The second creche in the Painting Creches series will be designed by Lauren Fowler. The teacher of Pakamani creche decided on the theme “Fruit and Trees”.
Painting will start in January 2011.
If you would like to volunteer, make a donation or be added to our mailing list, email xanele@writeonafrica.org
For more pictures, click here: http://www.writeonafrica.org/projects/painting-creches/
We’re elated to announce that the first of the 21 briefs has been sent out to the amazingly talented illustrator/designer: Warwick Kay. Warwick will be designing the exterior of Okhule Creche, managed by teacher Connie. The theme for Okhule creche is “Hope”. The designer has creative freedom to interpret the design in any way - with the condition that locally relevant elements are used for the interpretation.
If you would like to volunteer to help paint the creches in January 2011, send your name and contact details to xanele@writeonafrica.org to be added to our mailing list.
For more pics: Click here http://www.writeonafrica.org/projects/painting-creches/
Last night myself and Xanele received our R100 000 grant at the SAPPI ‘IDEAS THAT MATTER’Awards dinner, for the Write on Africa Creche project:
The idea is to repaint 20 creches and print 2000 english/xhosa educational books for the children of Khaymandi with the help of 20 illustrators/ artists/ designers who will be designing the 20 creches. The creative community is joining forces to induce positive social change in the lives of many. The project will be executed within the first six months of 2011.
See more here:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/projects/painting-creches/
LINKS:
“GIVING HOPE TO THE CHILDREN OF KHAYAMANDI” Prochorus is an amazing organization based in Khayamandi truly caring for children in a sustainable manner. They run numerous projects to aid the community including a “creche support program. With the painting creches project, we will be painting mainly Prochorus creches, knowing that children attending a Prochorus creche are well looked after.
“We believe that improved Early Childhood Development is the first and most important step towards the social development and advancement of Kayamandi. We contribute in the enhancement of Early Childhood Development through the implementation of sustainable programmes at existing crèches by actively supporting crèche owners, through training, the coordination and provision of volunteers and the sourcing and distribution of sponsorships and donations.”
For more information on this truly inspiring organization click here: http://www.prochorus.org
Nate Lowman is the latest artist to take part in the DETAILS GUILD mural project. Lowman worked on his installation with a handful of students associated with Free Arts NYC. The students will took part in a private workshop in Lowman’s Tribeca loft where they assisted the artist in creating letters that spell out “THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS CHANGED.” Those letters were then repurposed on the DETAILS GUILD wall on Saturday. In addition to the mural, Lowman will create a limited edition piece that will be sold on
We are going to Gambia!
See travels here for more info:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/travels/write-on-gambia-for-wow/
Pictures are now up here:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/projects/julard-creations-youth-workshops/
This friday at /A WORD OF ART
Photo by:Richard Finn Gregory /
Yesterday artist Fuzzy Slippers and Freddy painted a container for Marang A letsatsi a youth project in Mandela Park Khayalisha.There container(wich they use as a office) recently burnt down in a fire and they were donated this new one,(well not so new.)
It was rusted and filthy,so we gave it come colour,
The artwork reads:
“Hold this love and become.
In dreams, hold this wish.”
This is not the first visit to the centre,see the Inyani community day we were part of last year here:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/projects/marang-a-letsatsi/
Nomonde and Thandi who run the centre,
Karo Akpokiere is a young artist from Lagos Nigeria,ever since Write on Africa launched this kid has been following and giving his support.
I just received a mail from him that made me feel really humbled by the impact that Write on Africa is starting to have on younger artists like Karoo,and especially encouraging art in other african countries,
“I painted a mural recently and I would love for you to view. I am inspired by the Write On Africa project and its the work you do that made me decide to work on this. Thank you.
I painted the mural with The assistance of Kelani Abass late October 2010 at an Artist workshop organized by the Center for contemporary Arts, Lagos and the Triangle Artist Trust. These are the images from sketch to finish.
