Arts in Health South Africa

'Re-Stitching Culture' exhibitions are held in South Africa in 2018

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Mon, 07 May 2018 12:45:00 +0000

‘Re-Stitching Culture’ - reclaiming traditional practice, health and well-being, through storytelling with threads, textiles and glass beads.

Doll-making plays an intrinsic role in many indigenous cultures across the world including communities in Australia, Canada and South Africa. In all three of these cultures doll-making represents a transfer of indigenous knowledge and culture, the building of capacity, and the proud reclaiming of identity, on both a local and a collective level. The benefits of these outcomes are important in safe guarding health and well being in indigenous communities.

Through the revitalisation of such culturally generated behaviours and activities, the three projects represented in this exhibition showcase effective ways to move forward from the pain, uncertainly, and taboos experienced by indigenous communities. Together, the three projects transmit clear messages of encouragement, to continue to work collaboratively, in order to build a healthier future for subsequent generations.

The three doll genres being exhibited in South Africa are the South African Siyazama dolls, Australian Aboriginal dolls, together with First Nation Canadian dolls. In South Africa, the two exhibition are being held, funded through the National Arts Council of South Africa (NAC). The first is at the Stellenbosch University Museum (SUM) from 22 June - 13 July 2018. The official opening is on the 27th June at 6:30pm, and this will be led by Prof. Marsha MacDowel of Michigan State University Museum, USA. The second exhibition coincides with Women's Month, and will be held at the KZNSA Gallery, in Durban. The dates are from 23 July - 12 August 2018. The official opening is on the 24th July at 6:30pm, and this will be led by Emeritus Prof. Ian Sutherland.

'Re-Stitching Culture' - Australia 2017/18

Siyazama dolls join their sister dolls in Australia and Canada 2017-2019

The poster above is quick sneak preview of the 'work in progress' poster, for the SA 2018 exhibitions, designed by Graham Ray Wiles. He is a very talented graduate DUT Graphic Design BTech student, who also designed the front page of this BLOG. Look at all those logo's!

Living Legend Award

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:29:00 +0000

Prof. Kate Wells recently received the great news that she has been selected to be a recipient of Durban CIty's 'Living Legend Award' for her work in Siyazama. This award recognises people, of KwaZulu-Natal, who continue to make a difference in the lives of citizens, of the province. The ceremony took place in Durban, in September 2016. Below are two very fun videos produced by RAW Media in Durban, which show snippits of the event, the build up, and the interviews which were undertaken in the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Durban, South Africa. Meeting all the other recipients was especially exciting, as each of them was friendly, caring and very, very interesting!

Swedish Designers and Siyazama craftswomen team up to create 'Story Vases'

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:22:00 +0000

These amazing Story Vases were the vision of Renee Padt and Ikko Yokoyama, the creators of 'Editions in Craft', who worked with FRONT - a four girl design team from Sweden, and of course, the Siyazama craftswomen in Durban, South Africa. Prior to this, the BCXSY team from the Netherlands, had also worked with Siyazama to create the extraordinary COILED beaded forms.

The Siyazama women enjoyed both of these creative, unusual, processes a lot, which eventually placed their work in some of the most prestigious design platforms in Europe, in Japan, and in the USA. In New York City, I was thrilled to view both of these forms at the Museum of Art and Design (MAD) in Columbus Circle! The press cover was massive with coverage in numerous publications, such as Ethnic, De Zeen, Svenska Dagbladt, WE Magazine, L Officiel, Madame Figaro (Japan), TimeOut Moscow, LA Times, LA at Home, South African Home & Garden, New York Times, AXIS Japan, and Form in Worldly Things.

I was also lucky to be invited to watch the glass blowing practice at Konstfact Art and Design School in Stockholm, Sweden, in the making of the Story Vases. The process began in Durban, South Africa, with the Siyazama women being interviewed by FRONT. They were asked questions about what they most desire in their lives. The women responded most enthusiastically, to this enquiry, and their verbal responses were printed, and eventually beaded onto a fine wire grid. This 3D grid was posted to Sweden, where the molten glass was dropped into it and the beautiful Story Vases were created.

Ikko and Renee checking the form

Swirling the molten glass

Molten glass is blown into beaded shape

Molten glass dropped into beaded form

STORY VASES on exhibition in Sweden

Fully beaded COILED SHAPE

Fully beaded COILED shapes

Ikko and Renee making the beaded shapes ready to be filled with molten glass.

Collaborative art and health workshop at The Eerde School in Deventer, Holland in 2015.

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Wed, 18 May 2016 11:36:00 +0000

Elmarie Buys, art teacher extraordinaire for over ten years, at the International Eerde School, in Ommen, outside of Deventer in Holland, invited Peter Durieux, Frank Jooste, Neville Poulter and me, Kate Wells, to stage a one-day multidisciplinary workshop with her art students. The venue was the art room, a beautiful glass construction, called the orangery. Of interest, is that all five of us met at art school back in 1970-1973, in East London, South Africa, and have been friends ever since. Three live in Europe (Ireland, Holland and France) and two live in Cape Town, South Africa. The name 'Tonkers' was coined, I believe by Neville, a long way back, and this name has stuck! The Tonkers continue to meet, to practice their art forms, as well as to share experiences, and to support each other, mostly through creative art.

Neville took the students outside, and taught them how to 'look', and paint landscapes, with fresh eyes.

Elmarie shows us around the studio and explains her practises.

Hugely creative classes in art - a student shows off her portfolio.

Kate gives a talk on Arts and Medicine practices, as well as updating the students on the Siyazama Project, in South Africa.

