Railton Foundation Swellendam

05/03/2026

The gallery was quiet except for the soft echo of footsteps against the concrete floor. On the white wall hung her portrait-warm gold and amber,as if the sun had chosen to remember her. The artwork,created by local artist Donovan Julius,did not merely depict a face. It held a presence. The layered tones of orange and ochre felt like earth and fire-like memory refusing to fade.
She once stood and recited,"I've Come to Take You Home " calling a daughter of this soil back with dignity and grace. When Diana Ferrus spoke those words for Sarah Baartman, history shifted. A poem crossed oceans. A woman came home. But perhaps love and calling do not move in only one direction, perhaps in time Sarah Baartman came to take Diana Ferrus home. One voice carried across continents. Another spirit carried across generations.
This moving portrait by Julius reminds us that art is not simply seen,it is felt. It is ancestral. It is circular. What we call out in truth and justice returns to us in ways we do not always expect.
Here at ANAMI ART GALLERY art is memory,it is not decoration. Art is restoration. Art is homecoming in this life and beyond.
Anami Art Gallery, Swellendam we honour both women-one who called,and one who answered.
One poem.
One Voice.
One Homecoming.

04/03/2026

‼️‼️‼️

📍Venue: Railton Community Hall
🗓Date: 20 March 2026
🕖Time: 19h00

📌To perform, please register before the event!

04/03/2026

Diana Ferrus

Our Lady Di... Thank you for enriching our lives. Rest in Power

Laniëlle Sheree Hartzenberg

Thank you to her family for allowing us to celebrate her life and her work. 🙏

03/03/2026

APPRECIATION POST

Powered by Fuzion Suzuki Swellendam

A heartfelt thank you to your Management and Directors for responding to our call for support to optimally implement our projects and serve the community.

"From the Community, With the Community "

24/02/2026

Epic

Director & Scriptwriter Sudonia KouterAssistant Director William MichaelsStage Director(s) Deslin PekeurMarche EsauFranshonette PieterseCostumes and Childre...

23/02/2026

Life after the dry patch.

Thank you for the rain.

Beds are prepared for planting. 🙏🌈

23/02/2026

CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. DIANA FERRUS
The Drostdy Museum, in partnership with Bokmakiri Books, Railton Foundation Swellendam, and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Library warmly invites the community to join us in honouring the life and legacy of Dr. Diana Ferrus - poet, writer, performer and cultural voice whose words continue to inspire South African and beyond.
Venue: Drostdy Museum - Schuur
Date: 25 February 2026
Time: 17:30 PM
The evening will include performances by local youth, Gareth Rutherford, and a special portrait unveiling by Donovan Julius.
Join us as we remember, celebrate, and give thanks for a life devoted to literature, heritage and the power of storytelling.

23/02/2026

Please join us in celebrating the life of Dr Diana Ferrus

Date: 25 February 2026
Venue: Drostdy Museum Swellendam - Tutu Hall
Time: 17h30

11/02/2026

Kiskar Club planning meeting in Railton this afternoon.

The members had an opportunity to engage with and showcase their skills to our visitors, Meike and Joachim from Germany. They are currently volunteering at the Railton Foundation Swellendam and we are very grateful for their help.

"From the Community, With the Community "

09/02/2026

Music Development Project

Thank you to our visitors/volunteers, Meike and Joachim Kotrade for your contribution at the class last week.

Western Cape Government Cultural Affairs and Sport
Swellendam Music Society/Swellendam Musiekvereniging

06/02/2026

A TRIBUTE TO DR DIANA FERRUS

The Railton Foundation Swellendam honours the legacy of the late Diana Ferrus. She has made a tremendous contribution to our programmes among the youth and elderly in Railton. She was indeed a loyal supporter of the Foundation and whenever we needed her services, she made a special effort to oblige. Her sincerity inspired others to play their part with much more enthusiasm than they did before.

We will remember the deep and interesting conversations we had with Diana while we travelled with her to and from Swellendam. She could relate to young and old, as well as rich and poor, and had a wealth of stories to share with any audience.

Since 2021 she annually held creative writing and poetry workshops for youth groups and others in the town. These events were well-attended because she was an excellent facilitator and the participants had great praise for her. They especially commented on her down-to-earth teaching style and humble demeanour.

In addition, she connected arts practitioners and her friends with the Foundation. For example, she introduced Martine Zeeman, a dramatist and lecturer at the Den Haagse Hogeschool, with the Foundation team. Consequently, a group of staff and students from that institution regularly spend time in the Swellendam community. Some students stay longer to do voluntary work in Railton and two of them have even offered to serve on the Railton Foundation Board and attend the meetings virtually.

Diana will be missed by everybody who had the privilege to interact with her in Swellendam. May her soul rest in eternal peace.

Basil May
President of the Railton Foundation Swellendam

Laniëlle Sheree Hartzenberg