The Sharehouse opens doors!

2010

Elke and I started The Sharehouse Project in 2010 with the idea to find a family that shares vision, projects and work in one place.

The aim: to prosper all in the community with a focus on youth.

How? With the most valuable resources we have: people. Every person has great ideas, dreams and skills.

2011

Initially we were wanted to start in Cape Town as it is the Design Capital 2014 and because Sven loves the harbour with the oilrigs and ships in the docks.

Then we decided to stay on in Hermanus and were looking for a venue in 2011. We were given access to a huge centrally located restaurant that would have been ideal but realised quickly we didnt have the most valuable resource yet: people in a team. The idea was too fresh and to much out of the own effort. We would have burnt out.

2012

We were still looking for a central venue in Hermanus that could house different projects like a under 18 youth lounge for Saturday evenings, art classes, a hangout after school, a healing room, the Hermanus Skate Park, the sharehouse furniture township project and a tea room where locals and visitors are surrounded by that, or even better, are seated an local design, and so on.<br>

Sharehouse Chairs 2011* made from palettes

Why?

Every place and especially Hermanus needs a creative hub. Mostly young people feel frustrated in this growing town that sees visitors from around the world but has still little to offer for the local families.

October 2012

Now the The Sharehouse has its first venue!

Our friends Francois and Lydia let us use part of the new Khumbula House in Churchstreet 4 from October 2012. The space we can use and pay for has two offices in an enclosed stoep towards the street and a 6×7 m big room with flat screen tv and couches and and outside toilet for now. We also can access a huge beautiful garden in the back and there are two garages we might use and rent from Khumbula House.

From a local restaurant we are offered tables and chairs as a donation.

Superette, Cape Town

Creating the experience

For a start:

With recycled wood and a creative interior we should be able to make the Sharehouse look like a cool urban community art space.

off cut wood used for coffee shop wall, canada

1. Then we start art classes, run by local volunteers. Kids can come and paint and draw. Adding on they can at later stage also make music, learn skills and write down their stories (check dave eggers pirate shop project on ted.com).

whatiftheworld gallery, cpt

2. We will do our school of Superseeds once a month and host our first Saturday evening lounges for under 18s and make it a space that is open for free flow worship and cool music.

3. We will offer tea and a hang out for kids after school. We will start a library with cool art and design books, material on architecture, filmmaking, ministry etc. besides workshops we need resources to inspire kids.

Ideally this tearoom is open to everyone even tourists and we always have two or three sharehouse family members present who are equipped to chat with kids, explain to them the project, pray with them if needed and just be cool and radiant.

4. We will invite cool locals to do once off workshops like how to build a 3 D printer or now to build a submarine and so on. There is a great artist collective named The Instructables in Holland. Do it yourself with a twist. They invite experts who show and teach how to build the best paperplanes, how to sow a shirt, how to make art with a spintop etc.

local design, hermanus

5. Another idea that once came up is to offer Life Orientation Classes and to offer schools to outsource LO (with professionals and regular curriculum) and make it even more life impacting and fun in the Sharehouse venue.

6. Everything is possible. We grow organically and see what the needs and abilities are.

new venue under renovation, 4 Church Street, Hermanus

You are wonderful

The Sharehouse is the people that work within, from young to old. When you want to be involved teaching, serving, inspiring and praying we only want you to be in love with Jesus and to be able to love everyone for who they are, no matter what they believe.

If you want to be involved we want you to prosper and to make ends meet by helping you to create a business out of your passion in the Share House, if you want that.

lugano skatepark, hermanus soon to come!

Vision

The Sharehouse project is led by us, Sven Lager and Elke Naters.

We are writers from Germany, have published novels and other books, run a hospital outreach and visit schools. We have two great kids in High School and fell in love with Hermanus 8 years ago. Sven still wants to ride a whale, so till then we are around.

In awe!

For everybody involved The Sharehouse must be a joyful project. We need no burnout or duties because we either serve one another and Hermanus with love or not at all. So by giving talent, time, encouragement, skills, work, inspiration, money, stuff, tutoring and food we all are blessed and prosper.