community
building collaborators
Imagining the wall
Mary Sebabatso Mofama
Mme Mary Mofama was a political activist and a freedom fighter her entire life, but realised that segregation remained alive after the legal fall of apartheid. She used her pension to buy land and build a cultural village which she imagined would bring different people together through its diversity. Through regenerative livelihood practices that focus on food security, housing and social entrepreneurship Mme Mary aspires to create and train community members in climate-resilient self-sustainable lifestyles that are accessible to all. The specific scope of work activities included are to provide research and technical assistance to marginalised communities to create regenerative livelihoods; to complete post-natural building units and permaculture garden based on the indigenous, innovative and appropriate technologies.
Dr Busisiwe Ntsele
Dr Busisiwe Ntsele, a first-generation interdisciplinary scholar with a rich background in law, sociology, and human rights, returned to South Africa this year after completing a joint PhD degree between the University of the Free State (UFS) and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA) in the Netherlands. Her mission is clear: to plant seeds of hope and drive transformative change in her community. “My purpose is to share transformative narratives of change by spreading pockets of hope for young black girls who are often perceived to be at the bottom of the barrel in any given society,” says Dr Ntsele. Her encounter with gender-based violence and involvement in advocacy and mobilisation of communities to stop gender-based violence sparked her passion for human rights and social justice. Recognised for her contributions to building a just society, Dr Ntsele was awarded the prestigious Desmond Tutu Fellowship by the National Research Foundation, which supported her in pursuing this dual-degree opportunity. The title of her PhD thesis is A Critical Study of Community Engagement at a South African University. Walking across the stage on Monday 9 December 2024 to receive her PhD during the UFS December Graduation Ceremonies on the Bloemfontein Campus marked the second time Dr Ntsele has celebrated this achievement in 2024. Earlier this year, in June, she defended her PhD in Amsterdam. In addition to her PhD, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law (UNESWA), a BA Honours in Industrial Sociology (UJ), and an MA in International Human Rights Law (Wits).
Lenosa Mahapang
Lenosa Mahapang is a Mosotho Man, born in the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, in the district nestled in the Malu. highlands of the country called Thaba-Tseka. He studies include architectural Draughtsmanship, and working in the architectural field for over 3 years. Lenosa is a multi-disciplinary regenerative public artist, designer, curator and artministrator with a special interest in the indigenous Knowledge Systems of the Basotho and the concept of decolonialism. He has worked very closely over the years on projects related to the above subjects within an artistic collaboration with legends such as Dr Anita Venter, Mme Dr Mary Mofama at Meraka Village and the Maphalane family. In partnership with long-time collaborator Dr Anita Venter in the Rapid Regenerative Artistic Intervention, the exhibition "Pixels to Perspectives" (Jagersfontein Meraka) was jointly co-created. Some of the most recent notable projects are the Living eARTherapy Lab at the OT spaces National Hospital, "Living Heritage", (Litema) heritage month celebration event together with FS Na.onal Museums, UFS Dept Architecture at Oliewenhuis Museum.
Tshepo Rajake
Greetings! My name is Tshepo Rajake, and I am from Botshabelo, and my experience of Art was when I was at Sekoele Art Centre with Mtate Lenosa. That’s when I saw that art is not only about drawing. I experienced that art is Life itself. So, from there I met Mama Sonya (Mmakopano) … from here I have seen a lot, like garden snails can be a part of what we call art …Wow! …that was an amazing experience. So, the work of art that we are currently doing now, it is deeply spiritual to me personally as who I am, because it is deeply cultural to me as an African. To see the displaying of what is Cultural to me, or to us as Africans, as a work of art (has) opened my eyes to when I said like art is Life. I can say more about my feeling towards this, but the thing is not about me … it’s about this beautiful wall we laid. So, thanks for having the opportunity of being part of this program, with special thanks to Sonya (Mmakopano), Lenosa and Jemmy.