Lucky art students work in such a lovely inspirational venue.

Encouraging the young artists to think about Arts and Medicine activities.

Kate gets the students involved in twisting, shaping and designing with chenille sticks. Some amazing results!

Frank shares knowhow on watercolor techniques.

Peter encourages new techniques in painting.

Neville encourages new ideas around landscapes, and how to capture one's immediate surroundings in paint.

It was such a blessing being in this extremely creative environment!

Kate explains the theory and practice which talks to the Siyazama Project.

This student was delighted with her landscape.

Peter, Neville and Frank absorbed in their practice.

The headmistress of Eerde International School pays us a visit!

We all loved to work with Elmarie's art students - so receptive and engaged!

A quick visual review of Arts in Medicine activities in Cape Town, and Oissily, France 2015.

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Mon, 16 May 2016 17:04:00 +0000

A week of art, painting, brain dancing, singing and French cuisine with Tonkers at Oissily, France. Neville Poulter in pic.

Peter Durieux

Frank Jooste

Elmarie Buy's Eerde School art students outside of Deventer, Netherlands.

Cape Gate oncology out-patients.

Kuils River Hospital oncology out-patients.

Fabulous neckpiece!

Baby's Art and Play with brain dancing, art, singing, dancing and loads of fun!

Tonkers brain dancing in Oissily.

Toddler and nanny fun!

Toddler and nanny fun.

Baking with toddlers and nanny's.

'Bedsides' at the University of Florida and Shands Medical Hospital, Gainesville, Fl, USA

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Mon, 16 May 2016 10:48:00 +0000

I returned to the University of Florida, to the Center for Arts in Medicine, in June 2016, to further engage in an intensive participation, focussing on 'bedsides' primarily, and the far reaching benefits of this activity.

'Bedsides' is an arts in medicine healthcare activity originated by University of Florida, and Shands Medical Hospital, Gainesville, Fl.

In Arts in Medicine, and according to Jill Sonke, Director of the Center for Arts in Medicine, ‘we see health not simply as the absence of illness, but as a state of being which gives each of us the opportunity to live to our fullest potential. Through an interdisciplinary holistic and creative approach to health, we engage the arts as a means to optimize opportunities both locally and globally’.

Arts in Medicine works to support biomedical and nursing activities by assisting patients, at the 'bedside' or in waiting/reception rooms, in order to alleviate stress, and engages with the patient on a one-on-one basis through a range of arts activities. These can include drawing, painting, story telling, oral histories, photography, music, singing and movement, improvisation ‘improv’ theatre amongst others, at the 'bedside'.

Historically, rock art images were intended as healing, spiritual messages. It is also well known that art is used to express our humanity, the divine and the mysteries that shape our worlds. Animism is the belief that there is spirit in everything. The Egyptians had a very embedded system of biomedical medicine, which included animistic healing in the form of amulets, etc. Research shows that the idea of ‘hospitals’ can be directly attributed to Islam who lead the way between the 8th and 9th Century.

So what is it about the arts that may contribute to healing at the 'bedside'?

Healing can occur through active use of the mind in developing or focussing on imagery. Using images with an intention, and the use of the arts as a method of transcendence, can impact healing in a positive manner.

The pioneering work of Dr. Robert Adler (1975) and Dr. Candace Pert, is worth researching, as both investigated the role of what is happening in the mind, directly affects our body.

It’s worth mentioning that Leonardo da Vinci (famous artist) dissected the body, and by doing so, furthered the biomedical knowledge of doctors who learnt more about the body. Of importance, there is no point in our history, which does not recognize the arts as part of healing.

I have had personal experience of this 'bedside' activity, working as an artist, and know that the health benefits are insurmountable. The patient is transported, for a short period of time, into a creative world allowing, them to engage in their own creative 'spike'.

On my return, and thanks to Barbara Poulter, who is Cape Town based, and knowledgeable and active in breast cancer therapies and support, I met with two hospital staff members who both showed keenness in staging interactive art and health workshops with their cancer surviving outpatients. We (together with my twin sister Debby O'Connor, and my husband Bob Wells) staged about five or six very fun interactive sessions in 2015. It was refreshing to be part of such inspirational groups, and we have a common wish for this work to continue into the future, so as to be in line with over 60% of the hospitals in the USA and in the UK. I will publish some pictures from these events.

REPORT and Artist in Residence program- my plan to star burst it into SA hospitals

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 11:28:00 +0000

REPORT on my attendance at the 2014 Arts in Medicine Summer Intensive

July 7 -18

With the University of Florida and Shands Hospital, Gainesville, Florida. USA

Locations: Classrooms 133 and 451: UF Cancer & Genetics Research Complex (Genetics Institute), 2033 Mowry Road, UF. CCRC: Criser Cancer Resource Center, Shands Cancer Hospital, 1515 SW Archer Road, room 1302. McGuire G-13 and G-13: McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion, Museum Road & McCarty Drive, UF

I am deeply grateful to the DUT for making this experience possible for me. I not only enjoyed learning much about the intersections and applications of Arts in Medicine, but importantly, I got to terms with how the disciplines and practice of Art Therapy, and Arts in Medicine, have some outward similarities yet clearly differ in their quests, and in their outcomes.

In short, Art Therapy is about a clinical approach with distinct biomedical and mental health approaches. In Arts in Medicine, and according to Jill Sonke of the Center for Arts in Medicine, ‘we see health not simply as the absence of illness, but as a state of being which gives each of us the opportunity to live to our fullest potential. Through an interdisciplinary holistic and creative approach to health, we engage the arts as a means to optimize opportunities both locally and globally’. Arts in Medicine works to support biomedical and nursing activities by assisting patients, at the bedside or in waiting/reception rooms, in order to alleviate stress, and engages with the patient on a one-on-one basis through a range of arts activities. These can include drawing, painting, story telling, oral histories, photography, music, singing and movement, improvisation ‘improv’ theatre amongst others, at the bedside. In addition, projects can entail mural painting by patients, their families and nurses, photographic installations and healthy environment design.

