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There’s a new space in the east of Joburg that’s giving artists free stalls and studios in which to create and sell their works. Phumlani S Langa checks out Victoria Yards.
The eastern side of Joburg is arguably the home of gentrification in Gauteng.
A few years ago, the Maboneng Precinct popped up and expanded at a fairly rapid pace, but not without some resistance. The idea of breathing new life into a run-down part of the city seems like a good one, but the execution of this plan has invariably resulted in the displacement of people who were already there.
Just months after the newly gentrified area opens, hipsters from the northern suburbs flock in and do their best to seem like locals, even though they would need an escort to venture to the blocks that haven’t been Beyoncéd just yet. It is the east side, after all, and, love it as I may, you can get your stuff taken from you mad fast.
With this in mind, I take some friends to Victoria Yards for the area’s first Sunday market.
This whole “first Thursday of the month”, “first Sunday” thing is another characteristic of upscaling an area. Another telltale sign involves foreigners and the requisite peloton of bicycles and guided tours through the areas that surround the hipster hang-out. The area around Victoria Yards, Lorentzville – more commonly referred to as Bertrams or the Valley – is rough, to say the least. I’m not exactly sure what you’re riding around looking at, but okay.
Brian Green is the lead developer and part owner of the Yards.
He says: “I was introduced to the site in 2016 and work began in October that year. When I saw it for the first time and where it was situated, I thought that it had to be knitted with the community so that we could benefit from each other’s presence. We planted vegetables and fruit trees. We looked for artisans, carpenters, welders, metal workers, artists and the like.”
Originally, the buildings housed a massive laundry, but they degenerated over time and became a mass of unregulated chop shops and other businesses associated with cars.
“When I got to site, there was a lot of unoccupied space and that is where we began,” Green says.
“The non-ideal tenants we had were all on month-to-month leases and were given at least six months to find new workshops. Some of the tenants who were here in the beginning, like Norris the carpenter, Long Distance Taxis and Rasta the panel beater, are still with us and have been moved to the unrenovated portion of the site.”
The vibe on Sunday is chilled. A slightly older crowd of liberals and creatives sip on craft beer, while my friends and I check out a really worthwhile fish and chips joint and peruse the complex. We find we can try out some denim at Tshepo the JeanMaker, or buy some really fly-looking water features.
A few nights ago, this venue hosted the Alchemy Music Festival, which saw Top Dawg Entertainment’s SiR from Los Angeles perform. I was curious to see how a more urban and younger crowd would take to this venue. As it turns out, it made for a lovely evening. The area was lit up gorgeously, and all in attendance were dressed with the flair and expression you would see on the strip in Braamfontein (but with the decorum of folks who have jobs).
A certain cider was the sponsor for the night and their cocktails had me swaying through the alleys in the Victoria Yards, where I stumbled into two gents in a studio. They were also a bit gone off that cider cocktail and we had a boisterous chat about the Yards.
“This is the Makers Valley. It’s going to be like Silicon Valley in the US. Anyone making things in the east is here. Brian Green and the owners gave us this space for free, homie,” they tell me enthusiastically.
Green says: “The Makers Valley came about with the inception of the VY Commons, an office that volunteers, and where Makers Valley director Tumi Moroeng and Simon Mayson [who is studying his doctorate in active urban changemaking] operate from. We offered it to them [the Makers Valley Collective] at no charge and have arranged sponsored Wi-Fi, which has not been installed as yet. As this office gains momentum and interest, the valley gets ever more involved. Yes, it is certainly spreading.”
It occurs to me that Green is not particularly concerned about what kind of creation is happening, as long as it is happening.
One of the guys, Lazzie the last man standing, started out doing his special brand of performance art on stilts.
“It’s an open space for people looking to change the valley,” Lazzie tells me. “I’m from here, man, and to have this place with other like-minded people is going to put the east side on the map.”
