Burlesque event raises R30 000 for Rape Crisis

The Grand Exhibition (TGE), an annual burlesque benefit, raised R30 000 for the Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust at a show at the District Six Homecoming Centre on Saturday August 24.

The Rouge Revue Burlesque Company, based in Woodstock, hosted the first TGE in Cape Town in 2015 and since then has raised R245 000 for its chosen charity, Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust, including the funds raised on Saturday.

Rouge Revue Burlesque Company headmistress Tenille Lindeque, known by her stage name Lady Magnolia in the burlesque community, said the TGE had grown a lot over the years, and had become a highlight on the local burlesque calendar.

“We started off small at the Hopefield Market in 2015, and now we sell out to an audience of 320 guests at The Star Theatre, with a cast of 30 performers,” she said.

She added that the TGE brought together performers from different backgrounds, with the energy backstage so “warm and friendly”, with everyone uniting for a good cause. “This is a real community event.”

She said Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust had been chosen as a beneficiary as burlesque in South Africa was mostly performed by women, and “gender based violence is off the charts here”.

“Burlesque is often used as a tool for women to heal from trauma and reclaim their bodily autonomy, so we wanted to give back to the community in a meaningful way, and created The Grand Exhibition, for women, by women.”

The fund-raising officer at Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust, Jameelah Ismail, said they had been a partner of the Rouge Revue for more than 10 years. “We’ve always received a steady flow of donations that increase annually.”

She said the work of Rape Crisis was close to many womens’ hearts, and that many women had experienced sexual violence in some way, which the country’s gender-based violence stats reflected.

She said the Rouge Revue’s ethos of promoting body positivity, autonomy and women’s empowerment, often taken away from victims of sexual violence, was aligned with the work of the organisation, and added that while Rape Crisis had a “feminine energy”, anyone could become a victim of sexual violence, even men. Their services, therefore, were open to anyone who experienced sexual violence.

With the help of donors, Rape Crisis, which has offices in Observatory, Athlone and Khayelitsha as well as a satellite office in Bellville, was able to help victims free of charge.

“We cannot do the work without our loyal donors, like the Rouge Revue, and we are so grateful.”

One of the TGE’s regular performers, BonBon, said: “The Grand Exhibition allows us to celebrate ourselves and support a worthy cause.

“Performing burlesque with my community highlights the power of unity and expression, and it means the world to connect with everyone through a shared purpose.”