The ‘Angel’ of Light is a satirical take on Nigeria’s unfortunate dependence on generators as its primary source of electric power. Taking inspiration from the fallen angels (demons) biblical story, the generators are winged machines that hold the promise of giving you all the electricity you need but, at a severe cost to your life and the environment.”
See more from Karoos Seek project here:
http://www.seekproject.com/
And support his Fb page here;
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-SeekProject/113814525325603?ref=ts&v;=wall
The idea behind write on africa is to inspire our self’s to inspire each-other to inspire change…simple
So Karoo thanks for this inspiration
Slowly the idea is starting to spread and soon we hope to have a global network of creative activists,
please send us any links,artists,projects you find inspiring so we can share them here on the blog.
In 1984(the year i was born) Steve Powers started painting his alias ESPO as a dues paying member of the graffiti club. 25 years later he returned home to Philadelphia in the summer of 2009 to write a love letter across the same rooftops. The letter, meant for one, with meaning for all, encompasses 50 walls on a 20 block stretch of market street. Drawing input, inspiration, and work from the community . This unprecedented public art project was a collaboration of Powers, The Mural Arts Program, and the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage. 1200 cans of spray paint, 600 Liters of bucket paint AND A WHOLE LOT OF AWESOMENESS
See the full project here:
http://www.aloveletterforyou.com
A Love Letter For You from Megawords Magazine on Vimeo.
Recently Steve completed the second installment of this beautiful concept:
A Love Letter to Syracuse
See the full project here:
http://lovelettertosyracuse.com/
Love Letter to Syracuse from Maarten Jacobs on Vimeo.
South African photographer Dale Yudelman recently created a series of stunning photographs called “In a City”.
In the series he uses the backdrop of one of Faith47’s street pieces “Commerce, Civilization and Christianity” in Woodstock CT
He captures her work beautifully in its decay.
Dale sent us this insight into the project which you can view more of here:
http://www.daleyudelman.com/in-a-city/in-a-city/
‘In a City’
‘In a City’ is a visual transcription portraying shades of emotional architecture in an active metropolis. The images are composites of building densities, and inhabitants originating
from a myriad of cultural and environmental backgrounds.
The works explore the peripheral spaces, beyond architecture and the formal structures
of functionality. Within these backdrops Yudelman underscores some of the “situational incompatibilities” that arise for people who live within the confines of systems that were not founded to support diversity.
Fundamentally, a city is by nature forgetful of its inhabitants, who in turn look for ways to
express their individuality. Seen, some say mistakenly, as a “confluence of recreational
activities” it is this notion of city life, with its promise of options and the attainment of dreams -
that glibly belies the more difficult realities.
Within a setting of pipes, cisterns, robotic grids - technologies that separates rather than supports – pavements, become a place to rest, gates, bridges and buildings canvas’s for artistic expression; trains, a lonely, sometimes dangerous journey home.
The traffic of human emotions, the wasted wealth of human endurance, and poignant moments portrayed in this series tells the stories of difficult social biographies; and alludes to the need for more compatible attitudes – moreover, a landscape that invents itself to accommodate rather than expel.
(Words by Simone Tredoux)
Stavanger in Norway is host to the annual Nuart Festival, one of Europe’s leading events dedicated to promoting street art.
They also run a great blog
Since Sept 2005 Nuart’s focus has been on the emerging Street Art and Post Graffiti scenes. From the first week of September an invited international team of street artists start to leave their mark on the city’s walls, creating one of Europe’s most dynamic and constantly evolving outdoor public art events.
There blog is a constantly updated source of information on the event, artworks and the artists featured at Nuart.together with the latest news from the world of streetart, post-grafitti and urban culture.
They wrote some kind words about us here:
http://nuart09.blogspot.com/2010/10/write-on-africa.html
Thanks Nuart,,
And thanks for continuing to create opportunity’s for mural artists to do what they love most..,paint big walls in public space.
