HIVAN, Centre For HIV/AIDS Networking - Culture and Arts programme. (CAP) - Artists’ Action Around AIDS (AAAA) & Highly Effective Art Programmes (HEART)Schedule of projects - June 2004 – December 2009The Highly Effective Art Programme, and the many initiatives that have emanated from it, collectively comprise one of HIVAN’s truly unique contributions to the struggle against HIV and AIDS. The HEART programme has evolved since the inception in 2003 of the Artists’ Action Around AIDS Campaign. (AAAA), in response to the needs of communities and the emerging capacity of cultural arts workers, HEART reflects the need for efficacy within the cultural arts arena – the direct beneficiaries are communities infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. The programme has diversified to include community based participatory workshops that use art making as a vehicle for advocacy and expression as well as providing a tool for the transferral of new knowledge and skills, particularly as concerns treatment literacy and wellness management. The Artists’ Action Around AIDS campaign remains as the public awareness ‘arm’ of the programme developing exhibitions and presentations for a broad audience.The following projects were conducted under the auspices of the AAAA and HEART programme between June 2004 and December 2009.Project: Artists’ Action Around AIDS Exhibition, June – August 2004. Description: A large-scale group presentation by visual artists exploring the issues and challenges surrounding HIV and AIDS.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy and Jill Kruger.Partners: Durban Art Gallery, Siyazama Project; Artists For Humanity; African Art Centre; Memory Box Project; Tatham Art Gallery Pietermaritzburg 22 June - 29 August 2004.Project: AAAA NGO Booth: XV International AIDS Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, July 2004.Description: An NGO exhibition booth spotlighting HIVAN and, in particular, a multi-media digital presentation of the Artists’ Action Around AIDS (AAAA) exhibition and developmental workshops. The stall provided a platform for and an opportunity to proactively raise awareness of the role of the arts in the HIV and AIDS pandemic.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy and Jill Kruger.Project: phila impilo (Live Life), June – August 2005. Description: A series of developmental, participatory photography workshop with men and women who were trained in basic photography techniques. Participants then used customised photo-voice techniques to document their own lives. This culminated in an exhibition of photographs accompanied by narrative stories which were displayed in the Sinikithemba Chapel, McCord Hospital.HIVAN staff: Dr Fiona Scorgie, Bren Brophy and Jill Kruger.Partners: Sinikithemba Care Centre (McCord Hospital); Veronica Wilson (VSO, UK); André “Budgie” Smith. Volunteer participants, Sinikithemba Care Centre.Project: Children’s rights and community voices, August – October 2004.Description: A mixed-media arts and crafts exhibition and developmental craft workshops. The exhibition included: “Children’s Visions & Voices: Rights and Realities in SA - a participatory photographic exhibition presented by the Children’s Rights Centre”; and sculptural beaded tableaux from the Siyazama Project documenting community responses to HIV/AIDS. Developmental workshops with crafters from the Mtubatuba area were facilitated by Siyazama in Durban.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy and Jill Kruger.Partners: The Africa Centre; Children’s Rights Centre; Alex Fattall; Siyazama Craft Development Project.Project: Festival of Hope and Healing – September 2004.Description: A week-long multi-media HIV and AIDS cultural arts festival featuring student participation in the construction of collaborative public art works. The programme featured a drama, Carpe diem, Say What you Do, a music concert in the park and a film festival. A Visual Arts Exhibition was displayed in Shepstone Building at Howard College, at the Hexagon Theatre, PMB and at the Library Concourse, Edgewood Campus.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy and Tanja Arntz.Partner: University of KwaZulu-Natal AIDS Programme.Project: I got the message: HIV and AIDS life stories, fiction and poems from KwaZulu-Natal schools (ISBN 0-620-33140-3), September 2004.Description: Anthology of writings about HIV and AIDS by children aged 7-17 years.HIVAN staff: Jill Kruger.Partners: ELITS (Education, Library, Information, and Technology Services); KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education; Creative Workshops; and Media in Education Trust.Project: Art For Expression (Job Shadow Exchange), November 2004Description: Facilitation, selection and placement of three matched pairs of job shadow participants in arts-based work with children affected by HIV and AIDS, including engagement in the ‘Art for Expression’ workshops. Participants were selected from organisations involved in the proactive development of art programmes with vulnerable children.