Terminology, Prevalence and Professionalism: Distinctions and boundaries of Practice:

Arts and Health –encompasses all the disciplines that engage the arts for health. Under this topic fall two areas of practice, namely;

Arts Therapies – these are clinicians, who deal with emotions, set clinical goals and evaluate outcomes,

Arts in Medicine practitioners – these are creatives who engage in the arts in healthcare settings and fields to enhance health and wellness, and improve the healthcare environment. A common understanding is that patients, their families and nurses like to be heard.

Hospitals and Arts in Medicine programs

Artist in residence programs, environmental and art collections, performing arts, arts and education (credits for long stays), caring for caregivers, and volunteer art programs.
Artists in pediatric and adult oncology wards, and gerontology - recording oral histories of patients and their families.
ER rooms – music and art making, amongst others.

Historically, rock art images were intended as healing, spiritual messages. It is also well known that art is used to express our humanity, the divine and the mysteries that shape our worlds. Animism is the belief that there is spirit in everything. The Egyptians had a very embedded system of biomedical medicine, which included animistic healing in the form of amulets, etc. Research shows that the idea of ‘hospitals’ can be directed attributed to Islam who lead the way between the 8^th and 9^th Century.

So what is it about the arts that may contribute to healing?

Healing can occur through active use of the mind in developing or focussing on imagery. Using images with an intention, and the use of the arts as a method of transcendence, can all impact healing in a positive manner. In addition, and as I made use of in the Siyazama Project, with the use of the arts as metaphor or symbol showed clear evidence that indeed impacted health and healing.

The pioneering work of Dr. Robert Adler (1975) and Dr. Candace Pert, is worth researching, as both investigated the role of what’s happening in the mind directly affects our body.

Important readings:

Making Special (Ellen Dissanayake)

Flow (Csikszentminalyi – FLOW THEORY)

Psycho (Adler)

Self-Transcendence (Reed)

Stages of Creatvity (Wallas)

Stages of Ritual (Achterberg)

Four Bridges (Sonke and Brandman)

What is Art for? (Ellen Dissanayake)

Mans search for meaning (Victor Franklin)

Brain Dance (Anne Green Gilbert - www.creativedance.org)

Rituals of Healing (Acheterberg, Dossey, and Kolkmeier)

Creative Arts Therapies (www.nccata.com)

Creative Aging (www.estanyc.org)

Dance for Parkinson Disease (www.danceforpd.com)

Run Lola Run (short film)

Flow Theory: Spurs relaxation response, more blood and oxygen going to organs and brain, sustained flight or fight causes illness. Flow state is the domain of the artist. In the Arts and Health origins for the 21^st Century, the hippies are believed to be the forebears of these sensibilities when they were searching for change, and seeking access for everybody to the arts. Research has reported clear evidence that music aids recovery in premature babies, trauma patients are encouraged to record stressful events in a diary, being in nature aids recovery and moving, dancing, singing, laughing and playing all improve health. In short, taking theatre off the stage, and straight to the bedside.

In a projects beyond the hospital and titled ‘Vital Visionaries’, young medical students meet and work with older folks before they get sick. ‘Arts and the Military’ began as a project in order to assist soldiers returning from 2^nd World War and Vietnam. In all of these projects, patients are seen as whole and not broken.

Core Values in the Arts in Medicine fields:

· Can improve health at key moments,

· Whole person care,

· Can transform healthcare environments to a place of beauty and healing,

· Participant autonomy and participant choice (patients may say ‘no’)

· Beneficence and nonmaleficence (do no harm)

· Competence and capacity to excel

· Creativity

· Diversity

· Inclusion

· Integrity

· Respect

· Professionalism

Professional Pathways:

· Practicing artist, artist in residence, guest artist, visiting artist, arts practitioner.

· Arts Therapist (mental health professional)

· Arts Program Coordinator (hospital based, community based, outside agency based)

· Grant Writer

· Healthcare/Healing environment design

· Professional Caregiver

· Educator

· Researcher

· Others

Artist in Residence (up to 20 hours per week)

· Short term, long term

· Volunteering

· Exhibiting

· Performing

“We help connect patients with the places within themselves that are still well” and we offer “therapy which is not considered therapeutic” Jenny Lee.

Authentic and sustainable self-care: Self-care for caregivers and the road to preventing compassion fatigue was a big topic. Recognizing compassion fatigue, in oneself, is important for burnout. Web site www.compassionfatigue.com also warns of STS or Secondary Traumatic Stress and how to be resilient.

Ethical Dilemmas was another big topic for working in hospitals. One needs to develop ethical sensitivity, define dilemmas and options, refer at all times to professional standards, apply ethical principles to all situations, consult with supervisor and respected colleagues, deliberate and decide. Finally, always reflect on experience.

In a ‘Dancing for Life’ program, we danced and sang loudly with Parkinson patients. This was an absolute highlight for me! I also took part in a photo shoot with two very pregnant expectant mums at the bedside. This taught me the importance of keeping all equipment sterile, and how imperative it is to wipe down everything between patients.