More nice stories from the Dulux lets colour campaign… this time in Thailand
Send us your art and help us inspire creative change
(Doodles,originals,prints all welcome)
More info here:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/projects/julard-creations-youth-workshops/
OS GEMEOS(The twins) ARE MY FAVORITE ARTIST IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!!
Usually its hard to choose a favorite of anything,,but OS GEMEOS are the most exciting,humble,creatively imaginative,provocative and revolutionary artists… now or ever,
They have been acknowledged by gallery’s,collectors and museums around the world,yet within there success they continue to paint on the streets of Sao Paulo almost every day,(amongst traveling the world)
They are TRUE street artists,if someone wants to know exactly what street art is,,just say OS GEMEOS,
They truelly inspire me through there work,
To say that to work with them one day is a dream would be an understatement,,
So ill say this rather,,,,write on africa will work with them one day soon!
why not,
DREAM + INSPIRATION = REALITY = OS GEMEOS IN AFRICA
Here’s some of there most recent work pointing out issues underlining the recent Brazil elections,which you can read about here:
http://www.economist.com/blogs/americasview/2010/10/brazils_presidential_election_2
Not only is there work so amazing but they themselves have such an inspiring attitude and spirit for what they do.
Watch these videos on them here and see what they have to say about art and life:
http://www.babelgum.com/4021764/inside-outside-part-13-gemeos.html
http://www.babelgum.com/4001561/bomb-os-gmeos.html
JR has been one of my favorite street artists for years,and following him has left me in awe,, project after project he inspires me,
He represents the ideals write on africa stands for,he travels to inspire communitys through his art,and his projects grow in ambition.
JR has even been to Soweto.
See his Soweto and other project videos here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x364t0_soweto-south-africa-by-jr_creation
So JR just one the TED prize last week!!!!!
RADICAL!
Watch this video it will explain everything,
Here’s his latest work from Shanghai
“Wrinkles of the city”
Keep being inspired by JR here:
http://www.jr-art.net/
Here’s a nice little story….
5 years ago I met K’naan,at a hip hop summit in JHB.
At the time I was running a small clothing label called MUTHALAND,
He bought one of my hats,that I had customized with the words “write on africa”
This was only just months before write on africa was launched,
Weirdly this was the only hat I ever made like this,,and hes been wearing it in photo shoots…awesome.)
I didn’t know who K’nann was at the time but it turns out he is a pretty famous rapper and a humble one too.
(You all know him because he is they guy who sang the recent world cup anthem “wave your flag)
When we met he said he was on tour with a cool initiative and gave me a sticker which until today I didn’t know was about,it said 4real,,
I liked it and put it on my cupboard with all my other stickers,and didn’t think anything of it.
But for some reason today I just googled it and found this,
http://www.4real.com
About
4REAL connects individuals with people, projects and tools to make change real.
Aspects include a global online community (4REAL.com), 4REAL Productions (4REAL TV), and educational materials (4REAL School).
4REAL.com is a dynamic online community for people around the world who are interested in social change. The site provides individuals, causes and businesses effective ways to make a difference. 4REAL.com’s mission is to become the largest and most effective online social network for change. The site has members hailing from more than 60 countries.
The lead 4REAL production is a TV series called 4REAL that takes celebrity guests on adventures around the world to connect with young leaders who, under extreme circumstances, are effecting real change on some of the most pressing issues of our time. Celebrity guests for Season One are Cameron Diaz, Mos Def, Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Casey Affleck, K’NAAN, M.I.A., and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Beyond the exposure that 4REAL provides, the young leaders featured are partners in the show, with 50 percent of the proceeds going directly to their initiatives. 4REAL has aired globally on National Geographic Channels International in 165 countries and 34 languages, as well as on The CW channel in the U.S. and on CTV and MTV in Canada.
So check it out and join our page we just set up there,
http://www.4real.com/writeonafrica
I just mailed them to take a look at us,maybe we can do some write on africa travels for 4real.
WRITE ON AFRICA 4REAL?
why not.
