27 September 2004 Press Release MuseuMAfrica launches Street Children's Art Exhibition The Imbali Visual Literacy Project ran an art programme with street children from the Hillbrow vicinity for the past 18 months. The duration of the art programme was held at MuseuMAfrica. The programme brought youth from the streets of Hillbrow into MuseuMAfrica twice a week for a range of creative art making activities and discussions. Participants engaged with MuseuMAfrica's displays and have gained a sense of ownership for this public space. The multi-layered exhibition will contribute to discussions around the value and worth of arts programmes aimed at marginalised groups. It will further address the fundamental engagement of museums by these groups. For MuseuMAfrica this exhibition provides an important opportunity to show the public how imbalances of the past are being redressed and efforts made to accommodate marginalised groups in structured programmes within the museum. The art programme initiative with the street children has been well supported by the City of Joburg by availing the free space during the past 18 months of the project running at MuseuMAfrica as well as the availability of the premises to showcase the exhibition. The Inner City of Joburg (Region 8) identified the value of the Imbali Visual Literacy art programme with the street children and had contributed to supporting the opening of the exhibition. The City of Joburg endorses such partnerships and initiatives which ultimately is able to provide value to the lives of the marginalized communities. Exhibition Opening: 2nd October 2004 Time: 2pm (with a performance by the street children at 2:30) Place: Museum Africa -4th floor West Duration: The exhibition will run from the 2nd to 31st of October 2004 For more information please contact: Deon van Tonder Chief Curator: MuseuMAfricA Tel: +2711 833-5624 Fax: +2711 833-5636 e-mail: deonvt@joburg.org.za or Justine Olofsson Tel: +2711 492 3333 e-mail: justine.ol@absamail.co.za