Program Planning based on the thinking of Ponsioen (1962) – who adds arts at all levels - and the work of Maslow were discussed. Using tools such as CDCynergy and MAPP were deemed most appropriate when planning for community health programs. Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols needs to be adhered to. Evaluations are very necessary but not to be undertaken too soon. Arts based methods in health research at the University of British Colombia is currently seen as the leader in this field of research. They encourage use of photo-voice and ethnography in gathering stories (Staricoff, 2004).

I attended a specialist Arts and Aging program with Rusti Brandman and I found this most enlightening. She spoke of the ‘graying of the population’ and how retirement planning is essential. Erik Erikson’s theory of the life cycle is important, as is the work of Jean Cohen whose work takes a close look into the four stages of post-midlife brain development.

Stage one: Midlife re-evaluation (35-65),

Stage two: Liberation stage,

Stage three: Summing up – more synergy between left and right brain hemispheres,

Stage four: called ‘encore’ – celebration stage.

The funding of Arts in Medicine programs with the aging population is cheaper in the long run: it reduces dependence of patients (assists nurses to nurse), creates independence promotes gerontology (study of aging) and encourages reminiscence modeling. This work engages lifelong learning, social and civic engagement, sequential learning, which directly targets dementia. Reminiscence, imaginative storytelling, self-enquiry, skills building for sense of accomplishment, themes honoring presence of self are all great themes and they should all be cross generational interactions. Dance and singing, and the contemplative arts such as yoga (which encourages mindfulness) and breathing exercises can collectively, and directly, improve balance and memory.

Important on-line resources:

www.creativeaging.org

www.estanyc.org

www.timeslips.org

www.aftaarts.org

www.songwritingworks.org

www.danceexchange.org

Arts in Medicine from the clinical perspective: Narrative medicine makes medicine and doctors more humanistic. Medical students tend to battle with the integration component of patients, both young and old. A fourth year medical student told us that his love of playing the guitar had rescued him from a very troubled upbringing. He believes he gives his patients ‘a voice’. Arts in Medicine practices promote humanism with its particular approach. The panel and feedback reports clearly state that the patients definitely do have better hospital experiences when engaging with Arts in Medicine approaches and activities. Its helps in self-care, too. Most believe that biomedicine is simply not enough. Of note, was the point about the costly and inadequate ‘end of life care’ experience with very sick aged folk, and how misleading this approach can be whilst in a medical facility. It is also highly expensive.

Important Readings:

Adolescence and Dying - Rebecca Brown

TED.MED

My grandfathers Blessing – Rachael Ramon

Teachers Everywhere – Rachael Ramon

In all of the above situations it is the nurses who tend to take the brunt of the patient caring work. Yet, there is evidence that nurses are now choosing to work at hospitals that have Arts in Medicine offerings, as opposed to those hospitals, which do not. This supports retention, and nurses can spend more time nursing.

In addition, we volunteered to take part in a 2 hour Pilot HPNP Public Health test that is intended to be rolled out as a form of Certification for this field eventually.

My Presentation on the 10^th July 2014 at the Haan Museum in Gainesville, Fl:

I was invited to present on the latest insights into my work on the Siyazama Project and I titled my talk ‘ART, Aids and Education: Insights into the rural craft Siyazama Project

My immediate Intention:

I intend to get an ‘Artist in Residence’ program up and running at hospitals, here to begin with, in Cape Town. I am so lucky to have the backing of all the specialist folk from the University of Florida and Shands medical hospital, namely Jill Sonke and Jenny Lee, of the Center for Arts in Medicine, who are very willing to assist with this new project. I also have numerous contacts with regard artists, musicians and dancers all of whom may be willing to volunteer this work. I have put in for funding through the DUT Faculty of Arts and Design, and also have some funding of my own which I may use to get the initial set-up undertaken. I have medical contacts in Cape Town through whom I am spearheading this idea at present

I would love to get some reaction from the DUT with regard their opinions to this work. I feel compelled to undertake this project as a starburst program that can easily be rolled out to all hospitals in the country.

Regards

Prof. Kate Wells

Email: kate@katewells.org

13th Annual Arts in Healthcare Summer Intensive at the University of Florida: July 7-18, 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 11:22:00 +0000

Prof. Kate Wells is excited to be attending this program at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fl, USA, in July 2014. The Arts in Healthcare Summer Intensive is a comprehensive training program for artists, caregivers, administrators, students, educators and others who wish to explore the roles of the arts in healthcare fields and settings.

The program includes workshops in the history, philosophy and physiology of art and healing, experiential workshops in the visual arts, music, dance, theatre and writing, workshops in compassion fatigue and self-care, facilitating the arts at the bedside, arts in healthcare program implementation, administration, and grant writing, research, and practical bedside arts experience with the Shands Arts in medicine program.

The intensive includes new online modules including Patient Safety, Understanding the Experience of Illness, Healthcare Culture, and Healthcare Communication.

Prof. Kate Wells to present her third Keynote in Bristol June 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:01:00 +0000

Prof. Kate Wells, Research Professor at the Durban University of Technology, is to give her third Keynote address in Bristol at the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Conference between 24th- 26th June 2013. She has been invited to talk about her ongoing work in the Siyazama Project in South Africa.

Of interest, Prof's Marsha Macdowell and Kurt Dewhurst, of Michigan State University Museum, in East Lansing, Michigan, were recently in Durban with Kate. Great news is that they will be returning to the USA with the beadwork collection of the Siyazama Project. This collection includes beaded jewellery, beaded cloth dolls and beaded tableaus. Whist in South Africa, they had an important meeting with UKZN Press, in Pietermaritzburg, and have been given the go-ahead to produce a further book on the project. This time it will be a 'coffee table glossy', which aims to reveal much about the tableau collection of Siyazama. Work will begin on this immediately.

