(Caroline and Pauline
get stuck into crocheting squares for 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day)
Some 19 years ago, a young lady called Pauline Dalais who I had become friends with at Tape Aids for the Blind whenever I went in to read, decided that she would like to come and work for me and artSMart.
And so began a fantastic relationship – apart from being a hugely loyal and supportive friend, she is hardworking, ever full of ideas and gradually building her own arts organisation working with youth in Newlands East.
Pauline worked for a number of years with my late husband, Peter Gardner, in his casting business at Troubadour Productions.
Here are some other processes we've been involved in together along the journey:
D’ARTS magazine eventually morphing into artSMart
Lotus FM radio drama
Stage productions at Stable Theatre
Local film industry
67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day
Essenwood Craft Market artSMart stand
Grahamstown and Hilton arts festivals
Pauline says: “Catapulting into the arts industry by accident was a blessing.
Caroline has mentored me into understanding the world of the arts and how a
production unfolds from conception to fruition. I believe that one never
chooses the arts, the arts choose you. This knowledge has been invaluable in my
work with ASSITEJ.”