Imbali Western Cape’s Visual Literacy Project uses art to empower young people of Kylemore by fostering self-expression, critical thinking and confidence. As AMY LINDSTRÖM discovers, the initiative provides life-changing opportunities for the learners involved.
What started as a small passion project for children in the Kylemore area has expanded into a fully fledged hands-on programme. Founded by Yvonne Wilson and Jeanne Bestbier-Bloch in 2001, Imbali Western Cape is a community-driven initiative that combines art with outreach by hosting art workshops through their Visual Literacy Project.
Unlocking potential
“Constructive and creative intervention leads to a renewed interest in learning, as well as massive development in self-esteem,” says Jeanne.
Through ongoing art workshops, the Visual Literacy Project at Imbali seeks to provide children from the Kylemore community with the opportunity to learn and unlock potential that might otherwise go unnoticed. With up to 160 children at a time, ranging from three to 18 years old, Imbali hosts weekly and monthly art workshops at its Fredagh & Bernard Podlashuk Art and Educare Centre.
“On Friday mornings, we have art classes for the Frank’s Haven Crèche pupils, which is around 12 to 14 kids. Then in the afternoons, we have Aitsa’s after-school children and a few other kids from the community,” says Jeanne. “Saturday is the big one though: up to 160 high schoolers join us for a once-a-month art workshop.”
The goal of the art classes is to enable, educate and empower the children of Kylemore to broaden their interests and outlook on life. The project addresses the need for a structured and meaningful programme that enhances the youngsters’ visual literacy education, as well as fine motor skills, vocabulary and discipline.
The classes are run by Alexis Hanslo from the Children’s Art Centre in Cape Town. Alexis has been teaching art for more than 40 years and has been intricately involved with Imbali since its establishment in 2001. “Our approach is to inspire the kids to express their own ideas confidently; it sets them up as young people to find their own self-worth,” she explains. “Through art, we are able to teach them about history and about the world, and where they fit into it.”
Furthermore, the power of art goes beyond education – it provides an essential escape. “The impact that art has on the life of a child cannot be overstated,” says Jeanne, adding that the workshops offer the children a precious opportunity to escape their challenges and express themselves creatively. “The art they create is absolutely amazing, truly beautiful.”
Reflecting on the beginning
Imbali was originally founded in Johannesburg in 1988 by Yvonne, who started the project as a teacher training forum under Women for Peace. After moving to the Western Cape, she met Jeanne and the two of them decided to do something similar at this end of the country.
Imbali is an isiXhosa word that translates to ‘blooming’ or ‘flowering’, and Yvonne says she chose it to represent her goals for the initiative. “Art is such an important part of learning, we knew we wanted to do something in Kylemore to support the community,” she reminisces.
The importance of nutrition
Something that was apparent from the start of the project was the children’s desperate need for nutrition. “From the start, we could see that these kids were malnourished and in need of food,” reflects Jeanne. “We immediately started researching to come up with a possible intervention.”
She and Yvonne invested in starting a muffin bakery, which they built on the Imbali grounds. Through this, they began providing the children who came to the art workshops with a muffin a day. “We did a lot of research into how we could make the muffins as nutritious as possible and then we started giving them out for free to every child who attended,” she adds.
To begin with, many of the children who attended would come simply because there was food provided, but soon they were also attending for the art.
Growing impact
As Imbali continues to grow, its commitment to empowering the children of Kylemore through art, education and community support remains unwavering. With each brush stroke, each lesson and each opportunity provided, Imbali is not only nurturing creativity, but also planting the seeds for a brighter and more hopeful future.
Through Imbali, Yvonne and Jeanne have been able to launch a myriad of other projects in the Kylemore community. “We have started a carpentry school, a vegetable garden, a soup kitchen and a muffin bakery,” says Jeanne. “We have also put at least 50 kids through university, which has been such a blessing.”
With the success of the project, what has stood out most to the Imbali team throughout the years has been the community’s response. “We hold an art exhibition once a year for the kids to show their parents and the community what they have made,” explains Jeanne. “It’s been so wonderful to see parents who were previously indifferent really understanding the impact of the art classes and being so sincerely interested.”
Moreover, the Visual Literacy Project has resulted in many success stories for some of the children involved, a number of whom have gone on to attend art school. “We had a girl a few years ago who was sponsored to go to art school,” says Jeanne. “She ended up involved in a sculpture project and her art was featured on Dorp Street in Stellenbosch.” This is one of many success stories that highlight the transformative power of Imbali’s work.
For the children of Kylemore, this initiative is not just about learning art; it’s about unlocking potential, building resilience and discovering a world of possibilities beyond their circumstances.