Kate is also writing a Chapter for a new book by Oxford University Press also within the arts in health realm.

Linda and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington July 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:23:00 +0000

What a wonderful adventure I have been on with the “Orphan Tower”! We were invited to attend the 46^th Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC and the Tower was part of the “Common Threads “exhibit which had pride of place on the National Mall.

It was the most amazing experience looking to the South and seeing the Washington Memorial and to the North, the Stately Capitol buildings- all on our front lawns!! An awe inspiring image I will remember forever! Flanked on both sides by the some of the most beautiful, interesting Museums in the world – we were in very impressive company!

The festival program included “The creativity in Crisis : Unfolding the AIDS Memorial Quilt”. It was a deeply moving looking out over the hundreds of quilts laid out every day, as memorials to those loved ones who had died of AIDS. For two weeks, we had the names of people who had succumbed to this disease, called out in their memory. The names echoed around the Mall, and thousands of names rang out for the entire two weeks of the show, a constant reminder of the devastating loss of life that AIDS has caused. We all took time to read a page of names, and it was a very humbling feeling acknowledging someone’s child, lover, friend or partner who had gone, but was not going to be forgotten.

The “Orphan Tower “ created huge interest. On seeing the Tower, visitors initial happy reactions were often jolted into shock, sadness or quiet contemplation, once it became evident that the bright little dolls represented orphans. We, in South Africa, have become almost numb to the staggering statistics but for the visitors it was shocking and disturbing.

The visitors loved to see Lobolile, and Beauty, as they created the beautiful dolls, and the children were thrilled to be included and allowed to bead their own little bracelets and necklaces, with the guidance of the two women. The products were so appreciated by everyone, and the Market place allowed for a steady flow of product sales throughout the exhibition.

One of the biggest challenges was the heat wave. The USA had not experienced such temperatures since 1895. The temperatures were over 40 degrees every day and the humiture was excessive. I had never experienced such intense weather before, and being outdoors all day was quite draining. Our fabulous volunteers kept the ice water flowing, and the copious liters of water kept us all hydrated. The best way to cool down was to spend lunch breaks wandering through air conditioned galleries. Just fabulous!

The heat buildup was so intense it had to break, and break it did! A hectic storm broke one night, and with the same intensity as a mini hurricane, it swept through the festival flattening all but one or two of the tents!!! The little orphan dolls were found scattered far and wide as the Tower had crashed down with the tent. Fortunately, the Barrow’s engineers had constructed a very sound structure, and we managed to patch it up as best we could. The festival was speedily built up again and the show could go on!

I have returned with precious memories! I met interesting people from all cultures. I spent wonderful times with the women from the Kesikamma project. They were such a great team to be part of. David Gere and his team from UCLA were hugely supportive and caring. His photographic workshop, “Through Positive Eyes “was inspiring and spending time with them all was very special. The highlight was the documentary filmed in the “Common Threads” exhibition Space. We were interviewed along with David Gere, and I believe the documentary will have many possibilities for viewing throughout the USA.

The Smithsonian team was incredible. Big thanks to Arlene and Emma and the whole team who supported and helped us all. Kurt and Marsha from Michigan State University were a huge part of the success of the festival and I am deeply grateful for all their help and care.

The “Orphan Tower “ went onto an exhibit at the World AIDS conference in Washington, and is now going to be travelling from Michigan State University Museum to other Universities around the US.

David Gere being interviewed on site, in front of the Tower, at the Festival

Beauty Ndlovu from Siyazama Project was with Linda in Washington

Linda working hard on keeping the Tower in shape!

As Linda has said "the dolls are spreading the message in true Siyazama style “!

A huge BIG thank you to Linda for being a real doll and for working so hard for Siyazama Project! Thank you Linda from all in Siyazama Project :)

Cloth and Bead Children: Unpacking the Orphan Tower by Emma Louise Backe

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:27:00 +0000

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Cloth and Bead Children: Unpacking the Orphan Tower

by Emma Louise Backe

Dolls from the Orphan Tower represent children orphaned by AIDS.

Among the 2012 Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s numerous attractions, perhaps the most globally germane exhibition was the Common Threads tent in the Creativity and Crisis section. Common Threads included several art pieces, all shipped from different regions of South Africa, including work by the Keiskamma Art Project and the Siyazama Project. South Africa has the largest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world: a staggering 3.7 million of its residents infected, not to mention the millions of others affected by the pandemic. The tent was curated in conjunction with The NAMES Project Foundation and the UCLA Art and Global Health Center, and is an extension of their dedication to spreading AIDS awareness and relief. The featured pieces expand the focus of the AIDS pandemic, reemphasizing the global scale of the disease’s desolation and reminding visitors that though ARV treatment has been developed, AIDS persists and remains a pressing issue around the world.

As tourists, D.C. natives, and visitors explored the Common Threads tent, their eyes seemed to fall immediately on the Orphan Tower, a ten-foot high structure of dangling dolls, each artfully and intricately fashioned by South African bead-workers. Children were eager to touch and caress the dolls, which are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and parents murmured about how cute they are. When they learned that each doll represents a child orphaned due to AIDS in a single village, their faces fell, suddenly tender with emotion for the doll clasped in their hands. The Tower, apart from its visually striking and evocative appearance, forced its audiences to face the sheer gravity and scale of the AIDS pandemic, a topic discussed for so many years ad nauseum, resulting perhaps in the banalization of the issue. We can recite the numbers and countries most affected, but as Paul Farmer notes in his book AIDS and Accusation: Haiti and the Geography of Blame,“Knowledge of suffering cannot be conveyed in pure facts and figures, reportings that objectify the suffering of countless persons. The horror is not only its immensity but the faces of the anonymous victims who have little voice, let alone rights, in history.”