Cool article on the Percey Bartley House project.
Read it here:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/media/press-clippings-2005-2010/tatler2.jpg/
Our creche project received a R100 000 grant from Sappi to repaint 20 creches and print 2000 english/xhosa educational books for the children of Khaymandi. We are proud to announce the 20 illustrators/ artists/ designers who will be designing the 20 creches. The creative community is joining forces to induce positive social change in the lives of many. The project will be executed within the first six months of 2011.
For the complete list of artists and some pics, click here: http://www.writeonafrica.org/projects/painting-creches/
See some new pictures form the Percey Bartley House project
Up now here:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/projects/percey-bartley-house-rejuvination-project/
Write on Africa Transkei was a nine day journey that took place in South Africa from Cape Town to Transkei in 2008
Finally we realize the video to promote the concept and generate interest in future trips.
Supported by Matchboxology,HIV Scrutinize campaign and A WORD OF ART
Video by Mahkulu productions.
Artists:
Freddy Sam
Faith47
Hac one
Mahkulu
See more from the trip here:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/travels/write-on-transkei/
For updates from the STROKE 03 Art fair in Berlin
please see the /A WORD OF ART blog here:
http://www.a-word-of-art.co.za/
Freddy Sam preparing the space,
A few posts back i introduced you to the amazing work and spirit of Juma and Willard
friends and fellow creative activists
They’ve just made a face book page to show all there good work
please join it here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Julard-Creations/161449903880918?v=wall
My name is Kunyalala Ndlovu, and I am an Artist and Write on Africa
Ambassador. I am from Zimbabwe and have been living in London for seven years.
I recently spent one month interning with Write on Africa in Cape Town and was given the task of creating my own project.
So I have launched a new Mural project entitled ‘We share the same
sun.’
My inspiration comes in the form of the masses of people inhabiting the
cities of Southern Africa of foreign descent that add such color to this
landscape in the face of daily trials. Though we are all different, we all
walk the same ground, we swim the same ocean and we breathe the same air.
This project endeavors to be a celebration of that spirit; to champion the
dignity of every individual person in their day to day and bringing those
unique colors to life.
After all, the moon and the stars belong to all of us.We share the same sun.
For more information on how to get involved with the project please contact
kunyalalan@gmail.com
See the full article here:
http://www.gotravel24.com/galleries/feature-focus/write-swaziland
From the Juxtapose blog:
Color Inspires Hope:” Write on Africa Travels to Swaziland for Children’s Mural
We introduced you to the inspiring work of Write on Africa earlier this summer. The non-profit initiative recently spent a week in Swaziland to develop creative solutions for NGO’s. “In a community whose future seems hopeless at times, colour inspires hope.”
Its really an honor to have a major platform like Juxtapose take interest in us and expose our story to the world.
Thanks Juxtapose ,we like you,:)
See more here:
http://www.juxtapoz.com/Current/qcolor-inspires-hopeq-write-on-africa-travels-to-swaziland-for-childrens-mural
See what the lets colour project had to say about us:
We like them alot :)
http://www.letscolourproject.com/blog/2010/09/colouring-africa/
Today was the end of a epic adventure for me and Xanele,
Not only did we inspire others but we inspired ourselves.
Our world is faced with may harsh realities and unfortunate truths,we choose to colour it in, and make somebody’s life better ,even if just for the day.
See pics from today here on our daily journal:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/travels/write-on-swaziland/day-6-mural-completed/
For more images and our daily journal please see:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/travels/write-on-swaziland/day-5-mural-day/
For more pictures and info: <http://www.writeonafrica.org/travels/write-on-swaziland/day-four/>
Other creative activists we love :)
We hope to be working with these guys sooner then later.
Haas & Hahn
Haas&Hahn; is the working title of artistic duo Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn. They started working together in 2005, when they filmed a documentary about hip hop in the favelas of Rio and São Paolo for MTV. Inspired by this visit, they embarked on a journey to bring outrageous works of art to unexpected places, starting with painting enormous murals in the slums of Brazil together with the local youth.
