In celebrating Women’s Month, the CCID spoke to female leaders in government, business and civic society in the Central City. We published some of their comments in the Winter 2016 issue of City Views. Here is a Q&A with Erica Elk, executive director at the Cape Craft & Design Institute (CCDI). Stay tuned till the end of August to meet more wonder women of the Cape Town CBD.
What brought the CCDI to the CBD in the first place?
The CCDI was established in October 2001 and incubated at the then Cape Technikon [now CPUT] just up the road from where we are now in Harrington Street. We soon outgrew the space and support available on campus and this part of the CBD seemed a perfect place to relocate – accessible by taxi, train, car and foot. At the time, in 2006, there was early talk about the East City being redeveloped as a creative district. We found a nice small building and the rent was affordable. We’re an NPO and need to use our funds to deliver services, so we prefer to spend as little as possible on overheads. We also liked that it was – and still is – a “voetstoets” kind of neighbourhood in need of some TLC and a lick of paint, which means its real and leaves a lot of room for the imagination.
How long have you, personally, been doing this kind of work and why do you do it?
I have always been involved in development work in one way or another and have a profound belief that this country can be developed to meet all our expectations. Straight out of varsity in the early 1990s, I got immersed in the field of media and communications and the early days of “edutainment” in film, radio and TV. But I am an artist and when the opportunity arrived to establish the CCDI it seemed like a perfect confluence of all my skills – creativity, business, strategy, organisational design and social transformation. That was 15 years ago. It was a one-year contract with the potential of renewal for two more years. To be honest, I didn’t really think I’d be around this long. I get bored easily and I thrive on challenges, but luckily being the boss means that I’ve been able to build an organisation that is constantly seeking gaps and opportunities that can drive growth and development in our sector. I’m basically a “change agent” and very passionate about how we realise our potential as individuals and society.
What is the most challenging part of what you do?
Funnily enough for a director of an NPO, it’s not fundraising – although that is a continuous and relentless task. It’s managing my impatience and frustration at the pace of things, and balancing the management of the detail and minutiae of running an organisation while holding on to the big picture and big ideas of what is possible.
Craft and design has huge potential that is only starting to be realised. We have proved what is possible in Cape Town – 15 years of sustained and focused development in the sector from a range of important actors has made a very tangible impact. Now we need to scale that up! I often wish for the resources we need to go to scale – instead of this one step at a time approach – which has its value, because it means we are building a solid foundation, but still …
But now, instead of waiting to win the lottery, we are taking the future into our own hands and have developed a very exciting growth strategy for CCDI that involves generating funds and annuity income to support the work we do with SMMEs. We have established investment and procurement companies that will invest in the 5 000+ small businesses in our pipeline and open new avenues for trade. Most of the businesses we support are QSEs and EMEs; upwards of 60% are black- and/or female owned. There is enormous value here, as these businesses feed products and services into various supply chains: tourism and hospitality, retail, manufacturing, agriculture, fashion and accessories. They are also “lifestyle” small businesses – the owners aren’t going anywhere – they are living their passion and dreams so they are completely focused on making their businesses work. If each of those businesses just created one new job as an outcome of investment in their process and infrastructure and market expansion, that’s 3 000 new jobs. Imagine what we could achieve with strategic investment partnerships. Right now we are seeking forward-thinking corporate partners to work with us to make this happen.
What do you still want to see happen in the CBD that would assist your organisation?
Better transport and mobility solutions for people living outside of the CBD so they can get to work more easily and stay and play here for longer. More opportunities for emerging creative businesses to trade. Some rent-controlled spaces to allow people to create their value. More social and cultural events that build community across divides. More pedestrianised streets. Activated public spaces like the Grand Parade and the Station Concourse so we can linger there. The more people that are around in the streets for longer and later, the safer the streets will be. But at the same time we’ve all got to be vigilant to make sure we are building a place that caters for everyone. Every citizen of the metro should feel like the CBD is their work- and playground and be able to see possibilities where they are able to contribute and participate in life and activity. That right was taken away from a lot of people and we have to work especially hard to get it back.
What would you want the public to really understand about what it is you do?
We develop people and their businesses, and our speciality is working within the creative industries. We support business owners and entrepreneurs on their business journey and help them realise their potential. We love local and nurture it constantly!
What is it about the Cape Town CBD that you enjoy?
I love its scale, that I can walk to most of my meetings with City and Provincial departments and do some “window shopping” along the way. I love the fantastic interplay between the intrinsic heritage of the place and new contemporary interpretations and that people really treasure their physical spaces. I love the (almost) equality of small individual shops with a limited footprint of the big department stores and brand stores and that activity spills out into the streets. I always imagine there is something new somewhere that needs exploring, and I love the diversity and richness of the texture on the street. I also love the combination of shops and spaces that you can move from the mundane to the beautiful and the esoteric in a few strides, and from stores that have been there “forever” to ones that just opened yesterday.
On the downside, I get heartsore by the informal traders spilling onto the sidewalks, and struggling with their heavy trolleys through the streets at the end of the day. I really, really wish we could create more practical, functional and elegant trading spaces for them.
Outside of your work environment, what is your favourite place or spot in the CBD?
As I said earlier I get bored easily, so I have many favourites! Places I love to go include The Company’s Garden and a visit to the Iziko museums; a window-shopping wander down eclectic Long Street; some art at the AVA and surrounds in Church Street; coffee or a lunch date to test the newest chic arrival in Bree Street; dinner out at any of the great restaurants; or figuring out which coffee shops open the earliest so I can squeeze in another meeting with a visitor from out of town; an event at the City Hall or the Castle; the underground maze in the Golden Acre … the CBD is a treasure trove, especially for people like me who need new “favourites” pretty regularly!
What has been your best time in the CBD?
The Cape Town Festival in The Company’s Garden was a real treat this year because it was full of noisy, happy people enjoying the sun and the music and the museums. The free community jazz concert in Greenmarket Square is fantastic – it should happen once a month! Open Streets in Bree Street gets better each time. It should also happen every month, like First Thursdays, which has been incredible for the CBD. Infecting the City is probably one of the finest assets and it’s so sad it didn’t happen this year. And the City Hall is probably one of the most accessible and underutilised spaces we’ve got.
If you had a lunch hour free to yourself, how would you spend it in the CBD?
Protesting outside Parliament! Okay, seriously, if I had a lunch hour it would be snowing, so I guess I’d be inside somewhere with a fire and a whiskey. Oh, you said lunch hour; okay, with a fire and a steaming bowl of soup.
Cape Craft and Design Institute
2nd Floor, Harrington House, 37 Barrack St
www.ccdi.org.za
021 461 1488