The Oprhan Tower sits in the middle of the Common Threads tent.

Not only is the Orphan Tower a commentary on the anonymity of those impacted by HIV/AIDS, it also provides a physical representation—a tangible demonstration of the pandemic’s toll on a particular population in South Africa—in this case, the large number of orphans in Dannhauser Village. The faces of the dolls are blank, and but for the different colors of fabric used, they are essentially interchangeable. These small dolls, so numerous and precariously placed on their tower, always vulnerable to tumbling to the ground, inevitably provoked questions; visitors wondered about who takes care of the children, why their parents didn’t survive, whether the orphans too have AIDS. The Common Threads tent hoped to address these concerns, among others. The curators and artists who worked in this tent were interacting daily with Festival visitors and highlighting issues of access and disclosure, stigma and silence, and the human element behind the horrifying numbers. Visitors also had to address the difficult problem of how to talk about the Orphan Tower with their children, how to juggle euphemisms and linguistic evasions while trying to give a name to the suffering of the orphans. It is not an easy thing to speak of, even when we have the words with which to do so, and the visiting women who made the dolls, Lobolile Ximba and Beauty Ndlovu, do not speak English fluently, so they relied heavily on their art to communicate. But these dolls are also gifts, designed with love and care as objects of remembrance to be cherished, as touchstones for empathy and education formed from the subtle weight of memory.

Emma Backe is an intern at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, where she has been working on the Creativity and Crisis program. She is a rising senior at Vassar College, where she studies anthropology and English literature.

WITNESS, 19 January 2012 - Aids Education Through Art

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:49:00 +0000

AIDS Education Through Art
The A.R.T. Show aims to highlight the pandemic's effects on ordinary people
By Estelle Sinkins for Witness

One of the most striking and moving works in The A.R.T. Show at the Tatham Art Gallery is the tower of tiny beaded dolls, made by the crafters of the Siyazama Project. The work aims to make a statement about the huge numbers of Aids orphans in South Africa, and the impact those numbers have on the communities where the children live. At last count, South Africa is believed to have 3,7 million Aids orphans â€” a number the project founder, professor Kate Wells, describes as "terrifying”.

Wells, the Masters course in graphic design leader at the Durban University of Technology, said they were approached by Durban's Carol Brown and David Gere of the Make Art/Stop Aids Foundation, and a professor at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), to make the piece for The A.R.T. Show, which aims to highlight the current HIV/ Aids pandemic in southern Africa and how it affects the lives of ordinary people, especially when it comes to access to treatment.

"The Siyazama Project was invited to submit an artwork, and it was decided together with Carol Brown and Linda Rethman to create a tower," Wells said.

"Siyazama craftswomen have produced hundreds of small, beautifully beaded child-figure dolls, that collectively make a strong statement about the statistics with regard to the Aids orphans in South Africa. Our aim is to make sense of these statistics visually through an installation, from which it is hoped should build awareness of the growing inhumane calamity in our part of the world We see it as a call to action.”

Lobolile Ximba, Sbongile Ximba, Celani Noijeza, Tholiwe Sitole and Beauty Ndlovu took between four and five weeks to make the 600 dolls, for the Child Tower. "They made about 100 baby dolls each," Wells said, "and then Rethman got a commission from the craft shop at 0. R. Tambo Airport to make another tower.”

To help keep costs down, Siyazama has used donations of fabric, wool and beads from supporters Duane van Tonder at Saprotex International in the Eastern Cape and Mo Peer from G+M The Peers Company in Durban, among others.

"Glass beads, and most especially the Czech variety from Jablonex, are becoming increasingly expensive. Nonetheless, we all love them and treasure them, so we were mindful that we needed to come up with a solution to this problem. The Siyazama Project dolls are prized because of their rich beadwork ... and the donations meant we not only hit our target of 600 with ease, but were able to continue with our aim to produce the child-figure dolls endlessly.”

They were also assisted by Richard Barrows and his design team, who helped come up with a flatpack, collapsible tower, which will be easy to transport and reassemble, wherever the exhibition is staged.

The A.R.T. Show which also includes works by South Africans William Kentridge, Andrew Verster, Sara Anjargolian from Armenia, American Daniel Goldstein and Gideon Mendel from the United Kingdom will remain at the Tatham Art Gallery until the end ofJanuary, after which the exhibition will move to KZNSA Gallery in Bulwer Road, Durban, where it will be staged until March. There are then plans for it to go to Cape Town and Johannesburg and to the World Aids Conference in Washington D. C.

"We are really excited about this inclusion, as it not only means a boost for the Siyazama project bead workers, and the sales of their baby dolls, but also it will grow our cause in a big way!" Wells said.

For more information on the project, e-mail katew@dut.ac.za

The Siyazama Project named by the women involved and meaning "we are trying" in Zulu was launched in 1998, with the aim of improving the marketability of the crafts made by those involved, and recognising that rural women are often the sole providers for their families. The women use their beaded dolls to speak out about the insecurities, rumours, threats and fears, which continue to swirl around the Aids pandemic in SA. In an environment where discussion on intimate matters, sex and love is considered largely taboo, this method provides them with a way to use their voices.

