From our 2025 Sibikwa Arts Academy to our inclusive education programme, through partnership with TotalEnergies, the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust and industry and education stakeholders, we’re ensuring every young person—regardless of ability or circumstance—can access meaningful arts education. We’re also proud to be developing a new Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme with a strong arts foundation, and are actively working to see the return of our Artists in Schools programme for the 2025/2026 year.
Sibikwa Arts Academy (SAA) enrolled 120 learners for the 2025 year, piloting eco-conscious practices, awarding bursaries to over 20 deserving and in-need learners, integrating digital skills training, and welcoming 3 new teachers onto the programme. We are excited by the impact that these dynamic adjustments and new perspectives will have on our learners, programme and organisation. Expanding their love for indigenous instruments and music, on 17 May our SAA senior ensemble participated in the Trinityhouse High School Little Falls’ Marimba Band Jam Festival. We thank the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust and TotalEnergies for their continued support of this programme, our organisation, the young people, and broader community that benefit from this programme.
Artists in Schools picked up from the 2024 classroom-based support and festival and exhibition, with our 38 artist-facilitators returning to the host schools across Gauteng in February this year, to assist Creative Arts classroom teachers with planning and preparation for the new academic year. With changes at the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture regarding this programme, the future of this incredibly valuable intervention is uncertain, however, we remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting the advancement of creative arts education, particularly in under-resourced and under-capacitated public schools; making every effort to ensure the continuation of this programme.
Inclusive Creative Arts Programme for learners with disabilities continues and expands in this 2025 year. We are pleased that our relationship with Felicitas School will benefit over 200 of their learners this year, and we are thrilled to welcome Afrika Tikkun’s Ignite programme (for school-going children with disabilities) participants onto the programme, with Sibikwa’s trained and experienced inclusive education facilitators delivering dance classes in each of their 5 centres across Gauteng.
A new Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme is in design, integrating arts-based learning, caregiver and educator training, and education centre development. As we work to raise the funds for this sustainable and scalable intervention, we welcome interested partners to join us on this journey.