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May 2013 - Mapping FuturesAn exhibition with a focus on child protection in the inner city of JohannesburgLefika La Phodiso / The Art Therapy Centre, in partnership with Constitution Hill and The Department of Arts & Culture, invite you to attend an art exhibition as an active participant in support of Child Protection Week in May 2013. PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE OPENING ON THURSDAY 23rd OF MAY 2013 AT 17h00 for 17h30As child protection week approaches we are aware that the lack of child protection in South Africa is reaching critical levels and wish to utilise our annual art exhibition to raise awareness around issues of child protection and build capacity amongst partners to mobilise in addressing these issues. Who we areLefika La Phodiso provides art therapy interventions with the aim of generating the psychosocial wellbeing of children, their parents, educators and caregivers. Lefika has over the past 18 years developed a uniquely South African model of training community workers; including art practitioners, lay counsellors, educators and civil servants, which has proven to be effective in building capacity by transferring art therapy group skills within communities. Giving children a voice through the use of artLefika works with children from the area surrounding Constitution Hill providing therapeutic services through Community Art Counselling group work. These children are exposed to high levels of abuse, crime and poverty and Lefika has been, at times, the only place where they feel safe and witnessed. In collaboration with the children and guardians, we will be exhibiting their art work to show and celebrate their personal narratives and importantly highlight the lack of protection they receive living within meters of the seat of our human rights - The Constitutional Court at Constitution Hill. 
Above: 'Paper Prayers' produced by the children in a process facilitated by The Artist Proof Studio are among the works which will be on sale at the opening to ensure continuity of our programmes. Lefika has also been working with the children's guardians. Three years ago, the then unemployed women attended an art therapy group, and subsequently have developed skills and attained employment as bead makers. This work will be on show and for sale. Art as AdvocacyThe exhibition will showcase Lefika and the efficacy of art therapy group work. Lefika's Community Art Counsellor training programme, funded by The Department of Arts & Culture, is a core part of this work and aims to increase the capacity of art therapy resources in under-resourced communities. Graduation of the new generation of trained Community Art Counsellors will be part of the opening event. Art as EducationThe exhibition will include a week of educational workshops for scholars, educators as well as for parents and guardians from the surrounding schools with an emphasis on children's rights. These workshops will be facilitated in partnership with Childline, The Teddy Bear Clinic, The Johannesburg Parent and Child Counselling Centre, The City of Johannesburg, Wits Reproductive Health Institute, The Johannesburg Association of Street Children, The Child Advocacy Forum and The Artist Proof Studio. Exhibition Dates: 20th May to 2nd June 2013
For more information please contact:
Africa’s firstLefika is Africa’s first Art Therapy Centre, born in 1993 out of a critical need to respond to the effects of trauma from political violence in the final years of Apartheid in South Africa. Today Lefika works to better the lives of those individuals, families and communities affected by abuse, crime, poverty, xenophobia and HIV AIDS. This work predominantly takes place within Johannesburg’s townships and inner city where the levels of these problems are amongst the very highest in the world. Lefika La Phodiso - The Art Therapy CentreAfrica’s firstLefika is Africa’s first Art Therapy Centre, born in 1993 out of a critical need to respond to the effects of trauma from political violence in the final years of Apartheid in South Africa. Today Lefika works to better the lives of those individuals, families and communities affected by abuse, crime, poverty, xenophobia and HIV AIDS. This work predominantly takes place within Johannesburg’s townships and inner city where the levels of these problems are amongst the very highest in the world. Our impactBy training educators and community workers in psycho-social group skills and providing direct community support Lefika is enabling key groups to become more able to deal proactively, responsibly and empathetically with the issues in their communities. Lefika’s aim is to reduce violence and violent crime, dependence, poverty and premature death. Each year Lefika trains an average of 300 educators and 150 community workers with a conservative reach of 22 500 community members. Our direct counselling programmes support 150 young people on an ongoing basis each year. Art Therapy mattersThe use of art helps people to express themselves. Lefika’s use of Art Therapy in South Africa is hugely successful because it overcomes language and cultural barriers and is a highly effective way of engaging those affected by traumatic experience. In a country where counselling resource and skills are scarce, the use of Art Therapy accommodates large numbers of people and is cheap to implement. Lefika’s goal is to improve lives and communities in South Africa by increasing reach and access to psychosocial support.Not for profitLefika generates some income from private and public sector training which is used to sustain the organisation and deliver our outreach community programmes. However the extent of Lefika’s impact is dependent on the financial support we receive from donors and partners. Lefika’s ServicesTraining and development: Lefika works consistently with the South African Departments of Education, Arts and Culture and Psychosocial Services to deliver training and development programmes, from one day workshops to one year foundation courses. Lefika also facilitates tailor-made programmes, from team building to basic counselling skills, for corporate and private clients on request. Counselling: Lefika establishes and facilitates groups in response to needs it is able to identify within local communities. Lefika also facilitates sessions for many children and adult NGOs and charity organisations such as Childline, Teddy Bear Clinic (abused children) and ECHO (HIV/AIDS). Individual and group sessions are tailored for each client need. Crisis intervention: Lefika is able to mobilise its network of trained counsellors to respond to crisis as in May to September 2008, working under UNICEF in the Safe Shelter refugee camps to help 900 individuals affected by xenophobic violence. Volunteering: The Lefika Collective is a group of educators, therapists, counsellors, artists and the general public who give their time to improve the lives of individuals and communities through Art Therapy. Professional support: Lefika offers supervision and CPD (Continuing Professional Development) training to practicing art therapists, counsellors, social workers, psychotherapists and occupational therapists. |
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During the July 2012 school holidays Lefika La Phodiso ran a programme with 40 adolescents from four organisations - Malaika Orphanage (Hillbrow), Nazareth House Children's Home (Yeoville), Yenzani Children's Home (Midrand) and Dora's Ark (Roodepoort). The adolescents attended art counselling and movement therapy sessions which resulted in a mural painted at CMI. The week culminated in the performace of a Salsa dance routine, performed by the adolecents in front of the mural.
Reviving Communication Workshop Exploring Art Psychotherapy as a powerful process of self discovery and applied practice TBC, please enquire Advanced Reviving Communication For mental health practitioners who have already completed the 4 day Reviving Communications course and focuses on the theoretical and applied work of art psychotherapy TBC, please enquire Ethics of Community Practice and Visual Research Methods Visual inquiry as a methodology for investigating the complex meanings aesthetics, emotions and arts - based approaches bring to therapeutic work and research, and how they engage with change and transition TBC, please enquire Other Courses 2012 and 2013 TBC, please enquire - Ethics of using therapeutic work with children in research Lefika Director, Hayley Berman's Article published in the Journal of Psycho-Social Studies Active Witnessing: Lefika la Phodiso’s response to the South African xenophobic crisis or Visit the Journal of Psycho-Social Studies, Bristol University Lefika image selected for UNDP Photo Competition For further information and to view the the other 49 finalists visit http://www.ipc-undp.org/photo/
Safe Spaces at Safe Shelters exhibition View the short film: SafeSpaces - Witness to Violence l Read the Mail and Guardian article about the exhibition l View Photo Gallery  |
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