The youth from Tsantsabane were given a platform to equip themselves with the necessary skills to unlock their hidden talent and enable them to compete on a national platform.
Through local art and young talent, they were reportedly afforded the opportunity by the Kolomela Mine who collaborated with Visual Arts Cherry, a non-profitable organisation, to launch an arts and culture programme in Tsantsabane in June.
The programme, held at the Postmasburg Showgrounds, was lauded by the participants for allowing them to focus on art and keep the youth off the street.
It also promises to entail visual art workshops to the youth, artists and artist educators, and to learners in and outside schools.
According to the mining company, the programme was motivated by the existence of a wealth of young people with talent, ambition and appetite to drive arts and culture development in Tsantsabane.
“As part of the Kolomela youth development programme, the Kolomela Mine adopted the Tsantsabane Youth Arts and Culture Programme,” said Cindy Ramnayaran of Anglo American in a statement.
The programme is, according to her, seen as a catalyst for youth in taking them away from negative impacts such as alcohol and drug abuse.
Ntombi Ntakakaze of Visual Arts Cherry said: “We are grateful for the supportive role that the Kolomela Mine as a funder is playing and for launching this programme. It will have a huge impact on the growth of local artists in different artistic genres and will influence the lives of their families and the community as a whole.”
George Benjamin, Manager: Public Affairs at the Kolomela Mine, applauded the wealth of talent in Tsantsabane.
“This can be seen by the positive representation of the youth’s art display. The art showcased instils confidence in the future of our youth. The region has real gems and an abundance of talent,” Benjamin said.