The project has produced a new book, Siyazama: Art, Aids, Education in South Africa, which is a joint collaborative effort between Michigan State University in the United States and the Durban University of Technology. The book, which has been published by UKZN Press, chronicles the origins and the broad range of activities in the Siyazama Project. The photography in the book was provided by Kevin Goss-Ross, Xavier Vahed, Tom Wells and Annie Behalla, and the contributors included Professor Ian Sutherland, Professor Marsha MacDowell, Professor Kurt Dewhurst, Dr Ken Netshiombo, Professor Jackie Guille, Dr Marit Dewhurst, Mike White and Tony Reilly.

Supplied. arts@witness.co.za

Editions in Craft and FRONT are returning to work with Siyazama project in 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 08:01:00 +0000

Renee and Ikko have just informed me that the funding proposal for them to work with FRONT and the Siyazama Project, has again been approved! This is very good news as it will mean that further design development activity will take place in 2012, with the glass and beaded Story Vases, which have caused a major stir in the design world! The worldwide interest in these special artifacts has been crazy! This funding will mean that 'Editions in Craft' can work closely with the rural craftswomen, once more, but this time closely focused on producing a Story Vase which may also find a market right here in South Africa. We are all excited!

Ikko working with Siyazama Project

Orphan Tower gets the go-ahead for Washington World AIDS Conference mid 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 07:07:00 +0000

Carol Brown and David Gere are currently making plans to include the stunning Orphan Tower into the 'Make Art, Stop AIDS' art exhibition which is accompanying the Washington World Aids Conference planned for mid 2012. We are really excited about this inclusion, as it not only means a boost for the Siyazama project bead workers, and the sales of their baby dolls, but also it will grow our cause in a big way!

Kate, Linda and Carol during the Tatham Art Gallery set-up.

Close-up of the 650 baby dolls!

Professor Jackie Guille in Durban!

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:54:00 +0000

Prof. Jackie Guille, Research Professor at the University of Northumbria, London, was recently in Durban. Jackie was just returning from being a Key Note speaker at the recent Design Research Conference held at CPUT (our sister UoT!) in Cape Town.

At the City Campus of Durban University of Technology (DUT), she met up with two Siyazama project beaded cloth doll makers. They were Lobolile Ximba and her daughter Sbongile Ximba (mother of beautiful twin babies, a girl and a boy!). Both Lobs and her daughter were on their way to attend the Mphumalanga Art and Craft Market near Nelspruit. This market is becoming more and more popular on the South African craft map, as it provides the most unusual crafters with the potential to travel to the USA, to market and sell at the classic and famous Santa Fe Market in New Mexico. Lobs has done this twice, and we are forever hoping she will be invited again, and soon!

I photographed them against the new graf work done by my current BTech Graphic Design student Dane Knudsen. Dane is fascinated with all sorts of graf street art, and typography, and for his degree, he has designed a whole new alphabet on the stairwell wall at the entrance to City Campus! Fabulous work Dane!

Jackie is due back in Durban in February 2012 as part of a Visiting Professor award in the Department of Visual Communication Design / Graphic Design programme. She will work with both our Master's and Hons students during this time, as well as undertake rural craft research updates in the province.

Sbongile, Jackie and Lobolile in front of the B + C of Dane's alphabet

Jackie, Sbongile and Lobolile in front of the U!

Secret reveal!

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:47:00 +0000

The Durban University of Technology is transforming its image and it has Workspace, our very own on site hotshot Graphic Design studio, very busy doing this amazing job of work. Siyazama Project has been involved too, of course!

We were asked to bead 260 pen covers for a special conference on campus, and these have been done in the fab new colours. Each colour represents a Faculty. Beauty and Celani, plus their daughters, both called Princess, were involved in this undertaking! Linda and I were so excited to see how they managed to sort out the type for the pens. Definitely not too easy a task, but they are such experts, and simply changed the bead stitch to accommodate this information!

Here they are!

Beauty, Princess and Celani in my office October 2011

Celani

Bead and wool donations from East London!

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:20:00 +0000

Linda with Celani

Linda has just reported on some amazing news for our project! Three big boxes of hundreds of beads have arrived with 480 balls of wool! This is awesome! It is all from Duane Van Tonder at Saprotex International in the Eastern Cape. They even couriered them to her! The beads were from a project that never got off the ground properly and so they have given them all to us – Whooppee!

Celani Noijeza from Nuyaswa has been with Siyazama since 1996

Beauty Ndlovu has also been with Siyazama since mid 1990's

Carol Brown is the international curator working with David Gere in this project - with Celani

Cute little child figure dolls!

This means that we will not only hit our target of 600 with ease, it also means we will continue with our aim to produce the child figure dolls endlessly! Barrows in Durban have very kindly offered help and assistance with a marketing plan which will grow our idea of making a very loud and clear statement about the AIDS orphan situation, here, in Southern Africa.

Check these out! Child figure beaded dolls made by Lobolile Ximba

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:34:00 +0000

Lobolile

When Lobolile Ximba popped in this week, with her small child figure dolls, we knew something special was happening in the beaded cloth doll making enterprise!

Linda and I have, for a while now, wanted to come up with a beautiful Siyazama doll, which had far fewer glass beads, as embellishments. This is something that the current and local economic environment has tossed our way! Glass beads, and most especially the Czech variety from Jablonex, are becoming increasingly expensive. Nonetheless, we all love them and treasure them, so we were mindful that we needed to come up with a solution to this problem. The Siyazama Project dolls are prized because of their rich beadwork.

When the David Gere A.R.T. project emerged we decided that this was the time to make our changes. The child figure dolls are small, around 7cms high, and we need 600 of them to complete our tower. We decided that we would ask the craftswomen to cover most of the figure with fabric, and then to add the beadwork intrinsically and significantly, and in places where glass beads will be noticed and acknowledged.

This way we got to use the wonderful Jablonex glass beads and the small dolls are looking very cute and child-like!

