Along the Way is a book inspired by Doung Anwar Jahangeer‘s CityWalk. In December 2007 a call went out to Durban’s creative community inviting proposals for an upcoming art festival, Cascoland. Under the theme of “mobility,” the festival was to take place along a specified route with the aim of interaction with public space. As we walked the city it became apparent that the route was less about the buildings, walls and roads;the traditional infrastructure of the city;and more about the people we met along the way. We decided to focus on these people, to celebrate their lives in some small way.
With only a few short weeks to complete this project, we immersed ourselves in the community: walking the streets and talking to anyone and everyone. People with fascinating stories;that they were happy to share;inhabited the route. The key to this wealth of insight was simply a smile and a friendly “hello.”
The notion of mobility suggests something fleeting and personal; a journey is only ever a series of fragmented moments, of sights, smells and sensations. Likewise, this little book is nothing more than a subjective snapshot;a glimpse into just ten of the three-and-a-half million interwoven worlds that make up our city. Creating it has given us a greater understanding of this city we call home. We hope this experience is shared with our readers.
