What was everyday life like for Bloemfontein’s black people under apartheid? For young people, especially those born after 1994, it will be hard to imagine life under apartheid laws and regulations. Many elderly black residents of Bloemfontein’s old townships, especially Batho and Bochabela, still have vivid but unpleasant and often traumatic memories of a time in their lives when they were subjected to apartheid discrimination.

The National Museum is celebrating Youth Month 2023 with an array of activities. The Museum’s launched its annual Free State Young Artists Competition. Temporary exhibitions were on display at both National Museum and Oliewenhuis Art Museum.

The National Museum participated in the Youth Career Expo in Creative Industries which was held at PACOFS on 15 June 2023. Learners from schools in Mangaung and out of school youth participated in the career day. They had the opportunity to learn about different career opportunities within creative industries.

On 19 May, the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, opened the South African pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in Italy. Among the exhibits is a replica of an engraved rock from the Rock Art Collection of the National Museum, Bloemfontein.

Image: Minister Zizi Kodwa signs with Dr Edwin Mohatlane (deputy chair) and Sharon Snell (CEO) of the National Museum

The National Museum attended a meeting with new minister, Zizi Kodwa at Artscape in Cape Town on 2 June 2023.  The minister signed the Shareholder Compact with the National Museum. The Shareholders Compact is a Memorandum of Understanding between the DSAC and the National Museum which sets out what is expected between both parties in terms of the planned deliverables for Financial Year 2023/24.