What Is Black Labone?

By Aysha Amogelang Ramatena

Home for creatives? It may not be a home in the traditional sense i.e., having a house with rooms, but is a haven for all kinds of artists. Apart from the audience, Black Labone houses visual artists, painters, sketch artists, tattoo artists, poets, and musicians. The art hub is situated in the centre of the capital city, at The African Beer Emporium, just behind the infamous Wing Republic.

Image: Black Labone Facebook Page


Black Labone was established in 2017 by a group of individuals who saw it fit to create a safe space for artists in Pretoria and the country. It serves as a personal experience for all kinds of individuals, even the ones who do not consider themselves as artists. Whether or not a person is an artist, they find the experience to be quite interesting. People come from as far as KwaZulu Natal for this unique experience.

‘Labone’ in Setswana means ‘Thursday,’ hence the event is weekly and is held on that specific day. Some may confuse it with ‘Lebone’ which means ‘light,’ but this is not an issue to the people making the show what it is because this public arts platform is considered to be the light under which artists can shine.

The people involved in the running of Black Labone have distinct roles which they play. “The engine of Black Labone is always changing and may also change according to the needs of the show” says Izah Kutsh. “Black Labone is 100% voluntary, and everyone volunteers their time and resources for the benefit of the show,” adds Izah.

Izah Kutsh is the convener at Black Labone and serves as ‘the glue’ that holds the movement of the show firmly. He has been involved from the onset and ensures that artists get a chance to display their work on the platform, and new artists to the Black Labone stage have a chance to be part of the open mic at the beginning of the show.

Image: Black Labone Facebook Page


The Black Labone show starts at 16:00 and ends late, and there is no entrance fee charged. The reason it is free is so that it is easily accessible to the general public; this way they get to witness the extraordinary talent this country has to offer hassle free. The audience have the liberty to spend a chuck load of money on food and drinks without worrying about a hefty entrance fee.

What may surprise people who have not been to a Black Labone event is the age group demographic. At this ‘haven’ you may find people who are as young as nineteen as well as people in their sixties. The welcoming atmosphere allows for such demographics to coexist. 

As a session that runs weekly, the team has managed to survive the hardest part of the Covid19 pandemic. It is arguably the most consistent art hub in the city of Pretoria.

Black Labone does reach out to other movements such as ‘Sawubona Music Jam’ in Chiawelo, Soweto. Although this art hub has had artists who are from countries such as Australia, Zimbabwe and Holland performing live, the aim is to have more artists from this country as well as other nations around the continent relating to it well.

Image: Black Labone Facebook Page

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