After the founding and the registration of Novalis in 1984, Novalis was recognized as The Von Hardenberg Foundation trading as The Novalis Institute. A further development birthed the Novalis College and Novalis Press. It is important to note how the naming of the Institute came into being.
I was told that Rev Rachael Clayton from the Christian Community Church in Cape Town visited Durban and gave a series of lectures on the life of Frederich von Hardenberg who became known under his penname ‘Novalis’. Rudolf Steiner says about Novalis…..”It is so much more meaningful that we meet this spirituality in Novalis in a gentleness and refinement, as we would not meet in one or other of the most important intellects.“
The founding team, so inspired by the lectures and the notion of ‘novalis’ – the name meaning a ‘clearing’ in Latin, felt that this was a perfect and fitting name for the impulse they had birthed.
Ralph Shepherd came down to Cape Town, to join Rachael as a partner, and The Novalis College was formed with the help of Dr Nick Lee, and many others inspired to participate in the organization.Ralph Shepherd was supported by a circle of friends who made monthly donations to the organization, to give him the freedom to develop the Cape Town chapter of this work.
In 1988, The Novalis College was opened in ‘Oakdene House, on main road, Plumstead. This property was originally bought for the Christian community and rented out to Novalis Institute. Peter King, Batya Daitz, Peter van Alphen, Marilize King worked with Ralph to develop the new programmes. A thriving year-long vocational re-orientation in-person programme commenced, with a second year focused on Waldorf Teachers Training. So many people were drawn to help build this vibrant initiative. There was Beni Kleynhans, and Hasse Sherlund, and many visiting lecturers from Europe. Let’s celebrate over 100 students on the list. Hopefully some will remember stories and choose to interact with us.
I was appointed in 1990 to assist Ralph with fundraising for the College and Institute. Ralph was quite involved with civil society and promoting the ideas of the Institute with the University of Cape Town, the Theosophical Society and any place that would receive his passion and vision for a greater consciousness needed for a better future.
Together with Ian Fife and Paul van Heesch, I was encouraged to take the Waldorf Ideas into state schools in the greater Cape Town region as so beautifully envisioned by Rudolf Steiner in his article ‘Roots in Education’. Steiner promoted the idea that there should be model schools that demonstrate the ideals of holistic education, and that these ideals could also greatly benefit ALL teachers caring for children from all sectors of society. Putting the Heart into Education was started with Peter van Alphen’s support as well as Jean Baxen, a bright young HoD from the Western Cape Department. She in fact coined the phrase – ‘Putting the Heart back into Teaching’ after experiencing a number of the 11-day-long workshops in the introductory series. These workshops were held at Michael Oak Waldorf School in the old hall and garden on good weather days. Right from the first workshop, when we expected 15 – 20 teachers, 120 teachers arrived on the day! I was so busy running back and forth from my flat around the corner to make more sandwiches. Everyone was delighted at the response, the in-service teachers were enthralled, and a new impulse started that flourished and would continue until 1999.
I am calling these the Pioneering Days – The College was developing its courses, workshops, talks and contact with the Waldorf Schools. The Press was busy sourcing materials for printing relevant books. Invisible Africa is still selling to this day, and The Novalis Institute was well busy taking Waldorf inspired workshops to state school teachers who were clearly hungry for holistic experiential methods at a time when education in South Africa had been drained of its iron – siphoned off to support the struggle for political liberation.
In 1992 Ralph Shepherd and the Directors took a decision to split the College from the Institute section. The Rudolf Steiner college was formed which later became known as the Centre for Creative Education, still in operation in Plumstead. The Novalis Ubuntu Institute continued its outreach work, and after Oakdene was sold, found a short term home at Peter King’s house in Paddington Road, Retreat – before moving to its new premises in Rosmead Avenue in Wynberg – a perfect location for those it has served for many years now.
Anne-Lise Bure-Shepherd
Acting CEO and A Cosmopolitan in Love with Truth.
July 2024.
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