The legacy of property mogul Pam Golding was honoured at the official launch of The Pam Golding Theatre at The Baxter.
The main theatre was named after Pam Golding Properties’ late founder and life president, last Wednesday May 11, as part of the company’s five-year sponsorship of the theatre.
Speaking during the unveiling of a plaque, Dr Andrew Golding, chief executive of the Pam Golding Property group, said: “As a patron of the arts, Pam was a lifelong fan of The Baxter Theatre, which opened its doors in 1977, just a year after Pam founded Pam Golding Properties right here in the southern suburbs.
“I cannot think of a more fitting way to honour her legacy and one of her great passions than to link her name to a theatre that she loved to attend and watched grow over so many decades.”
Baxter CEO and artistic director Lara Foot, said: “For some time, The Baxter has been looking for partners in the corporate and private sector who would invest in our vision. No theatre of this size can flourish without sponsorship and funding.
“We believe that a healthy theatre community ultimately leads to a healthier, more conscious society. It is the job and calling of any worthy actor to connect with the audience members through the telling of a story, and when that individual audience member is connected, so is the person to the left and right of them and this makes for an understanding and a sense of togetherness – a universal belonging.”
The launch of The Pam Golding Theatre was celebrated with a special performance by Marc Lottering, with his latest show, Uncle Marc, which runs until Saturday May 28.
The Baxter Theatre Centre came into being in 1977, as the result of a bequest from the late Dr W Duncan Baxter who bequeathed an amount of money to the UCT for the purpose of establishing a theatre, which would, in his words, “develop and cultivate the arts in Cape Town and the adjacent districts”.
During the apartheid era, and exploiting its strong relationship with UCT, the theatre was able to present multiracial, progressive work at a time when all other non-racial interactivity was banned or censored.
Over the years, the theatre hub has continued to provide a stage for all types of professional entertainment, including drama, music dance, comedy, opera and intimate theatre.