South Africa, final reflections by David Whetstone

We have met actors, musicians, theatre personnel and writers who seem to appreciate the links with professionals in the North East who benefit from greater funding, support and opportunities than they have had up until now.

The Swallows philosophy, however, is about mutual benefit. This, they hope, will come from fruitful collaborations that will enrich our own culture in the North East. The theatre professionals on our trip, now scattered to the far corners of Eastern Cape, certainly seem to be revelling in the contacts they have been making.

For my part, I meet staff on the Port Elizabeth newspaper, The Herald. They already have a busy arts section but arts editor Leon Muston (an Aston Villa fan, would you believe?) sees potential in the Swallows story and phones Peter Stark after I leave their office.

Next year the World Cup finals in South Africa will coincide with a Swallows-initiated programme of work in the North East by Eastern Cape performers. Some sort of collaborative coverage between The Herald and The Journal would seem to make sense.

Bill Lancaster delivers his lecture about the history of Newcastle to an interested audience at the Port Elizabeth Opera House, the oldest operating Victorian theatre in the whole of Africa (opened in 1892). The managing editor of The Herald, Sicelo Fayo, attends, as do various arts and culture top brass.

To a select visual arts audience, Anna Pepperall tells the story of The Angel of the North. Public art is not prevalent in this part of the world but that will change if the Port Elizabeth Freedom Walk, linking the harbour with the Donkin Reserve, comes to pass.
Val McLane, actor, writer, director and general Geordie treasure, heads off for the small town of Cradock to meet elderly Xhosa women and hear their stories which are likely to find their way into a book.

We have been getting our bearings in Port Elizabeth, a town of many contrasting sights - the ramshackle shanty town of New Brighton culture-clashing with the pristine, American-style shopping and dining complex known as the Boardwalk, casino-owned.

I will return to the UK laden with gifts including fabulous craft work made by skilled practitioners across the country and, from a white-owned bygones store, something from a different era: a cricket book of 1955 recording the exploits of a South African Test team which toured Britain, conquered and met the Queen.

In Eastern Cape, 80% of the population is black African and just 9% white. In this antique shop relic, the team photos include no black faces. How could we ever have thought that was right?

My lightning visit nearly at an end, I will look back on myriad sights and strive to sift through a stew of emotions as I head back to the UK. This isn't an easy country to get your head round. Indeed, it is difficult to conceive of it as one country, geographically and conceptually. But it seems to be working.

South Africa has a new president, Jacob Zuma, and a gilt-edged opportunity (the World Cup finals of 2010) to present itself once again as the rainbow nation. But there is a lot of work to be done. Those 'born free' - that is, post-apartheid - are entering their late teens but for many of those who suffered under the demonised regime the wounds are still deep and will take a long time to heal.

Arts and culture can play a part in this and who's to say the Swallows Partnership won't also do its bit? It's an initiative with noble intentions which could reap rich rewards for us all.