Tshidiso Makhele
Hello! My name is Tshidiso Makhele. I am from Botshabelo, born in a small village in Lesotho. I really would like to thank all the people who has made things happen: the manager of Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Mama Sonya and Lenosa Mahapang. Art is not just a little thing. Art makes people unite. The most important thing I learn about Art (is that it) can make more works in the world. Thanks for the opportunity!
TsieTsi Alex Kitchen
Dumelang. Lebitso la ka ke Tsietsi Alex Kitchen. Ke hlahetse Bradford empa ha jwale ke dula Bloemfontein Naledi Motse Motjha pela Phase 10. Ke rata mosebetsi wa Art, ke ka hoo ke tlileng mona hotla ithuta ona. Ke thabile haholo hoba kwano sebakeng sena, se a ntlhabolla. Modimo ke moleboha ka matsatsi ohle a bophelo baka, ke leboha le bo ntate bana bao re sebetsang le bona, re sebetsa ha monate ka kgotso le kutlwano. Ke leboha haholo Ntate Lenosa ka boetapele ba hao mosebetsing, Modimo ao hlohonolofatse, le bo mme bao re sebetsang le bona ka ofela. Amen.
.png)
Jemima Kola
Jemima Kola (b. 1999) fell in love with portrait photography during her one-year Commercial Photography certificate at Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography in 2019. She has worked on multiple projects with visual artist Sonya Rademeyer. She was the main photographer and content creator for two of Rademeyer’s projects Sound and Soil (2021) and NEXXUS (2023), where she also designed the projects’ websites and managed all social media accounts. Additionally, she contributed to designing a photo book for the Creative Research Lab and NHISS. After earning her BA (Visual Communication) from Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography (2023), Jemima was permanently employed as a content creator at the well-known lifestyle farm, Babylonstoren Farm in the Western Cape.
Leseli Sehlabo
Leseli Sehlabo, more famously known as Big Laz, is a superstar and the youth's big brother!
Refentse Sethibang
Born in Kimberley, a progressive individual, both personally and professionally. With credentials as a top-three Digify GPs graduate and now freelance Marketing & Sales Manager at Sekoele Holistic Living Arts Centre, Refentse didn’t just leave with certificates and specializations - he stepped into the digital arena ready to build, innovate, and lead. Since November 14th, 2024, Refentse has been confidently carving out a path as a digital strategist and creative force. More than just a designer, he delivers strategy, meaning, and measurable impact. The digital landscape is his playground. Most recently, Refentse crafted the exhibition’s core posters, guiding audiences through its themes of reflection and pause.
Dr Anita Venter
Anita Venter is a Post-Natural mentor, a researcher, a lecturer and an artist. As a climate activist, she focuses on research related to housing, informal settlement upgrading, culture, socioecological development, regenerative design and art. As lecturer and researcher at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein,her post-natural research primarily focuses on designing survival shelter models for the future. She aspires to address the gap between academic theories, research and policy through change-engaged practices applied in post-natural projects that respond to a climate crisis world. Anita is co-founder of the Meraka concept, as well as the founder of the Qala Phelang Tale / Start Living Green initiative.
Dr Karen Venter
Dr Karen Venter is Head: Service Learning, Directorate of Community Engagement at University of the Free State. She is a Community Engaged Scholar-practitioner with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Community Engagement, Service Learning, Appreciative Inquiry, Appreciative Leadership, Qualita.ve Research (Participatory Action Learning Action Research - PALAR) and Lecturing. Education professional with a PhD focused in Higher Education, specific Service-Learning as pedagogy (UFS). Also Vice-President of the Global University for Lifelong Learning (GULL). Karen believes that engaged scholarship aims to co-create new ac.on-oriented knowledge, and that it integrates, shares, applies, and mobilises knowledge for positive social change towards the common good and well-being of people, profit, and planet for establishing a caring, democratic, socially just, and responsible future for all.