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy, Jill Kruger and Malene Sahlertz.Partners: Training Arts Programme (Natal Society of Art); God’s Golden Acre; Siyaya; Christian Medical Relief Services; Hlabisa HIV/AIDS Drop-In Centre; African Art Centre.Project: Art For Expression (Developmental training and participatory workshops), November 2004.Description: Trainee workshop to enhance the skills of young people working with HIV-affected children, especially in art-based activities. This culminated in a two-day participatory art workshop by the trainees for 35 children selected from the Sinikithemba Care Centre support group. The process was facilitated and mentored by experienced participatory and developmental practitioners.HIVAN staff: Jill Kruger, Bren Brophy and Malene Sahlertz.Partners: Professor Karen Malone (HIVAN Research Fellow, RMIT University, Australia); Lauren Cobham (VSO, UK); Neith Moore (Art Therapy Specialist / Durban Girls High School); Professor Claudia Mitchell (Education, UKZN); Sinikithemba Care Centre (McCord Hospital); Koinonia Conference Centre; Camp Bambanani.Project: HIVAN Child and Youth Research Forum Series - November 2004.Description: A multidisciplinary forum series drawing from biomedical and social science research and interventions in the field of HIV and AIDS with a focus on, and some participation by, children and youth.HIVAN staff: Jill Kruger, Debbie Heustice, Bren Brophy and Malene SahlertzPartner: Lauren Cobham (VSO, UK).Project: University of KwaZulu – Natal, Student Orientation Programme, February 2005.Description: Participatory, public art, collaborative installations.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy. Project assistant, Lauren Cobham.Donor/Funder: HIVAN, University of KwaZulu – Natal.Project: World Council on Religion and Peace (WCRP) and HIVAN Youth Forum, March – September 2005. Description: Participatory forums (three) for young learners on life skills development through cultural art interventions.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy, Eliza Moodley and Fathima Abdulla.Project Assistants: Lauren Cobham (VSO, UK).Project: Children’s Resource Book Series and participatory art workshops, April – September 2005.Description: Participatory art workshop were run on three weekends, through these seven HIV positive children created a storyboard using art and drama methods describing how the HI Virus works in the body and their own life experiences. The objectives of the project and the workshops are to create a series of storybooks that aid disclosure and represent both an intervention approach and supportive tool through its distribution and process. The workshops resulted in the publication of the first book in the series “Hi Virus”.HIVAN staff: Lauren Cobham (VSO, UK), Bren Brophy, Eliza MoodleyProject Partner: Sinikithemba HIV/AIDS Care Centre, McCord Hospital, Durban.Project: Train the Trainer workshop - 28-30 March 2006Description: HIVAN’s HEART programme held a three day developmental workshop in Durban from to train artists and child care professionals in participatory art-making techniques with vulnerable children. The Workshop took place at the Durban, Culture and Documentation Centre in Greyville. The workshop included training of art-focused trainers, teachers and students, who work empathetically with children and youth, to strengthen the expressive potential of art making, encouraging the implementation of these skills in workshops with children.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy, Eliza MoodleyProject Partner: Bartel Arts Trust.Project: Body mapping training workshop – 3 – 5 July 2006Description: HIVAN’s HEART programme held a three day developmental workshop in Durban to train community workers and HIV/AIDS home-based care givers in participatory art-making techniques with infected people in the community. The Workshop took place at the Durban, Culture and Documentation Centre in Greyville.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy, Eliza MoodleyProject Partner: Artists For Human Rights Trusts, Life Line (HBC), Mzimela Health Partnership, The Africa Centre, The Hope CentreProject: HIV/AIDS Home-based Care Training – November – December 2006Description: HIVAN’s HEART programme facilitated three full day Body Mapping workshops held as part of three two week HIV/AIDS Home-based care training programmes. They were held in verullam, Mtunzini and Mtubatuba with participant s from the surrounding rural communities.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy, Eliza MoodleyProject Partner: The Islamic Medical Association, The Africa Centre, South African Breweries (SAB)Project: Singazenzela, development of Evolutionary Prototype of digital portal, print media,(book and comics) fro provision of services to vulnerable children November – January 2006 – February 2007Description: HIVAN’s HEART programme facilitated a child consultation workshop in Bergville, developed three knowledge clusters (HIV/AIDS, obtaining a birth certificate and child grant, authored a children’s book ‘Shoes of Light’, three comics, and designed the interactive environment fro child testing.