Johannesburg, 9 June 2016. In celebration of Youth Month, The Ichikowitz Family Foundation launches the next phase of their #IAMCONSTITUTION campaign for high school learners with innovative workshops and performances using the thrilling urban music genre of Beat Boxing. The campaign is combining education with entertainment to offer youth a unique interactive opportunity to engage with the Constitution through contemporary creative arts.

Continuing the Foundation’s long history of innovation, Chairman Ivor Ichikowitz commissions urban music practitioner, Jean Kitenge, to create Constitution themed workshops for learners using the musical art form of Beat Boxing. Jean Kitenge’s urban sound of vocal gymnastics and machine like precision supports the roll out of The Foundation’s initiatives in the education sector in partnership with Constitution Hill. The expansive campaign created by The Foundation aims to reach all corners of South Africa, to promote the values and benefits of the Constitution by encouraging interaction and dialogue among all who live in South Africa.

To kick-start the series of Beat Box experiences, The Foundation partners with Joburg’s City Sightseeing Red Bus for a journey conducted by Beat Boxer Master of Ceremonies, Jean Kitenge and his dramatic audio commentary. Joining this Youth Month adventure with #IAMCONSTITUTION will be learners from Chief Albert Luthuli Primary and High Schools in Daveyton. These learners shine with their own Constitution themed extra-curricular programmes and will enjoy a special Beat Box performance and workshop with Jean Kitenge at Constitution Hill following the Red Bus tour.

As part of the #IamConstitution Beat Box experience, the Luthuli Primary School learners will showcase a short extract of their theatre piece about Chief Albert Luthuli, inspired by IT’S A FINE LINE permanent exhibition at the Old Fort prison cells. The exchange of Jean Kitenge’s Beat Box urban music with song and dance by Luthuli School learners, highlights the strength of future generations to engage in dialogue no matter what their age.

The Ichikowitz Family Foundation Chairman, Ivor Ichikowitz: “The Constitution is a roadmap for our nation, and in a multicultural country like ours, it is our most precious asset. We have a duty to protect it for the future of our youth. Our Foundation asks South Africans to review the dreams and hopes of all those who have gone before, to look at our Constitution and determine how far we have come and what we can do to support its values for future generations. We do this by working with those making a difference, those playing their part to promote active citizenship and to continually innovate new ways to engage with our heritage and Constitution.” 

This Youth Month event and journey through City of Joburg forms part of the #IAMCONSTITUTION campaign, a national campaign encouraging citizens to read, embrace and live the Constitution, to celebrate the achievements of South Africa and constructively confront challenges to reach the country’s fullest potential.

Wednesday 15 June sees the first of #IAMCONSTITUTION Beat Box education experiences in an event that whisks away school learners on a new adventure with Joburg Tourism’s City Sightseeing Red Bus. The learners will tour, for the first time, some of Joburg’s renowned heritage sites, revealing their city and history while learning about the #IAMCONSTITUTION multi-media campaign.