DINNER
IN THE DARK
Dinner in the Dark is an exquisite fine dining experience hosted, catered and served by the visually impaired.
As the name implies, this experience immerses diners into the world of those who live life in the dark, while simultaneously showcasing the skills of the visually impaired in a unique milieu. These events are offered on demand for corporate functions, private functions and as fundraisers for our Public Benefit Organisation.
Diners are cocooned in absolute darkness; a setting which heightens all other senses, enhancing the flavours, aromas and textures of the delectable dishes on offer. The novel experience compels patrons to find their way around the room and around their plate without the novelty of vision. To appreciate the weight and feel of cutlery, crockery and glassware under their touch, consider the temperature of each thing they touch – something they’ve not considered before.
Ears pitch to hear fellow patrons over clinking glasses, stripped from the bias of sight. Tastebuds pique to determine the scope of ingredients in each bite and nostrils flare to pinpoint the constituents of the bouquets swirling through fine crystal drinkware.
Living life without sight presents a maelstrom of challenges, and yet it also requires you to seek ways to enhance each experience and savour everything life has to offer. As such, Dinner in the Dark also provides insights into the remarkable ingenuity and resourcefulness employed by the visually impaired in pursuit of fulfilment and delight and how they use their disadvantage to their advantage.
These events have proven highly popular, with corporate clients as well as the greater community who scramble to secure seats at our fundraising events or book our team for private functions.
We’ve found this setting matchless for achieving leadership and executive teambuilding outcomes. There’s a vulnerability that presents with the lack of sight, and yet, as visitors immerse themselves in the experience discomfort swiftly settles – making way for authentic engagements that compel mutual trust, respect and communication. Something which is often elusive in conventional settings or dulled by the distraction of sight.
If you want to offer your executive clients, stakeholders, loved ones or team a once-in-a-lifetime dining affair, Dinner in The Dark serves up a variety of unique experiences and novelties which you won’t find anywhere else in the world.
The Good Things Guy: Dinner in the Dark Review
The post below was shared by Brent Lindeque: a prominent South African social media personality and influencer, associate of Primedia (who has sponsored numerous Hein Wagner and Hein Wagner Academy initiatives), corporate social investment expert, and all round good guy. Brent uses his voice, connections and eloquence to spread good news through his Good Things Guy platform, and makes a remarkable impact on the lives of others.
Brent Lindeque & Hein Wagner at a Dinner in the dark event
Suddenly nothing is the way that it was.
It was so dark. I couldn’t see anything. Nobody could.
Primedia Broadcasting invited us to a “Dinner with a Difference” last night. We had no idea at the time what we were in for, but boy, was it different, eye-opening, and so incredibly meaningful.
We arrived at the Hilton in Sandton and were welcomed in the foyer with canapés and champagne and I got to see all my Primedia friends… Mands, Bongani, Bruce, Cindy, Tash and Clement were all there. A quick hug to say hello and then handshakes with the station manager and the CEO. We then rubbed shoulders with faces and names that I would get to know.
After a brief introduction by Mr Money Show himself, we heard from Lindile Xoko, who introduced us to Primedia’s new CSI initiative. And it’s a big one. The team is ready to walk the talk and mobilise South African corporates to make a difference.
One of their projects will be to support the vision-impaired youth of South Africa. We work in radio and podcasting. It totally makes sense.
They introduced us to Hein Wagner – an incredible South African who left me in tears in the first 5 minutes he spoke.
“At 5 years old, when my parents sent me away to blind school, I believed I was going so that I could finally learn to see.”
Stop it. All the tears.
But nothing is the way that it was.
Hein has done more in life than most. Without his sight. Or perhaps he has more “sight” than most.
He has completed the Absa Cape Epic, ran the Antarctica Marathon, the Two Oceans and New York Marathons, completed the full Ironman, completed the Cape to Rio Yacht Race, holds the World Blind Land Speed Record at 322.52 km/h, and received a golden key from the university of Stellenbosch for his ongoing efforts towards social upliftment. He has also studied extensively and worked in various (upper management) roles for really huge corporations. And he founded the Hein Wagner Academy – an institution that specialises in post-grade 12 training of blind and visually impaired persons. He helps visually impaired South Africans kick-start their careers.
This man is a bladdy inspiration.
More tears.
At the end of Hein’s Keynote, he told us what would be happening in the room behind us.
Tonight we would get to experience what it was like to be blind. Just for 90 minutes.
3 courses.
In. The. Darkest. Of. Dark.
We had to hand over our phones and watches. And then, table by table, we were called into a very dark tunnel where we held each other’s shoulders to make our way into the next room to get to our seats.
Nothing is the way that it was.
It was so dark. I couldn’t see anything. Nobody could.
The room felt so big. And I felt so small. Everything felt so foreign. The nervous laughter around me was so loud. The smells were so strong. Our hands stumbled around the table to find drinks or the bread rolls or anything to make us feel less in the dark. Or alone.
We spoke to each other. And helped each other. And eventually, the anxiety dissipated, and we succumbed to the darkness.
And then we had a bladdy lovely dinner in the dark (friends, we couldn’t see a single thing).
We chatted. And laughed. And sang to the music. And laughed some more.
We shared how this entire experience was changing the way we “see”. We spoke about how this is so many people’s normal. How there are people around the world with us but without us.
It was definitely eye-opening.
Everything tasted so much more intense. And it was delicious. We kept asking the waiters if they were wearing night-vision goggles because we couldn’t figure out how they knew where we were or how to serve us (I’m not giving anything away but when all was revealed… I got all the feels).
‘It was an incredible experience. So different. Once in a lifetime, out of this world and completely humbling.
But it was just for 90 minutes.
43 million people around the world are living with blindness and 295 million people are living with moderate-to-severe visual impairment.
It may have just been a “dinner in the dark” but I kinda feel like last night changed me.
This morning I woke up with a different sight to life.
Yes, suddenly nothing is the way that it was.
Good grief, I cannot wait to be part of (and shout from the rooftops) about Primedia’s new CSI project.
Okay. Love you. Bye