In the heart of Northern Cape, across Kimberley at the Frances Baard district, the Disability Arts League quietly set in motion a powerful story of access, creativity, and belonging. What began as a determined effort to open arts to people that are often excluded soon became a vibrant movement of workshops, mentorship, performances, and public celebration. Under the guidance of dedicated facilitators, including Kele Bosman’s innovative and highly accessible workshop designs, the team offered specialised training, choreography, beadwork, and stage performance.
Disability for Arts League reached out to 3 special schools and introduced young learners to arts, identified emerging talent, and provided one-on-one mentorship. This initiative, funded by the National Arts Council (NAC) as part of its Annual Project Funding, created ripple effects that extended far beyond the workshop spaces and created employment opportunities to 55 participants, which consisted of 30 women and 25 women, 45 of whom are living with disabilities, allowing genuine collaboration that challenged old assumptions and created space for mutual learning and respect. Furthermore, they received a stipend for their roles within the creative process, while the broader arts ecosystem benefited from new skilled practitioners ready to contribute to future productions.
The transformation ran even deeper for the wider community and the arts scene. Through this project persons living with disabilities and young learners from special school finally stepped forward into the light. Their intricate beadwork, freshly reinterpreted versions of traditional Northern Cape indigenous dances, and bold contemporary choreography came alive in a vibrant public exhibition that drew curious crowds including parents, teachers and neighbours that witnessed artistic brilliance of sharing the same space so powerfully. In doing so, the project not only challenged entrenched stereotypes but also added rich new layers to the region’s cultural tapestry, sowing the early seeds of authentic social cohesion.
If you would like to support Disability Arts League, you can contact them via email at: oemothelesi@gmail.com
