What is The Stone Circle Project?

The Stone Circle Project is a site-specific public sculpture installation, situated in and around an outdoor amphitheatre in the gardens of the Royal Hotel in Riebeek Kasteel, overlooking the iconic Kasteelberg mountain in the Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa. The amphitheatre is known as the Royal Arts Town Amphitheatre (RATA) and is the venue for a Summer season of outdoor theatre performances in the Riebeek Valley, spearheaded by The Olive Branch Project.

As the first of a series of sculptural projects in the Revive! Public Sculpture Project, The Stone Circle Project was commissioned by Arts Town Riebeek Valley to attract visitors to RATA and the Riebeek Valley. Additionally, the stone circles in the amphitheatre were designed and carefully placed in their setting to serve as social distancing devices in the time of Covid-19. The goals of the project are to uplift and transcend audiences and viewers, to foster community involvement in the visual arts and to transfer art related skills to a young generation.

The project was conceived and conceptualized by local resident and visual artist Emma Willemse during the Covid-19 lockdown period in 2020. In manifesting the project, she collaborated with The Arteri, a collective of young creatives in the Riebeek Valley.

The Stone Circle Project consists of two components, namely the Boat Circle and the Amphi Circle sculptural installations. The placement of both components can be seen in the aerial view on the left.

Left: The Stone Circle Project (2020). Aerial view at The Royal Hotel, Riebeek Kasteel, western Cape, South Africa.