Artivism for Safe Spaces

Empowering New Educational Models to Address GBV in South African Higher Education

This engagement, as Visiting Research Associate at the Tshwane University of Technology – Faculty of Arts & Design in Pretoria, explores the transformative potential of Artivism in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa, emphasizing its efficacy in generating innovative insights and critically examining societal issues. Introducing and cultivating Artivism within South African university settings holds promise for challenging racism, misogyny, and patriarchy, nurturing critical inquiry and fostering inclusive, anti-racist, feminist educational environments. This pedagogical approach may empower students to interrogate prevailing power dynamics and envision more equitable alternatives.

Uniting research with diverse art forms, such as music, fashion, visual arts, murals, poetry, and drama within South African universities, can stimulate dialogue among youth, demonstrating the efficacy of these collaborative interventions in fostering active social engagement. These interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary arts-based approaches could provide safe spaces for discussing sensitive topics, nurturing a more inclusive and supportive educational climate. Ensuring the sustainability and scalability of such interventions is imperative for their enduring impact. Community-based and socially engaged artistic research on GBV can underscore the significance of public involvement and policy advocacy in addressing these pressing issues.

Numerous Artivism initiatives already underway in South Africa offer therapeutic benefits for GBV survivors while raising public consciousness, crafting a compelling visual narrative that disrupts societal silence on GBV. Art forms and visual culture have emerged as indispensable tools for addressing GBV and broader human rights concerns in post-apartheid South Africa, providing a platform for marginalized voices and cultivating resistance against persistent social injustices.

As an artistic and scientific researcher involved in crafting a short learning program on Artivism and GBV at Tshwane University of Technology, Faculty of Arts and Design, I synthesize these arguments to advocate for the strategic deployment of Artivism in educational and community contexts. Through various activities, I demonstrate the process of incorporating the module into the curriculum and how we collaboratively piloted the research and artistic intervention within a school setting, during classes, festival, and the assimilation of the results into the community and industry. This approach is especially important for young art students, providing them with the skills to participate in community-based, socially engaged arts. It nurtures a generation of artists dedicated to social justice and capable of addressing complex societal challenges through their creative work.

From Silence to Expression: Walk on the Margins

Collaborative Artistic Research

On the first day of the Artivism Festival 2024 at Tshwane University of Technology Arts Campus, conceptual artists Dr Jasna Jovicevic and Inge Newport, together with TUT art faculty and students, will launch an innovative site-specific artistic intervention. This interactive project will mark and transform unsafe places—whether outside, inside campus, or within social or individual spaces—into zones of artistic expression and community engagement.

Through diverse art forms, including music performances, dance, media representation, drama, activist banners, sculptures, maps, and mural creations, this intervention will revitalize various physical and social spaces. It will address critical social issues within the community, such as gender-based violence (GBV), drug abuse, the marginalization of social groups, and campus safety concerns. This initiative not only pilots a new Artivism module at TUT curiculla, but also highlights art’s power as a tool for social change. By reclaiming these spaces, the project aims to foster a safer and more inclusive campus environment.

The intervention will serve as a platform for raising awareness, encouraging critical dialogue, and engaging the university community in combating these pressing issues. It demonstrates the transformative potential of artivism in higher education, offering a model for integrating artistic research and social engagement to create meaningful change. Join us in this collaborative effort to challenge societal norms and advocate for a more just and equitable society through the power of interactive artistic expression. Walk on the Margins with us.

More to come soon…