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Wild Fire : The House on Fire Gallery walls mirror the Sacred Coral Tree's red blossoms. Golden columns and medieval wooden gates made by Larry le Roux create the grand entrance. -
Wild Fire : The Bell Tower and ramparts mark the main entrance to the Afro- Shakespearean Globe Amphitheatre. The structure is carved from locally sourced soapstone and adorned with tiles designed by ceramist Monique Wilson from Piggs Peak. -
Wild Fire : Sculptures, lights and furniture made on site by the Artists' Studio are sold in The Gallery. -
Wild Fire : Totems in the Sculpture Garden look out over the Crop Circle Arena and Mandela's Farm. -
Wild Fire : Whirling Dervish wall light by the Artist' Studio. -
Wild Fire : The ever-evolving Blue Minaret Tower situated in the Soapstone Piazza. -
Wild Fire : Beehive huts, concrete rhinos and the indigenous botanical gardens adjacent to the Malandela's B&B. -
Wild Fire : Recycled Palette Chair, designed and produced by Bart-Jan Hooft, stands on the Bushfire SuperStage, the main stage for the annual Bushfire Festival. -
Wild Fire : House on Fire's Artistic Director, Jiggs Thorne, seated on the Ring Finger Throne in The Gallery.
PHOTOS: Adriaan Louw | PRODUCTION: Klara van Wyngaarden | WORDS: Jiggs Thorne
House on Fire in Swaziland is an entertainment venue, studio, design hub and gallery all in one. Co-owner Jiggs Thorne explains the thinking behind the project.
House on Fire was dreamed up long before it became a reality.
I remember that there was an innate knowing at an early age that I wanted to build a creative space on the farm, which my parents, Jenny and Pete, had established while my brothers, Sholto, Roland, and I were growing up. The physical construction is now celebrating its 10th year but the concept has been growing for nearly 20 years.
While living in Johannesburg following my degree (in Politics and Drama), I started working with roadside carvers and realised we needed to build a platform to inspire the arts in Swaziland. That was the start of designing the “fantasyscape” of House on Fire, which is now recognised as a world-class performance venue.
Swaziland has such a traditional history and an extraordinarily rich, living culture. House on Fire is a meeting point where cultures collide, and the hybrids that result generate a new kind of existence. In keeping with this philosophy, we also put together an eclectic programme that attracts a diverse audience. We pride ourselves on being able to bring different people together.
An outlet of expression
This is an ever-evolving space – an outlet of expression, feeling and creativity. The Artists’ Studio’s team of sculptors, Shadrack Masuku, Phuzu Mtshali and Noah Mdluli, work closely with me to add new elements every day.
The sculpture project has been a huge catalyst for the architecture of the building. This comes through the expression of materials, predominantly soapstone and locally sourced alien woods, and how they manifest in the structural space.
Humour and words, which stem from my love of performance poetry and theatre, are reflected in the venue. Inspiration comes from all over – The Rock Garden of Chandigarh and Helen Martin’s Owl House are big influences.
House on Fire is currently a more formal structure because we have to incorporate certain functionalities. Hopefully the ideas will be allowed to express themselves more freely in the future I would like to see this develop into a creative community for Swaziland – a think-tank that encourages artistic growth.
The project has a richness to offer the rest of the world – given the opportunity and the support, the most special things can happen.
• House on Fire: +268 528 2110, cell +268 7617 9115, info@house-on-fire.com, www.house-on-fire.com
• Malandela’s B&B: +268 528 3448, bookings@malandelas.com (Rates: R300 per person, R400 for two people sharing per night)
