Singing for the climate – the community choir and Social Impact Arts Prize winners Tears Become Rain

Launched by the non-profit Rupert Art Foundation, Social Impact Arts Prize is an exciting new South African art prize that describes itself as “in search of world-changing ideas”. 

Unlike many established art competitions that focus specifically on fine art or a singular artist, this innovative new prize aims to reward arts-based projects and programmes that work in or across the spheres of education, employment, community, environment, technology and the arts and which creates a direct and measurable effect on individuals and communities.

The Social Impact Arts Prize winner will see their proposed site-specific arts-based activity, project or programme, brought to life in and around the town of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape.

This year, not one but three winners have been awarded the 2020 Social Impact Arts Prize, including artist David Brits and music producer and composer Raiven Hansmann for their choir project, Tears Become Rain.

A community statement about the climate crisis

Tears Become Rain is a mass choir programme and a community statement about the climate crisis that has placed water-scarce Graaff-Reinet’s future in peril, envisaged by artist David Brits and music producer and composer Raiven Hansmann. The creation of the choir, and the unique piece which the choir will premiere, aims to instill hope and unite a diverse community by singing together for rain while also educating about water conservation. 

Drawing on the region’s rich choral history and ancient San history, Tears Become Rain is a story that follows the journey of a young San boy in a time of great drought. Crying, his tears of grief turn into rain and restore abundance to the world.  

Find out more about Social Impact Arts Prize at socialimpactartsprize.org

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