A variety of child figure dolls covered with fabric!

New images of the orphan child project

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:06:00 +0000

Linda and Celani on the floor of my office with the cute baby doll figures!

The bags of fabric from Mo!

UMCEBO TRUST doing wonderful work with refugees in Durban!

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:51:00 +0000

Recent images from the Umcebo tapestry project at Refugee Social Services, Durban.

Amazing work Robin!

Contact Robin Opperman at:
Cell: 083 7933408
Email: robin@umcebotrust.co.za
Skype: robinumcebo
Facebook: Umcebo Design or Robin Opperman
Etsy: umcebodesign.etsy.com
LinkedIn: Robin Opperman

Some fun discussions on the Tower have begun!

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:20:00 +0000

Yesterday Carol and Keith popped into my office to see the latest bunch of sample baby child figure dolls brought in by Celani and Beauty. Their child figure dolls are quite lovely and are already taking on a whole host of child-like personalities. Some are waving, some have hair up in pony tails, some of the boys have short cropped modern hair styles, and their clothing is stunning!

Linda received an amazing donation of fabrics from the kindest man in Durban! He is Mo Peer from G+M 'The Peers Company' in Durban. He gave her bags of coloured shwe shwe, and a host of other printed fabrics, all very appropriate to child clothing. Thank you Mo!

Keith got us all going on the look and feel of the actual tower, on which the 600 dolls will stand. Linda and I joined our Graphic Design staff for coffee after this meeting, and we were given such great advice from numerous creative minds, in a very short space of time! Its our intention that the tower should be 'invisible' and that the child figure dolls should stand out boldly, and get all the attention from the multiple audiences which will see them. By the way, Carol shared with us that this A.R.T. exhibition will go to various countries in Africa, as well as being finally put in place at the World AIDS Conference in Washington in mid 2012!

Prof. Ian Sutherland and Rick Andrew, my colleagues, have both contributed significantly with the context of this tower. Ian has suggested that we use wording something like this to describe our intention: 'Towers of strength creating humane villages.' We love this!

I will make a fun Chickenman Mkise sign to display this. Linda wants a large size makoti doll standing right there too. So all good so far! Siyazama Project on the move, again!

Below is an idea of high tall the tower will be...nonetheless, it will not be at an angle like the image depicts. It will be straight up!

Our epic orphan doll Tower is growing!

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:25:00 +0000

Last week Lobolile, Tholiwe and Sbongile all brought in their first few sample dolls for checking! Linda brought them around to my house over the weekend and we were giggling a lot with pure excitement and delight. They are SOOOO cute. We spoke about how important it is that they are 'child' figure dolls and this idea has been taken on quite readily and with great attention to detail. Each of them is completely different, and unusual, so we really feel that this new look is going to bring about much joy. I will post some pictures just as soon as Celani, Beauty and Princess pop past in the morning with their sample child figure dolls!

The child figure beaded cloth doll TOWER is under construction!

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:17:00 +0000

Kate and Linda have been given the 'go-ahead' by David Gere, AIDS/Art activist, to design, construct and create the 600 baby beaded dolls, each at 7cms tall, for the Child Tower. Design packs have been made and to begin with, five Siyazama craftswomen will be involved, to create the cutest small beaded dolls ever! They are Lobolile Ximba, Sbongile Ximba, Celani Noijeza, Tholiwe Sitole and Beauty Ndlovu. There will be young boys and young girls, and we hope that they will capture the hearts of all who see them!

Once completed the 600 child figures will be layered onto perspex shelves, with 24 child figures on each layer. The tower effect will be created as it will stretch 2 meters high.

Our aim is to get an important, urgent and sincere message across. Pay attention to the ridiculously high numbers of AIDS orphans in our country!

Two international Arts in Health Conferences - Australia 2011 and USA 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:15:00 +0000

AUSTRALIA: The 3rd Annual Art of Good Health and Wellbeing International Arts and Health Conference is taking place at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 14 to 18 November 2011 (http://www.artsandhealth.org/) Registration now open.

USA: Arts in Health – A Global View, Conference in Detroit, May 2012.

The Society for the Arts in Healthcare is now accepting abstracts for presentations at our 23^rd annual international conference, Arts & Health: A Global View. The conference, one of the foremost learning and networking opportunities in the arts in health field, will be held in Detroit, Michigan, USA, May 2^nd through 5^th, 2012. Presentations will be accepted in several areas, including: Practice, Healthcare Environments, Research and Evaluation, and Experiential Workshops. For complete information and to submit your abstract, please visit our web site. Abstracts must be submitted by September 16, 2011.

Siyazama is making an A.R.T. statement about the AIDS orphan situation in our country!

noreply@blogger.com (Arts in Health South Africa) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:17:00 +0000

Today Linda and I were invited to a meeting with Carol Brown, who is a freelance international art curator. She and David Gere (yes! his brother is Richard) are again joining forces, and this time it's to develop an amazing 'cabinet of curiosity' type exhibition which will talk to the myriad of things that are impacting the AIDS pandemic in Southern Africa. Siyazama is to make hundreds of small beaded child figure dolls, which will collectively make a strong statement about the statistics, which are periodically released with regard the AIDS orphan statistics in our country. Our aim is to visually make sense of these statistics through an installation from which it is hoped should build awareness of the growing inhumane calamity in our part of the world. We see it as a call to action!

The exhibition is intended to begin at the Tatham Art Gallery, Pietermaritzburg, in December 2011, and from there it is hoped that it will end up at the World AIDS Conference in Washington 2012. We are very excited to be part of this prestigious exhibition!!