The art of craft is more than the creation of pieces and products. For artists and audiences alike, it is therapeutic. So much so that therapists across the world incorporate art media like craft in a practice called ‘art therapy’. Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy involving the encouragement of free self-expression through painting, drawing, or crafting. It aims to reduce distress and improve social, emotional and mental health by promoting insight, self-compassion and a sense of agency and self-worth.
The ‘Healing Clay’ project, established by Andiswa Dlamini, is a training and development workshop held in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The workshop focuses on female sculptors and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa, and is aimed at providing skill development training, professional mentorship, mental health support, and a platform to both produce and exhibit their art pieces.
Andiswa further explains, “Healing Clay is more than just a workshop; it’s a sanctuary where female sculptors and survivors of gender-based violence come together, shaping their experiences into expressions of resilience and healing. Gender-based violence casts a long shadow, its victims often shrouded in silence. Healing Clay breaks this silence, offering a safe space for expression and empowerment. Here, accomplished female sculptors act as compassionate mentors, sharing their skills and artistic wisdom with survivors. This collaboration fosters dialogue, understanding, and a powerful message: survivors are not defined by their trauma, but by their courage and creativity”.
The ‘Healing Clay’ project programme began with a series of training, development, and mentorship workshops, which were facilitated by two professional female crafters. In December 2024, the participants and facilitators of the workshops showcased their art pieces at an exhibition. Many relevant stakeholders were invited to the workshops and exhibition, which provided the participants and project team members with valuable networking opportunities as well as an opportunity to better understand and reach South Africa’s art and craft market spaces.
With the support of the National Arts Council, the ‘Healing Clay’ project was able to provide over 18 job opportunities in KwaZulu-Natal. Andiswa writes, “The project team intends to roll out numerous other mentoring sessions in the [near future] and build additional partnerships to ensure that the project’s impact is felt beyond the Province of KwaZulu-Natal”. As mandated, the NAC remains committed to providing the support needed to give the historically disadvantaged such additional help and resources as required to give them greater access to the arts.
The South African government continues to intensify its fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), which President Cyril Ramaphosa has described as the country’s ‘second pandemic’. In February 2021, the GBVF Response Fund was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa together with the International Women’s Forum of South Africa to address the high levels of GBVF in South Africa. Since then, around R162 million has been pledged to the fund, with 75% of this amount already collected.