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy, Eliza MoodleyProject Partner: The Centre For Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), The Meraka Institute (Africa Centre For Advanced Information Communication Technology), MetaLab, University of Sussex.Project: Children’s Resource Book Series and participatory art workshops- February - July 2007Description: Participatory art workshop were facilitated on two weekends with fifteen vulnerable children from the Streetwise Care Centre. Using body mapping, visual art, drama, role play, music and puppet making the theme of ‘Building Child Resilience ‘ was explored. The objectives of the project and the workshops is to create a child friendly publication that will be disseminated to children infected and affected by HIV and AIDSHIVAN staff: Lauren Cobham (VSO, UK), Bren Brophy, Eliza MoodleyProject Partner: Sinikithemba HIV/AIDS Care Centre, McCord Hospital, Durban.Project: Izwi Lethu – Ikusasa Lethu (Our Voices our Future) – June 2007 - June 2009Description: A project to develop a participatory training programme for learners from schools in the Uthungulu district of KZN that will advocate for social and economic upliftment through income generation projects that will promote the cultural arts and cultural tourismHIVAN staff: Bren Brophy, Eliza Moodley, Deborah HeustieProject Partners: National Development Agency, DramAide.Project: Rock Challenge August 2007Description: HIV and AIDS education workshop using participatory creative art techniques (Healing Hands Project) to create a collaborative public art installation with 1400 learners.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy, Eliza Moodley.Project Partners: Be Your Best Foundation, The Rock ChallengeProject: ‘Building Mental Health of Children living with HIV and AIDS’ – September 2007 – June 2009.Description: Participatory training workshops with chid caregivers and the publication of a child friendly toolkit, this followed by the training of 200 child caregivers.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy, Eliza Moodley.Project Partners: Department of Psychology, UKZN, research partners ‘Communication For Socil Change’ – Culture, Communication and Media Studies, UKZN.Project: Child HIV and AIDS Treatment Literacy Wall Posters Series. Description: Participatory training workshops with HIV positive children towards the development of a series of wall posters created by the children for distribution to paediatric ARV roll out sites.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy, Eliza Moodley.Project: Visual Arts ExhibitionDescription: The research, curating and presentation at the Durban Art Gallery of a Visual Arts Exhibition that explores the issues and challenges surrounding the HIV/AIDS pandemic.HIVAN staff: Bren Brophy, Eliza Moodley.Project: Diakonia Council of Churches, Youth HIV and AIDS Summit, December 2008Description: The CAP team developed in consultation with Diakonia and partners stake holders a participatory arts and culture based programme that was facilitated with 60 faith based youth participants at the Living Waters Camp in Easton, KZN. The programme and activities resulted in a youth driven faith based HIV and AIDS awareness campaign that was launched during the 16 days of activism campaign.rThe HEART team was pleased to contribute to the following forums:Art for Expression Presentation, January 13/31 2005.This presentation was a follow up on the Art for Expression training programme and was designed to showcase to McCord Hospital and Sinikithemba Care Centre clinical and psycho – social staff the implications of using art therapy with vulnerable children.Children’s Resource Book Series Presentation, March 14/17, 2005.Twp presentations, firstly to the McCord Hospital clinical staff, and second with the parents and child guardians, gave voice to the aims and process that underpin the need for child authored materials that message the lived experience of HIV diagnosis and treatment.HIVAN Internal Forum Presentation, July 7 2005.This presentation gave insight into the core project process of the Children’s Resource Book Series. The presentation included detailed information on the methodology used, a visual journal of the workshops using photographs and dialogue, and an introduction to the layout of the “Living With HIV” book which included an exhibition of the children’s artworks.Medical Research Council (MRC) & HIVAN Forum, June 2007Topic: A tool for community empowerment and advocacy - a review of two HIV/AIDS educational books and materials produced using participatory art processes with children infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.Child participants within the children’s resource book project have become both educators and indirect commentators about HIV/AIDS in the society in which they live. The booklets therefore offer a unique perspective on how children in our society are living with and coping with their HIV status. The Children’s Book Series Project aims to provide positive experiences for these children, so that the project builds their self-esteem, self-expression and enables the creation of a resource for their peers who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.AAAA & HEART may be contacted via:Bren BrophyCultural Arts ConsultantCommunications, Arts and Advocacy UnitHIVAN (The Centre for HIV/AIDS Networking)University of KwaZulu-Natal, Public Affairs Annex,King George V Avenue, Durban, 4041Tel: +27 ((0)31 260 3310Fax: +27 (0)31 260 2013Email: [email protected] download a recent newsletter by CCMS outlining CAP’s work, please click here