OVERVIEW OF THE RAINBOW ACADEMY PROGRAMME

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1 The Rainbow Academy is School of Performing Arts and Business that runs a 1 to 2 year training and work placement programme in the Creative Industries for talented youth, age from the disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape. We seek to develop these individuals both professionally and personally through a structured education programme that equips students with the necessary business; life and academic skills that will successfully enable them to lead successful lives and develop sustainable incomes and careers within the Creative Arts industries. Each year students audition to participate in a full time training programme in music, dance, drama, business, life skills and related hospitality and tourism. Students are placed in jobs to hone their skills, gain experience, become employable and undergo exams with accredited qualifications at the end of the year. A 1/3 of our graduates have gone onto tertiary education, a 1/3 are currently employed or run their own businesses and a 1/3 are currently working as interns at The Rainbow Academy. AIM OF OUR PROGRAMME The Rainbow Academy aims to address the lack further education and employment for youth and the promotion of South African arts and culture. This is achieved through a unique model that develops the untapped talent in the City and leverages the employment opportunities arising from Cape Town being the tourist destination of choice. The Rainbow Academy is using this employment asset as a logical link to the performing arts and has identified the untapped performance talent as the entry point to address youth unemployment. OUR PROGRAMME: Focuses on education to enable employment with 60% entrepreneurship, 15% social, 15% community upliftment and 10% heritage &tourism. Is vibrant, diverse, relative, creative & portable. Is one year long and runs from February-November and structured to provide strong theoretical &practical training in music, heritage, drama, dance and musical theatre. Students learn new technical, writing &performance skills which they actively apply in commercial shows; productions; castings; interviews; performances and gigs each week. Compulsory courses& job placements in business, hospitality and tourism forms an integral part of the curriculum and enables students to develop new skills; enterprising opportunities and career pathways with access new networks, incomes & jobs. The year concludes with external exams and a graduation recital in November. Students are involved as performers, event planners and co-ordinators for professional shows/fundraisers/ events and gigs staged each year Students are involved as teachers; facilitators & performers in our Youth Outreach Programme consist of monthly visits, workshops & shows at schools and communities and free weekly music, drama, dance classes for Grade 8-12 learners. 1

2 OUR TARGET GROUP: The Academy has identified the untapped performance talent as the entry point to address youth unemployment. Students come from the former black and coloured townships of Atlantis, Paarl, Crossroads, Eerste Rivier, Grassy Park, Gugulethu, Mannenburg, Mitchell s Plain, Nyanga, Philippi, Retreat and Steenberg. Selection Criteria: Youth years Resident in disadvantaged communities with household incomes less than R60,000 per annum National senior certificate & academic skills necessary for further study (literacy, numeracy) Strong motivation to pursue a career Inability to access further education or employment Acceptable level of performance potential based on audition process and performance portfolio, x2 letters of recommendation OUR PROGRAMMES Each student completes 800 hours of individual, group and small group academic and practical training with examinations in the following subjects: 1. PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMME The Academy offers training in music, musical theatre, dance and drama. A student must specialise in one genre earning an accredited qualification and obtain proficiency in the other genres. Students achieve NQF Levels 4-6 qualifications in performing arts that enables them to pursue further education or employment in the performing arts industry. List of Music Subjects: Voice Piano Bass Guitar Drums Brass African Music The London Trinity College Syllabus is taught in Drama, Musical Theatre and Dance 2. THE BUSINESS PROGRAMME IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EKAPA BUSINESS PLACE The main goal of the business programme is for students to begin to think of themselves as a small business entity. Students decide on a business idea in the creative industries at the beginning of the year and complete their business plans under the mentorship and guidance of trained professionals. Training is both theoretical and practical and geared towards students achieving the necessary skills to embark on their business idea and plan once their year is completed. 2

3 Year 1 business modules include: 1. Job readiness program/career skills 2. Developing the business idea within creative industries/investigating the market 3. Foundational costing &pricing 4. Marketing for SMME S 5. Addressing the legalities 6. Financial 7. Governance 8. Practical application: Weekly Market Days/ In-house student events such as Vintage Sales, Shows, Concerts, fundraisers/ Internship 3. HOSPITALITY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL HOTEL SCHOOL Students are trained in hospitality as waiters and are placed in practical jobs at The Crypt, The Bantry Bay, The TAJ, etc. Modules covered include: Food and Beverage Skills New Business Development The Wine, Tourism & Travel Industry 4. LIFE SKILLS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CORNERSTONE COLLEGE: Students are provided with 1-1 counselling and life couching sessions each week. This module focuses on the personal development of the student emphasising ethical values, acquiring life skills, leadership development and developing a healthy self esteem and image. The course content is reinforced through the mentoring programme. LIST OF ANNUAL EVENTS The Cape Town Show (November) The Sounds Fringe Festival (March) March Freedom Day Performance April Vintage Sale (Student event) May Golf Day June Youth Day Special performance and fundraising drive July Madiba Month Special Performance and Winter Drive with the CCID August Women s Day Special Performance and Raffle or other fundraising drive September Heritage Day Performance 3

4 October Student exams OVERVIEW OF THE RAINBOW ACADEMY PROGRAMME October Schools and Community Recruitment Drive for new intake of students November Vintage Sale (Student Event) November Gala Dinner and Graduation December Christmas Drive (A community drive to collect Christmas gifts for the children at Red Cross Hospital) December-February (Planning period for Organization but also ideal team for student shows and events) MONTHLY ACTIVITIES Monthly publication of our newsletter Board meetings and reports Monthly fundraising initiatives (various in-house donation drives are set-up with appeals to the public to get involved and become volunteers) Student shows and events Corporate shows and performances (bookings) Various community performances at Old Age homes, Shelters, etc Term exam week & assessments Music, Performance, Leadership workshops open to the public Ad-hoc various special events with our sponsors and programme partners WEEKLY ACTIVITIES: Classes run Monday-Friday, 9-4pm for students Wednesdays: Performers Class: Weekly performance slot where students perform live for the public in a concert setting. Thursdays: Weekly running of our recycled arts &crafts table at the St. Georges Earth Fooid Fair Market Fridays: Leadership workshop open to the public Weekly Music Gigs: Students perform each week at various hotels and live music venues. We have a weekly gig guide available. 4

5 Sponsors: Old Mutual (2010 Eurocape ( ) Distell ( ) OVERVIEW OF THE RAINBOW ACADEMY PROGRAMME SPONSORS AND PROGRAMME PARTNERS SAMRO FOUNDATION (2014) and Pick n Pay (2014) Programme Partners: Trinity London College ( Performing Arts programme) and Rock School ( music) The Business Place Ekapa (2014 Business Programme), Cape Town International Hotel School (2014 Hospitality Programme) Cornerstone College (2014 Leadership Training, Personal Management Skills & Life skills). Three Cities Hospitality, CCID, DEDAT. Our work is supported by: The Bantry Bay Hotel,The TAJ Hotel, The Crypt, Distell (Job Placements, live music gigs, help with events/fundraisers) XGEN (Office equipment, Staff support, Mentoring, Financial &Legal in kind) Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel (Website, Teaching equipment & space, fundraising in kind) Ogilvy (Design, Print, Media, Sponsorship Drive Campaigns in kind) Active Ice (Social media), The Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Various TV, Press and Radio coverage in kind (SABC, 48 hours, Expresso, The Argus, Independent News House, CCFM etc) in kind. Our own income generation activities include activities such as student shows and performances, special events such as vintage sales, raffles, donation boxes, selling T-shirts and our student made arts and crafts, annual golf days and fundraising dinners and volunteer labour to reduce operational cost. 5