You can express yourself, discover your talents and have fun. Most of all, you can see that you have worth and just because you aren't necessarily good at maths and science it doesn't mean that you aren't good enough.
You can express yourself, discover your talents and have fun. Most of all, you can see that you have worth and just because you aren't necessarily good at maths and science it doesn't mean that you aren't good enough.
This was the basic message of Boost; a recent photographic exhibition and participatory project involving Grahamstown youth who play instruments, practise dancing or drama and who take arts and culture as part of their daily lives.
Rhodes University third-year photo journalism students Robynne Peatfield, Mia van de Merwe, Leigh Worswick and Melanie van Zyl used Boost to give local pupils a chance to think about their own identities, represent themselves and most importantly, develop their self-confidence.
The participants chose how they wanted to be photographed as well as which photos went into the exhibit last month.
The Boost campaign aims to draw attention to the importance of holistic education in an environment where schools increasingly place value on subjects like maths and science, and the arts often fail to feature on the curriculum.
Rhodes counselling centre psychologist Tanja Smuts said the expression that people experience through the arts can be therapeutic and “having a photograph of themselves immersed in their talent could perhaps help kids recognise the value of the talent in their lives.”
Pumelela Nqelenga, Upstart Drama Club facilitator, explained that giving young people a space to imagine is a powerful tool. “[They] need to dream, imagine and see themselves beyond where they are right now,” she said. “Drama gives them the tools to imagine themselves as anyone they’d like to be.”
And its not just the adults who believe that the arts have the potential to make kids' lives better.
Nombulelo High Grade 10 pupil Bathabile Klaas's picture caption at the exhibit read: “I'm not the smartest guy in school, but being a part of the field band makes me much happier than class does.
“I get the tunes quickly and people ask me for help. It makes me feel important.” Klaas said he believes that drama and music definitely has its place in a school.
And he is right. Not all pupils are interested in numbers and physics. And for those who aren’t it becomes very easy to get lost in a system that doesn’t cater for their needs. And when young people are lost they could end up going down the wrong paths.
One of the Amaphiko Township Dancers says it best: “[The arts can] help young people get out of the streets. It’s not good living in the township not doing anything. Sometimes you associate yourself with bad friends, sometimes you end up in jail, sometimes you end up in hospital.”