Dr Keith Armstrong
Keith Armstrong is currently a Senior Lecturer in QUT Visual Arts (part time), researcher at the Centre For the Environment Research Group, the More Than Human Research Futures Group, and a Senior Research Fellow, University Free State, Centre For Development Support, South Africa. He was formerly Associate Director of the QUT Creative Lab Research Centre (2016-18) and a Senior Research Fellow in media arts for 12 years. He is also an actively practising and exhibiting freelance new media artist, beginning in 1992. Keith Armstrong is an experimental artist profoundly motivated by issues of social and ecological justice. He has specialised for 19 years in practice-led collaborative, hybrid, new media art with an emphasis on: art-life sciences collaborations / ecological art practices / socio-political art praxis / art-international development collaborations / innovative performance forms / site-specific electronic arts / networked interactive installations / alternative interfaces / public arts practices. Keith’s research asks how insights drawn from scientific and philosophical ecologies can help us to better invent and direct experimental art forms, in the understanding that art practitioners are powerful change agents, provocateurs and social catalysts. Through inventing radical research methodologies and processes he has led and created over sixty major art works and process-based projects, which have been shown extensively in Australia and overseas, supported by numerous grants.
Meraka Cultural Village
Meraka Cultural Village serves as a regenerative and cultural hub for the broader community. The research focuses on appropriate technology and post-natural construction methods that focuses on international and local best practices related to regeneration in the built environment. Local and international volunteers have the opportunity to participate and learn from the leading grassroots pioneers in innovative easy building technologies. Grassroots vulnerable groups are taught how to be self reliant with innovative low- to no-cost, low-skilled and environmentally sound building and permaculture methods. Learners gain practical building experience, which they in turn can use to better their livelihoods through self-help building activities in informal settlements. This a best practice example of how appropriate green building technologies can act as a catalyst for social change in creating climate change resilient communities. The Meraka project will never be complete, because we learn from each other and constantly experiment with different building methods.
Five Six Tambo
Five Six Tambo, a local movement rooted in the radical idea that the means are the ends. Prefiguration is about embodying the world we want to see, not just dreaming about it. It’s about living our values so deeply that they become the foundation of a new society, one small, intentional step at a time. In a world often defined by inequality, crisis, and disconnection, it’s easy to feel powerless. But prefiguration reminds us that we have the power to shape the future—not through distant promises, but through the way we live right now. Every act of solidarity, every experiment in equity, every moment of care is a brick in the foundation of a better world.
Oliewenhuis Art Museum
Oliewenhuis Art Museum is a satellite of the National Museum in Bloemfontein which was built in 1877. Oliewenhuis Art Museum is committed to building a representative collection of South African visual art on behalf of the people of South Africa with the aim to enrich the people’s knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of our cultural heritage, to reflect its full diversity, to provide a cultural and educational resource, to encourage involvement in the visual arts and nurture a culturally diverse but shared national identity.
Puzzles of Impact
Puzzles of Impact, linked to the OT Department of the Bloemfontein National Hospital, is a non-profit company dedicated to building sustainable, empowered communities by addressing the core social determinants of health. Their vision is empowering Communities and to transform lives. Their mission is to foster the empowerment of communities by addressing the social determinants of health. Through innovative and inclusive approaches, they strive to create lasting positive change, enhancing the well-being and quality of life for individuals and communities. Puzzles of Impact believes in the transformative power of making connections and linking resources, paving the way for a more equitable and thriving society. Empowered by the belief that learning is an experiential journey, their mission is to create adaptable and ever-evolving learning spaces that transcend traditional educational boundaries. They aim to facilitate a process of discovery within real-world contexts, allowing those involved to find the keys that unlock their unique potential. Their goal is to spark transformation, improve well-being, and enhance the quality of life for individuals and communities. They believe that by connecting people to resources, fostering learning, and promoting a culture of resilience, they can create a lasting, positive impact. Their approach goes beyond traditional education. They offer experiential, real-world learning that encourages participants to engage actively, discover their potential, and develop practical skills. Their free workshops and initiatives focus on areas such as sustainable living, financial literacy, post-modern building, and income-generating opportunities—all tailored to meet the needs of underserved communities.