Santam celebrated 50 years of the Child Art Programme with a special art exhibition at the Polokwane Art Museum recently.
This is one of the oldest and most popular corporate social investment programmes in the country. The art exhibition and the celebration were held under the theme: Join the Party.
Guests at the exhibition, which showcased artwork by local children, included the MEC for education, Dikeledi Magadzi and the Polokwane mayor, Freddy Greaver.
Santam partnered with the Polokwane-based Ibhabhathane Project to extend art education into disadvantaged areas through workshops and free art classes. In 2012, the training of art teachers was extended to special needs schools in Limpopo, where 8 433 learners in 34 schools benefitted. All 34 school participated in creating the 50 unique artwork which was exhibited on the day. Santam’s Child Art Project started in 1963 and is aimed at promoting a love of art among children and to give them an opportunity to express and present their thoughts and ideas creatively.
More than 80 500 children have been part of the programme so far. The project has previously won the youth development category at the annual Business and Arts South Africa Awards in 2010.
“Art enhances a child’s ability to interact with and interpret the world around them. It has the ability to cross cultural and linguistic barriers, and in South Africa it gives us the tools to be able to find and speak to each other. But it all begins with critical efforts to preserve and stimulate children’s interest in art. This is what the Santam Child Art Programme does,” said Temba Mvusi, the executive head of market development at Santam.
The anniversary exhibition was managed by the Ibhabhathane Project and curated by Jill Joubert, who has been acknowledged as one of the leading art teachers in South Africa. She was assisted by Amos Letsoalo, the curator of the Polokwane Art Museum.
Artwork from the exhibition will be donated to various charities.
