That Potjie Party
Cooking on the Dancefloor
A piece, both short and sweet, by Saarah Anne Fletcher
A couple moons ago, a tight-knit group of females congregated at a house in Betty’s Bay for the weekend, where they threw their own ten-womxn techno party whilst a potjie bubbled away in the fireplace. They loved everything about it so much that they wanted to share it with the world. Stef used her initiative and collective to make it happen along with her That Eclectic partner-in-crime, Izabeau (bless their cotton socks).
Arriving at Goedverwachting Estate on a stunningly sunny Saturday afternoon in June, I was absolutely delighted. Think driving down a short but windy road before parking in a field and setting up your tent in the most luscious grass, before meandering down passed the little market where small businesses like Calamity Thrift, Cosmic Souls, Bambalam, and monI had set up shop. Upon reaching the dancefloor, you see an enormous fire pit — with a potjie pot so big it doesn’t even seem real — slow-cooking over the burning coals. There are smiling volunteers preparing vegetables, as well as those braving the heat of the fire and the task of stirring all five or so pots — a massive shoutout must be given to the multi-talented DJ Groove Cat who showed off the tightest transitions during her Sunday fun-day techno set, after being head-chef and feeding the entire party the evening before.There also actually somebody else who needs to be mentioned r.e. potjie; and that is fire-master Arno. Stef has described his contribution as “he was literally sweating balls in the name of our potjie”, and we are all so thankful. At the pallet-bar, Kayleigh’s gorgeous homemade kombucha, which is now functioning in collaboration with That Eclectic as That Booch, was on tap and was served as a mixer with either tequila or whiskey. Delicious!
Inspired by AfrikaBurn’s participatory principles, That Potjie Party was run by volunteers. A large part of what made the event as fantastic as it was, was the fact that every attendee had a hand in creating it, no matter how big or small their contribution may have been. Whether you were buying tokens from Stephanie herself, or being served glühwein from one of your closest friends, everybody seemed to know everybody somehow.
The line-up was a curated space within itself. The vision that Stef and Izabeau had for the party as a whole aligned perfectly with the artists they allocated for their time. During dinner, a live band took over from the beats which gradually moved on from groovy to filthy. Mellow tunes accompanied breakfast before stirring the festivities back up for a Sunday fun-day to remember.
There were collaborative collectives and artists who gave us the gift of experience, such as Tea Tank Alchemy who warmed up so much more than just your tummy with their process of intentional tea pouring. Alexa Robinson also created an interactive art installation called Ukama, which is a Shona word meaning ‘we are related’ or ‘we are family’.
“Move in the space that is yours, that is ours, take a moment to pause.” — Alexa Robinson
There was so much attention to detail, and everything was made and done with so much love, that all you could feel was love. Radical self-expression was encouraged, so it was the kind of space that made everybody feel safe, and happy, and at home.
If you’d like to relive the experience as best you can, give DJ Phanny’s set another listen, and make sure you have the volume turned up. DJ Groove Cat’s Sunday set was linked earlier, but in case you didn’t click on it because you were too engrossed in this article (can’t blame you), then here it is again. Blessings be upon Chef KD, who’s also been uploading some of his fire.
If you have any of your own thoughts about That Potjie Party that you’d like to share, whether they be photographic, vocal, written-word — anything! — then please don’t hesitate to contact us at thateclectic@gmail.com. We’re all very nice, and collaborations and community engagement make us very happy.