And so the Favela Painting project was born:
http://www.favelapainting.com
The Write on Africa blog is not only a platform to expose the work we do but that of other creative activists from around the world that we share a common goal with:
We just received this from Johnny Clauson:
WaterPrize is a large scale ArtPrize entry on a mission to provide resources and attention to the number one problem of today, the global lack of clean water. Approximately 1 out of every 8 people do not have access to clean, safe drinking water. This is not okay.
WaterPrize is an ArtPrize entry created by Johnny Clauson, Kris McNeil, and Jon Bell, who like many in their local community, are passionate about the global issue of access to clean water. Using ArtPrize as a platform to engage others, the piece exists to raise support and awareness for a new water organization called 20 Liters.
20 Liters was created as the next step in expanding the clean water initiative Mars Hill has pursued over the past 3 years in Rwanda. 20 Liters main efforts include training Rwandans to install and maintain slow-sand filters and install rainwater cisterns in Masaka, Rwanda. To date, there have been over 300 filters and nine rainwater cisterns installed, making river and swamp water drinkable for over 6000 people in that area.
The WaterPrize painting is 16 feet x 20 feet and is a 5 layer stencil painting on wood with mixed media…currently it is on display in the water pool at the Gerald R Ford Presidential museum in Grand Rapids, MI.
Please check out http://thewaterprize.com/ and http://20liters.org/ for more information.
For more images and our daily journal please see:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/travels/write-on-swaziland/
Nice article in the South African Art Times on Percey Bartley house,
Read the full article here:
http://www.arttimes.co.za/news_read.php?news_id=2468
For more images and our daily journal please see:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/travels/write-on-swaziland/
For more photo’s please click the link below
http://www.writeonafrica.org/projects/percey-bartley-house-rejuvination-project/
Here are a few pics from the first three days of prepping the house ,artists arrive to paint tomorrow.
Because we strongly believe that everyone is an artist we are inviting you to design and draw and paint a logo for us,we have decided that WOA should not have just one logo to be represented by but rather hundreds and from around the world.
As we receive new logos they will be updated here on the site and you will be credited along side your work.
Please email us your logos,just go to the contact page here:http://www.writeonafrica.org/contact/
View the GREENPOP newsletter here:
http://greenpop.org/wp-content/uploads/greenpop-email3.
Leonardo Da Vinci once said that purple increased meditation by 15%. I found this video today but just could not find a contact email address for them anywhere. With the magic of technology, I utilized Twitter to reach out to the Let’s Colour Project and now have a meeting with them whilst on my visit to London this October. I hope to convince them to support my Write On Africa project and together hopefully paint an entire township and support future Write on Africa road trips and support other projects! Why not?
The making of Lets Colour
Let’s Colour Project - Brazil documentary
Let’s Colour Project - London documentary
Let’s Colour Project - Indian documentary
Let’s Colour Project - French documentary
Dancing walls behind the scenes
Dancing walls
Just added papergirl and FAITH47 videos to the projects section:
Write on Africa is proud to announce that we have been selected as a grant recipient for Sappi Ideas that matter 2010.
Our proposal included the prospect to repaint 10 creches plus designing, printing and distributing locally relevant educational books. We have painted three creches up to now and the impact it has made is continually tremendous. By adding colour to creches, it transforms their whole educational experience. Colour theorist Kurt Goldstein emphasized its importance by stating that “colour helps guarantee normal life”.
The grant we applied for was R128 000 in total. Sappi was inspired to the extend that they are granting us with more money than we budgeted for. The amount is still to be announced.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped to make this project a success!
Reinventing charity with creativity.
When Ogilvy moved to Woodstock a couple years they adopted a charity called Percy Bartley House (PBH), a home for boys that operates out of an old house in the area. While at PBH, the boys are enrolled in school or skills training programmes and are taught life skills before being reunited with their families.Over the years the home has become run down and has lost its sense of life and colour. Ogilvy have have decided to collaborate with Write on Africa to restore life and colour into the home with wall murals done by well-known local artists.
