By Mpho Koka
The once open land in Soweto where people would dump their rubbish has been turned into a space where upcoming youth can display their art and creativity.
The gravel open field – fenced with wires, reeds and old tyres in the midst of shacks – might not look like much to the young people of Freedom Park but it is where they are able to get creative and show off their artworks.
In the centre of the field is a “stage” in the shape of the African map, built with rocks and plants.
“This is our centre-stage. We designed it this way to symbolise an invitation to different energies. People from different cultures are welcome to perform here,” said Thato Moloi, one of the founders.
Moloi, 26, and Linda Nhlapo, 33, established The Creative Arts Space, a non-government organisation (NGO), in November after witnessing neighbours turning their surroundings into a rubbish dump. At the time both were unemployed.
The once open land in Soweto where people would dump their rubbish has been turned into a space where upcoming youth can display their art and creativity.
The gravel open field – fenced with wires, reeds and old tyres in the midst of shacks – might not look like much to the young people of Freedom Park but it is where they are able to get creative and show off their artworks.
In the centre of the field is a “stage” in the shape of the African map, built with rocks and plants.
“This is our centre-stage. We designed it this way to symbolise an invitation to different energies. People from different cultures are welcome to perform here,” said Thato Moloi, one of the founders.
Moloi, 26, and Linda Nhlapo, 33, established The Creative Arts Space, a non-government organisation (NGO), in November after witnessing neighbours turning their surroundings into a rubbish dump. At the time both were unemployed.
Moloi is a fashion designer while Nhlapo is a self-taught carpenter and bricklayer. Moloi, who has been living in Freedom Park for 22 years, said he was tired of seeing piles of rubbish next to his home.
He lives on the property of his grandmother’s four-room house in a back-room shack in the yard. Their home is adjacent the art space.
“Every time I would leave my home, I would see the dump and become disgusted. The smell was horrible and I would see kids playing with dirty nappies, jumping in pools of discarded bathing water, urine and faeces. I decided to do something. I wanted a comfort zone and I took a decision to change it,” said Moloi.
