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A few years ago I was priveledged to win an artists residency award to the Konst Epidemic, Goteborg Sweden. The experience was so overwhelming. I never realised that there could be a place like that in the world where so much high priority is given to the arts ande empowerment of artists. I live in an African township, New Brighton for just over 17 years, after I made a decision to defy the previous apartheid regime and make the African people's homebase my home as well. After my return from Sweden I just had to share my blessings with especially the poor and downcast people from South Africa. During 2001 I founded the Siyaya Centre for Young Arts and was most blessed to be visited by SIDA delegates who made recommendations about Siyaya to the partnership between Port Elizabeth and Goteborg City. Soon my project was on board and for 3 blissfull years received funding via SIDA to run children's art projects across my City. Professional artists were employed and faicilated artworkshops with children on a high and professional standard. Some of the classes we ran were ceramics (with drum - saw dust firing), sculpture, wire art, embroidery (especially free style f.i. sewing found objects like glass - bones - stones - wire within designs, etc), paper mache, jewelry making (fymo, tecxtile beads, etc) weaving (frame looms and inkle), mosaic, painting, kinetic art,paper making, lino printing, textile printing, silkscreen printing etc. The project mostly works with HIV/AIDS orphans and empoverished communities's children. Some of the children's artworks were entered into competitions and each time won at National, Provincial and Local level. Through the support of SIDA, we were able to have excellent art material as our resources. Some of the challenges in running the workshops were: *SIDA funding gradually phased out and from the beginning of 2005 the professional artists who were employed by Siyaya previously, were only able to volunteer their services. *From end October the contract ended and currently the artworkshops with the children continue on a voluntary basis only. *The venue space where we run art classes with the HIV/AIDS orphans is extremely cramped. Sometimes up to 65 children would turn up for an art workshop do their artworks on their laps only. But for exactly this reason and other important ones too, they need to do continue doing art so desperately! It helps them to discover who they are, express and release their pains, hurts, frutrations, dreams and helps builds self-confidance and dignity. What I dream about is an International artists-without-borders movement where professional artists would be able to go out to very needy areas in the world and share cratfs and skills with community members. Is there perhaps a movement in existance like that already, and if not, how does one go forward to establish it?
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