marieclaire.com.au (^) | 65
PORTFOLIO
A
s part of her work
exploring femininity
and empowerment,
photographer Alice Mann
was drawn to schools in
Cape Town, South Africa, to capture
the unique world of drum majorettes.
Affectionately known as “Drummies”,
the girls, ranging from five to 18 years
old, come from the country’s most
disadvantaged communities. Being
part of the Drummies – part
cheerleading, part marching band –
is a privilege and a major achievement,
and one of the ways the girls can
create a distance from the streets
awash with drugs and crime.
Mann watched the girls practise
and perform, noticing how their body
language changed the moment they
put on their uniforms. And she saw
the hopes of parents, particularly the
“Drummy Mummies”, who support the
clubs where they can. “I witnessed how
being part of Drummies offered the
girls a powerful sense of belonging and
visibly emboldened their self-worth,”
she says. “The value of pride and
confidence is consistently emphasised
FROM LEFT Drummies
members: Claresha
Nano, Tamzleigh
De Kock, Riley Van
Harte, Wakiesha Titus,
Aneeqah Meyer and
Chrishey Sassman.
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