The 2010 World Cup Celebrations in a Non-hosting Location: Voices from the Periphery

Abstract

Conceptually, four aspects provide alternative visions to the traditional ‘spectacular’ World Cup that drowns out the personal and local, especially for rural South African citizens. First, the World Cup was transformed into a local event, as in the creation of a mini-World Cup for youth in the area. Second, the World Cup celebration was reconceived not just as a football event, but also as an opportunity to host alternative cultural events, particularly for rural residents. These included a film production and a ‘home-made’ candlelit dinner. Third, an international collaboration of local and Dutch artists introduced alternative celebratory occurrences (e.g., to transform prison blankets into fashion garments): while these were practical alternatives to the International Federation Football Association (FIFA)’s domination over World Cup products, they also have conceptual implications that transformed the multinational landscape of World Cup football events. What was evident was concepts revolving around notions of collaboration and creativity. Nevertheless, these alternatives did have their limitations in terms of scope and effectiveness, which is recognized in this chapter. After 2010, the engagement of some local groups in similar areas of cultural work, and in the arenas of sports and entertainment, can be observed. The value and level of commitment of these activities, despite a lack of resources, are also presented in this chapter.

The projects described in this chapter were all funded by SA’s NLTDF (National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund).