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At the heart of CrossRoads is music – a universal language that connects people, empowers individuals, and gives hope.

CrossRoads Music School

The CrossRoads Music School provides children and young people from several townships in Cape Town with education in various musical disciplines. Here, they learn not only instruments or singing, but also self-confidence, a sense of community, and creative expression.

Musical Education

Our main focus is the musical education of children and young people. Particularly talented students from the South African College of Music receive a scholarship from us and, in return, teach music to children and young people from disadvantaged townships in Cape Town.

Between Townships and University

All participants live in the townships of Crossroads, Philippi, Langa, and Khayelitsha in and around Cape Town, South Africa. The Music School takes place at the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town.

Musical Programme

Our programme is diverse: participants learn to play various instruments such as guitar, piano, and traditional African instruments, as well as singing, dance, and music theory.

Transportation

To ensure the safety of both teachers and participants, we pick up the children from the different townships by bus every Saturday and transport them to the South African College of Music, where the lessons take place.

Concerts

We offer the project's children and teenagers the opportunity to take part in concerts both as audience members and as performers on stage. Our highlight is the annual final concert.

Free Lunch

During the project's Saturdays, all participants receive a lunch pack from us, consisting of a sandwich, fruit, and a drink.

Thank you for your support!

Become a Supporter and donate

With your support, we enable children and young people from the townships to receive a musical education and foster self-confidence, a sense of community, and creative expression.

Donate

Would you like to set up a standing order?

Crossroads e.V.
IBAN: DE58 8306 5408 0005 4743 61
BIC: GENODEF1SLR
Skatbank

→ Donations made to Crossroads e.V. are tax-deductible.

Current Activities

Here you can see a selection of major activities of our organisation – primarily activities in Cape Town related to our main project, as well as further news about additional projects our organisation is involved in.

Reports

2025-12

End-of-year report 2025

Dear supporters,

As the year draws to a close, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to you. Thanks to your support, we were able to bring community, education and new perspectives to many children in Cape Town through music in 2025.

In the attached PDF, we report on the highlights of the past year – from the launch of our music programme and Philipp's visit at the beginning of the year to the final concert at the Baxter Theatre and an important step for the future: the founding of Crossroads e. V.

With warm regards and best wishes for the Christmas season and a wonderful, healthy New Year

Your Crossroads e. V. team
Rebekka Sandmeier, Philipp Mathmann and Nikolas Szczeponik

Verschiedene Ausschnitte aus der Videoaufnahme des Abschlusskonzerts 2025

Concert

2025-10

End of Year Concert in Cape Town

At the end of the year, a final concert took place at the Baxter Music Hall in Cape Town. The participants had the opportunity to showcase everything they had learned during the past semester as part of the project – ranging from vocal performances and guitar music to dance.

You can watch the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YaYWF7zGeo

Reports

2025-03

Reisebericht 2025

2025 war es wieder Zeit für einen Besuch von Philipp und Matthijs in Kapstadt, dieses Jahr zum ersten Mal in Begleitung von Nik.

Hier ist der ausführliche Reisebericht zum Download.

Team

Our dedicated team is committed to the musical education of disadvantaged children and teenagers. Together, we work to change lives through music and open up new perspectives.

Philipp Mathmann

Founder & Chairman

Philipp is a physician and opera singer. He founded the scholarship project in 2012 during a period of study in Cape Town and has since been the main organiser on the German side. He established Crossroads out of the conviction that music builds bridges and gives young people hope.

Rebekka Sandmeier

Founder & Deputy Chairwoman

Rebekka is a professor of musicology at the South African College of Music and has been supporting the project together with Philipp since its beginnings in 2012. To this day, she remains the main contact person and on-site coordinator.

Nikolas Szczeponik

Founder & Treasurer

Nik is a medical student and has been working on the project in Cape Town for over three years. Together with Rebekka and Philipp he founded Crossroads.

Matthijs Hölscher

Secretary

Matthijs is a molecular biologist and researcher at the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology.

Let's get in touch!

We are here for you and are looking forward to your message.

You can also simply call us or send us a message.

info@crossroads-ngo.com

+49 174 8734456

Address

Crossroads e.V.
Überwasserstr. 37
48143 Münster
Deutschland

Music education

by CrossRoads