Strauss & Co is a proud sponsor of the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees
The annual exhibition at the Oude Leeskamer forms the centrepiece of Strauss & Co’s diverse contributions to this vibrant arts festival in the Cape winelands, notably a benefit auction, music recital, fashion show and public talks.
About Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees
The Woordfees has its origin in 2000 as an all-night celebration of Afrikaans literature. And over the last 24 years, it has grown to one of the largest arts festivals in Africa with around 50 000 annual festival goers.
About Oude Leeskamer
The Oude Leeskamer is a cultural and heritage centre situated in a historic building on the corner of Dorp and Drostdy Street in Stellenbosch. This space has served various purposes in the Stellenbosch community over the years.
Since its founding in 1815, the building has been a magistrate’s office, an annex to the Moederkerk and annex to the Theological Seminary. It has also served as a home to various local book clubs and the then Union Debating Society. More recently it has been a private residency, a guesthouse and home to an architectural firm. Significantly, it was in this very building that the idea of schools for the town originated, which eventually led to the founding of Stellenbosch University.
In 2017 the Oude Leeskamer became the property of the Jannie Mouton Foundation. The building was remarkably restored to now host five unique spaces, namely Jannie se Leeskamer, an art gallery, a writer’s flat, De Eetkamer Restaurant, and the Jannie Mouton Foundation offices.
