—-- PARTNERSHIP

The Foundation is a self-funded not for profit Section 21 organization. We cover all of our own running costs.

We partner with tried, trusted and well experienced organizations by funding projects pertaining to youth development.

We target youth development at all ages, and are currently engaged in two major projects:

Young adult development: drama and theatre classes with Circle Productions based at two schools in the Southern Peninsula
Tertiary education: Fondazione Labia is the official partner of Università Bocconi for recruiting recipients of the Count Luccio Labia Bursary. This is a fully funded undergraduate degree for an underprivileged South African student to attend Bocconi in Milan, Italy.

—-- OUR CURRENT PARTNERS INCLUDE

Università Bocconi, Milan, Italy: Founded in 1902, Bocconi is a private, not-for-profit research university. It was the first university in Italy to grant a degree in economics, and is currently ranked as a top 5 university in Europe and top 20 globally for social sciences, economics, accounting, finance and business studies.

Circle Productions – Drama Enrichment Programmes for Schools The art of theatre making has many rewards and in disadvantaged communities where learners may not have the same chance to enjoy performance or receive the applause, programmes like this are particularly valuable. The reward of entertaining peers, parents, teachers, and the theatre loving public knows no bounds.
In 2019 Coleen and Celia introduced drama skills training twice weekly for the learners of Westlake Primary School. With the generous sponsorship of Fondazione Labia, they were able to share their passion, knowledge, and joy with the learners. The progressive lessons taught by them included basic stagecraft, mime, character, and vocal work and culminated in a showcase performance at their school.
The contrast between the initially shy learners, and the confident and joyful performers who entertained their parents, teachers, and management of Casa Labia, was tangible and extremely rewarding.
Through the generosity again of the Fondazione Labia, Circle Productions registered Westlake Primary School to take part in the 2021 Shakespeare Schools Festival. The chosen piece was ‘Julius Caesar’, and the Westlake Primary learners got to learn about some Roman history while enjoying the freedom of adding local flavour to this Shakespearean classic. This tradition has continued for over 2 years, and the Westlake students look forward to participating in this Festival each year.

The sense of achievement and joy that these children take away from this experience is priceless.

Coleen and Celia are once again looking forward to new projects in 2023/4 and giving back what they have gained from their many years in community theatre and the programmes and productions they have run and directed since 2016.

Our Projects

On the 22 May 2021 18 learners from Westlake Primary took to the stage of the Artscape Theatre Centre, Cape Town as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival 2021. These young learners ranged in age from 11 to 13 and had spent the last three months attending part time drama skills sessions at their school. Westlake Primary is a forward-thinking school doing wonderful work with its learners. The Fondazione Labia, having worked with Circle Productions in 2019, partnered again with Circle Productions this year, to give the learners an unforgettable theatre experience. They enjoyed a fun filled drama programme that taught them basic acting skills and theatre etiquette while preparing them, at the same time, for a performance of an adapted version of Julius Caesar. The production was designed to best work within the Covid-19 restrictions and at the same time highlighted all the learners’ skills, be it dance, dialogue, or chorus work. Added to that was the absolute joy of performance on a professional stage with costumes, lights, and sound. Both Fondazione Labia and Circle Productions are committed to bringing the arts to children who don’t normally have access and the Foundation supports both visual and performing arts.

Bocconi-Labia partnership

Fondazione Labia is the official partner of Università Bocconi for recruiting recipients of the Count Luccio Labia Bursary, which affords 3-5 underprivileged African students a year the opportunity to attend Bocconi in Milan, Italy. The programme includes a fully funded undergraduate degree for students who are recruited from schools all over South Africa. This is a unique program of fostering links between the youth of Italy and Africa. The Fondazione intends to maintain this worthwhile partnership for many years to come and hopes to provide many brilliant students with this opportunity of a lifetime.

Meet our first ever recipients of the count luccio labia bursary (2023):

We asked our students to write up a short paragraph about themselves, what this bursary means to them and what they are most looking forward to in attending this world-class university. This is what they had to say:

I am a girl from Heathfield, a middle-class coloured neighbourhood in Cape Town, South Africa and I have been awarded the opportunity to study in Milan, Italy at Bocconi University. One of the top private universities in Italy that promotes inclusivity and emphasises community and human connection. An opportunity that feels utterly out of reach until it isn’t. An opportunity to seek out new challenges, make lifelong friends from different countries around the world, develop new interests and a global mindset. I am excited for a new adventure everyday, to contribute positively, to boost my language skills and study amongst like-minded individuals that embrace the opportunities that come with globalisation. But most importantly I am excited to understand different cultures and perspectives, to become more culturally aware, whilst developing highly valued and transferable skills such as problem-solving and adapting. By accepting the Bocconi-Labia Scholarship, I accept the challenges and successes that come along when someone is determined to better themselves. - Kayla Wyngaard (pictured left)

I was born and raised in South Africa in a suburb named Mitchell’s Plain. I attended Westerford High School and matriculated in 2022. I enjoy experiencing the beauty of our world through various different ways, wether it be hiking, going on walks with friends or various other activities. I am extremely excited for the opportunity I have been presented with. Not only is it the biggest challenge I will have ever experienced - a fact that excites me more than it scares me - but it also provides me with and outlet to empower myself and my family through an incredibly high level of tertiary education. - Mikyle George (pictured right)