In addition http://greenpop.org/ will be planting some trees for us.
ARTISTS
Faith47
Freddy Sam
Black Koki
351073
Mike Tymbios
Xanele van Rensburg.
Contact amy.mabin@ogilvy.co.za if you want to get involved.
VIEW PICS HERE:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/projects/percey-bartley-house-rejuvination-project/
Video courtesy of Rowan Pybus and Katharina Brinkmann of Makhulu Productions.
Music by Gary Morris(Lagos Disco Machine)
Here’s a nice little article on the founder of Write on Africa Ricky Lee Gordon,
http://10and5.com/2010/08/featured-artist-ricky-lee-gordon/#more-12197
I found author Brian K Murphy’s book called “transforming ourselves, transforming the world” a very inspirational read. Here are a few extracts out of his book that “dares us to imagine a just future”:
“The future is not determined, it is influenced by what we do now in our various communities, in our various countries and in common cause internationally - by the possibilities we envision and the actions we take to make our visions reality”
“Creative activism is driven by necessity, and by personal integrity, dignity and courage fo millions of individual citizens working together to make their world a better place”
“We need to assert in practicing ideas that contradict the irrational in today’s society,
to initiate new modes of human expression and new perceptons of human potential.
And we need to do so not because such initiatives will bring utopia, but because inaction is insane.
We choose not to “escape our freedom” but rather, to practice freedom; this act is the essence of humanness.”
“The global situation will improve; not by chance, but by active critical choice of individuals to transform their lives and their societies to ensure global justice, and the free expression of human potential”
Laetitia Petela is a single mom. She supports her two kids as well as her family in Eastern Cape, with a half day, office cleaning job.
Her dream is to run her own creche. She helped us paint Siyakhula creche in Kayamandi and we then put her in contact with someone who is helping her to start-up her own creche. She has done her creche training and is very excited and ready to start. She will continue working at the office.
Her sister will run the creche in the morning and in the afternoon she will take over.
Unfortunately she will not receive a free building, unless she quits her morning job. Laetitia’s loyalty does not allow for this. But she needs the extra income that the creche will generate. AND neither the creche nor the office job generates enough income on it’s own. She needs R3000 in order to buy the creche building herself. Which will then allow her to start her creche.
If you are interested to make a contribution towards this cause, please email xvanrensburg@gmail.com for more information.
Jonathan Nkala
Playwright, actor, poet - will be performing his autobiographical one-man play, The Crossing, at New Africa Theatre this week, 3 and 4 September. Written by Jonathan and directed by Bo Petersen, it is his story of how he left the small village of Mbizo in Zimbabwe as an economic refugee, crossed the border on foot, lived on the street and eventually built a life for himself. Payment at the door but booking essential.
Performances:
2 September 7:30 pm (SOLD OUT due to popular demand)
3 September 7:30pm
4 September 3pm & 7:30pm
Tickets:
- R60 at the door
- R40 Students
- Discount for block bookings
Contact:
Ian Bruce at 073 643 4662
Bo Petersen at 082 0800 518
Jonathan has been sponsored by a drama festival to visit the USA at the beginning of October to tour the country with The Crossing. While he’s there he wants to take the opportunity to sell his play (the book version) and the wire-and-bead figurines he sells on Camps Bay beach for a living. However, he doesn’t have money for materials as this has gone to visas etc, which will only be reimbursed upon arrival.
Jonathan needs R1500 for the materials, which he will pay back upon his return at the end of October. If anyone would like to donate/loan of any part of that amount, even if just R100, please email kiraschlesinger@gmail.com for Jonathan’s bank details.
Designs for Development have started a wonderful initiative: collecting books for Equal Education and Write on Africa’s creche project.
