When Aldo Brincat and Carl Collison left Cape Town during the pandemic, they had no idea that their new life in Porterville would lead to the creation of the Purple Mountain Arts Residency. What began as a way to escape city life quickly turned into a transformative space for queer artists from Africa and beyond to find safety, inspiration and community.
Aldo, with his vast experience in performing and visual arts stemming from his training under Jacques Le Coq in Paris, and Carl, a former journalist and researcher with Human Rights Watch, combined their unique skills to create something extraordinary. Their individual journeys - Aldo's acclaimed theatre career and Carl's dedication to documenting LGBTIQ+ experiences through his company Beyond The Margins - merged perfectly in this venture.
"We didn't set out to do this," Aldo admits. "But after we bought this old farmhouse in Porterville, we noticed how the space affected people. Visitors would come, and it would have a profound impact on them. The way we live, the way we take care of each other - it touched a nerve."
Porterville appealed to them for both practical and creative reasons. "We couldn't afford a house in Cape Town, especially not the kind of house we wanted," Carl explains. "But we had known about Porterville through a friend, who is an artist. There's an existing arts community here, and we felt we could contribute to it."
When the interracial, queer couple first moved to Porterville, they couldn't shake the discomfort that came with being in a small, conservative town. "I was like, 'Can we do this? What about the pushback?'" Carl says, remembering his doubts. "We live in a very conservative little town. And when I first got here, it was challenging – even though it was peaceful, I just couldn't deal with the conservativeness."
But despite their reservations, they took the leap and in June 2024, the registered non-profit company formally opened its doors, solidifying its mission to provide a sanctuary for queer artists. Since then, they have hosted two formal residents, each leaving their mark on the space and the community. Each residency culminates in a showcase at their home, where artists share their work with the local community.
"The residency is focused on providing a safe space for queer folk across Africa, especially those living in repressive country contexts. It's about offering a platform for these artists to tell their stories without fear," Carl explains.
As the residency grew, so did the couple's sense of possibility. "Then, with both our formal residencies and the outcomes, we invite the community. The residents (artists) perform, and then we all share a glass of wine and cook together. People from the community come into our home, and it's just... it feels real. It feels safe. The artists feel welcomed, appreciated. Those moments stick with me. It shows that, despite everything, there's some room for acceptance."
The relationship is symbiotic - while Aldo and Carl provide space and mentorship, the artists bring fresh perspectives and their own expertise to share.
"We expect the artists to mentor us, challenge us or to give us ideas," Aldo explains. "It’s not a one-way kind of thing. We don't have much stimulation here, so we look to these artists to bring a piece of their world to us and to our community and it is often very enlightening and nourishing."
Their approach to community engagement focuses on the art first, letting other conversations emerge naturally.
"It's not a radical activist platform," Aldo explains. "It's more like an engaging activist platform. We want people to connect with the art, and if that opens up conversations, that's valuable."
One of their most successful projects was the community-focused Purple Mountain Heritage Festival held during Heritage Month last year - an entirely self-funded labour of love.
With no financial backing they curated a vibrant programme featuring art, photography, ceramics, live music and discussions on indigenous herbs and medicine, all hosted in their home-turned-gallery.
The festival also included film screenings, human libraries, and walking tours to explore indigenous flora.
One of Carl’s favourite elements was sharing food made with indigenous ingredients - turning the event into a true celebration of culture, connection and community.
"Our approach is about making everything as inclusive as possible," Carl says. "We had a heritage festival last year which was very successful, and we made it as inclusive as possible - race representation, class representation, sexual orientation, gender diversities."
True to their socialist values, they ensure all events remain free. "Our events are for free," Carl explains, "because we know that in many societies entry fee is a barrier to access and it is deliberately used to keep poor folk and black folk out."
The residency has also become a space where overlooked histories find voice. One artist uncovered that William Porter, the town's namesake, had a 40-year relationship with another man. "This was an important discovery," Carl shares, "and the artist used this to spark a conversation about the people whose stories aren't written down in history."
Aldo continues: "We're also living in post-apartheid South Africa, and the effects of apartheid are still very visible.
"Our residency has a multi-pronged approach - it interrogates what it means to be a contemporary South African, and artists here need to be able to engage in those dialogues."
Despite the residency’s success, it operates largely out of Aldo and Carl’s own pockets, driven by passion rather than profit. An anonymous benefactor partly funds two residencies per year, but to sustain and expand this safe, creative space, additional support is essential.
"We are completely not funded," Carl admits. "We have an anonymous benefactor who funds two formal residents per year, but many of our events, like the Heritage Festival, are funded out of our own pockets. It's challenging, but we're committed to this."
The future holds exciting prospects. This April, they'll host six film-makers from across Africa and Canada, their biggest residency yet. These activists and aspiring filmmakers, coming from places like Tanzania, Ghana, and Burkina Faso, will use their mobile phones to tell their stories during their month-long stay.
Beyond hosting residents, they offer free arts and drama classes to the community. Their immediate needs are modest but essential - art supplies for their free classes, a projector for screenings, and basic resources to keep their programmes running. Support is welcomed through their website's donation page.
"I would love for the residency to grow to the point where we can employ members of our community who are marginalised, as either interns or arts administrators," Aldo shares. "We want to help people expand and settle, to provide opportunities for others."
Looking ahead, if Aldo and Carl had to give their residency a quirky nickname, Aldo jokes: "A cluster of champagne bubbles, rainbows, and fireworks." His humour reflects the energy they've created - a space where joy, creativity, and connection flourish.
For Aldo and Carl, the Purple Mountain Arts Residency is more than just an artistic space - it's a reflection of their union and their commitment to creating something meaningful. In a world that often marginalises queer voices, they've built a sanctuary where art and identity can thrive together.
“Somebody told us, ‘you guys have created something out of nothing’, which is pretty amazing. We see the residency as an expression and outworking of our union,” says Aldo.