September 30, 2004
By Anish Abraham
HAVING honed their skills with the aid of the Imbali Visual Literacy Project, street children from around Hillbrow are to display their artworks during a month-long exhibition at MuseuMAfricA.
"This is the first exhibition of its kind we are holding and is very important for the community," says Deon van Tonder, chief curator of MuseuMAfricA, adding: "It is all a part of the service delivery that the museum is committed to."
The exhibition runs from 2 to 31 October and showcases some 18 months of hard work by the children who twice a week participated in various art-making activities hosted by the Imbali Project, based at the Bus Factory in Newtown.
Using funds from the national lottery, the visual literacy programme gave children from the Twilight shelter and others the opportunity to create art with paints and pencils, as well as making constructions using waste material like cardboard and milk cartons.
"The project is not really about giving them the skill to become artists, but rather to encourage personal growth and development through the use of art," says Justine Olofsson, a facilitator from Imbali.
A total of 70 street children took part in the programme over the past year and a half - with each workshop being attended by about 20 children.
The Twilight street children's shelter provided transport from Hillbrow for the children to attend the workshops.
Johannesburg City's Region 8, covering the inner city, has pledged to support the Imbali Visual Literacy Project by providing space at the museum. Says Sue Reddy, communications manager for Johannesburg's department of arts, culture and heritage: "The council has made provision for the children to do their workshops on a floor dedicated to them, as well as housing the exhibition for the month."
The wide-ranging exhibition will also contribute toward discussions regarding the value of art programmes aimed at marginalised communities and how they engage with museums, according to Olofsson.
For more information, contact MuseuMAfricA on 011 833 5624, the Imbali Project on 011 492 3333 or Sue Reddy on 011 373 7504.
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