For more info, contact: info@d4d.co.za
Their website. http://www.d4d.co.za/
We are very excited to announce that Write on Africa’s Ricky Lee Gordon and Xanele van Rensburg will soon be embarking on a mission to Swaziland. The aim of our travels is to create a better communication strategy for a wonderful organization named Pact.
Follow the link to read more about Pact.
http://www.pactworld.org/
Pact’s mission is: “to build empowered communities, effective governments and responsible private institutions that give people an opportunity for a better life.”
Write on Africa has been hard at work on the Greenpop infinitive together with fellow creative activist Misha Teasdale who also worked on 1000 Drawings.
We love Misha and we love him even more for driving this project.
FACEBOOK FANPAGE:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/GreenPop/140517169299357
WEBSITE:
http://greenpop.org/
Heres a little video from our recent TREE HOUSE.
More here:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/news-projects/the-tree-house/:
Check out this soft news insert on the Painting Creches project.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/video/video.php?v=144983135521917&ref;=mf
(credits:Kenny Wong, Chris Kotze and the Media Village)
Write on Africa ambassadors we are proud to call friends:
Please read this amassing article on them here:
http://www.mahala.co.za/culture/hope-street/comment-page-1/#comment-29874
On Saturday 31st July, a enthusiastic group of volunteers turned up to help paint Pozie crehce. This has been the smallest creche we’ve painted to date, but the impact that colour makes is none the less massive. The problem with most creches in Kayamandi is that they don’t advertise, and their buildings are not recognizable as creches, thus by painting it, it also serves the purpose of economic empowerment for the teacher. As well as providing the children with an imaginative environment to be taught in.
This creche together with another 10 still to do has been funded by the Adidas Originals Mark Gonzales auction currently happening through /A WORD OF ART
See more here and make a bid,every R1000 we raise pays for a creche or 2 :)
http://www.a-word-of-art.co.za/exhibitions/mark-gonzales-silent-bid-at-three-stories-awoa/
For more pics please see:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/news-projects/painting-creches/
As part of the launch of GREENPOP
(A new initiative we love and are helping with from a creative side of things.)
See here:
http://greenpop.org/
A WORD OF ART studio was given a new lease on life this weekend,we hosted 35 kids from Masi Pumalenga kids community program,
With 15 dedicated volunteers the day was so simply beautifully easy.
The kids got creative and painted the posters needed to promote GREENPOP and then we served lunch and finished off with a walk in Newlands forest.
This was the prototype/pilot TREE HOUSE day ,but watch out for more as we hope to do them as weekly as possible.
Let us know if you wanna help :)
(There is another this coming Sat the 7th,so just let us know if you wanna help)
THE TREE HOUSE aims to become a place of inspiration,imagination and creativity.
Our laboratory for changing the world
:)
See more pics here:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/news-projects/the-tree-house/
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Our second creche in the painting creches series was completed on July 3rd. The creche was designed by Linsey Levendall according to a theme chosen by Sivuyile’s head teacher. The theme that was decided on was “happy local wild animals”. By the end of the day the building was unrecognizably bright. The children are ecstatic about their new creche.
A special thank you to all the volunteers and community members who, by working together, made this project a success!
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We finally started to trace the outlines of Siyakhula creche, in preparation for the big painting day we had on 16th July. Armed with a mac, a projector and some permanent markers we successfully finished it in one evening.
Saturday came, and it was a massive success. Fifteen volunteers gave it their all and we finished painting Siyakhula in one day. What was quite extraordinary was the interaction between the kids, the volunteers, and the community. Everyone had a blast! It is truly amazing what can be achieved in one day and to finally see everything coming to life. Saturday morning Siyakhula blended in with all the neighbouring buildings. Saturday evening came and Siyakhula was completely transformed.
It is remarkably rewarding to see the children’s reactions to the images on the walls. I feel privileged to have been involved in the lives of Mable, and the other people at Siyakhula.
Many thanks goes out to everyone who helped make this project a success!
