processes that do not harm the environment.
Products such as bags, cards and shirts have been individually hand stained and dyed with: iron oxide rich soil from the Embo region, black tea, rooibos tea, plant leaves and bark from invasive eucalyptus and wattle trees; flour resistant and water based inks and natural whites.
Over time the dyes fade to a pleasant buckskin colour. Each product in the range is signed and reflects part of the Zulu heritage as seen through the eyes of the artist.
Funding for Embocraft training programmes comes from the National Lottery and various corporate companies. The Embocraft Training Centre Trust is always looking for help from sponsors and volunteers.
Contact: 031 765 3697
E-mail: embocraft@telkomsa.net
Web: www.embocraft.co.za