A few weeks ago, I visited Sivuyile (happiness) creche, just down the road from Siyakhula creche. There I met Dorothy, teacher and owner of Sivuyile. She was ecstatic about the prospect of her creche being transformed/ repainted/ redesigned.
We are proud to present our first collaboration in the painting creches project with illustrator/designer Linsey Levendall.
Dorothy and I had a long discussion about the essence of the creche, what is unique to the creche and the environment. From our discussion it was obvious that something both Dorothy and the children find fascinating is wild animals. Thus we decided the theme for her creche would be “happy local wild animals”. Educational material to accompany this theme has many possibilities.
A brief was set up and sent to Linsey… the result in the form of a proposal can be seen below. We think Linsey did a superb job in creating a friendly design that will surely have a remaining positive effect on the children and the environment.
We are excited to start painting next week.
Photos from the exhibition available on a word of art online
NEW PROJECT INTRODUCTION BY XANELE VAN RENSBURG
I’m Xanele van Rensburg: creative activist and newly appointed ambassador for Write on Africa.
Introducing a new project: Painting Creches
See-Saw-Do is an initiative I’ve started driven by an inherent love and passion for children. The focus is kept on stimulating creative and mental growth in young minds.
The first branch of the project is repainting creches. Together with Write on Africa and sponsored by Plascon, the aim of this project is to encourage creatitivy and provide an imaginative environment for children by repainting the exterior of each creche with imagery relevant to the creche and its surrounding environment as to portray the unique qualities of each creche. The exterior of the creche should match the mental and creative stimulation that happens inside the creche.
The first creche to be repainted, Siyakhula creche, is run by Mable (mother, teacher and chef) and is situated in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch. Painting will start in June. See proposal below:
Watch this space for more updates and some collaborative work. The next creche will feature designer/illustrator Linsey Levendall from Bison.
ALMOST THERE
New draft to be issued for public comment at the end of this month
read more here:
http://www.writeonafrica.org/projects-initiatives/graffiti-by-law/
SEE THEM ALL HERE:
http://www.word-of-art.co.za/gallery/1000-drawings/
See the article from this months issue online here:
http://www.designindaba.com/news-snippet/creative-activism-takes-road
We are almost fully registered as a NGO.
Freddy Sam painted a mural and we donated left over”ego characters” from the http://www.word-of-art.co.za/ Loerie Awards “street art campaign’.
Faith47 recently participated in ARTotale which took place in Lueneburg, a tiny old town in northern Germany. The ARTotale is initiated by Rik Reinking & the Leuphana University, it invited more than 35 international artists.
For pictures of the project please visit http://just.ekosystem.org/gallery/0/gallery.html
Then Faith was off to Brussels for her show Epitaph:
9 Artists painted live at “Earth dance festival” this weekend to promote “1000 drawings”
click image to enlarge.
see Projects and Initiatives for more pics and info:
We are collaborating on a new project.
Papergirl is an art project which, in the style of american paperboys, distributes rolled art pieces by bicycle to random passers-by in the streets. It consists of an exhibition, the action (distribution of the art) and a party.
Submissions now open.
http://www.papergirl-sa.com/
The public participation process is now over.
We have handed in our submission and look forward to a positive result:. We will have an opportunity to give a visual presentation to the City of Cape Town on the 3rd of November.
Including in our proposal was the petition signed by over 2000 people,
Endorsements and letters of support from:
Design Indaba-Ravi Naidoo
VANSA-Peter Hayes
FXI-Freedom of Expression Institute
Creative Cape Town-Zayd Minty
Heart -Peter Shrimpton
Human Rights Media Centre.
Read more in the Projects and Initiatives section .
We recently traveled to the Transkei to paint murals in poor and rural areas as a case study supported by the Scrutanise campaign.
See more in the New TRAVELS section.
1000 Drawings is a very special event and fundraiser.
see ,Projects and Initiatives for more..
and http://1000drawings.co.za/
