Healing Through the Arts: A Breath of Fresh Air for Stellenbosch Youth

In a world that often feels overwhelming, the Stellenbosch Triennale’s Healing Through the Arts programme offers something profoundly necessary: space to breathe.

Over the course of 10 transformative weeks, 30 learners from under-resourced schools in and around Stellenbosch step into “the learner’s little city” - a symbolic sanctuary of creativity, reflection, and possibility. Here, every Friday afternoon, learning looks and feels different. It’s not about textbooks or tests, but about expression, connection, and healing.

Curated by Dr Paseka Blessing Chisale, with the support of counsellor Frances Sakina Esterhuyse, the programme gently unravels the traditional classroom hierarchy. Instead of instruction, it offers an invitation. Instead of pressure, it offers a pause. Each session is designed as a rehearsal space, where learners can explore who they’ve been, who they are, and who they might become through the tools of visual art, music, movement, and storytelling.

This arts-based approach not only fosters emotional expression and self-awareness but also creates a much-needed atmosphere of safety and joy. Many learners describe their Friday sessions as the highlight of their week - a time and place where they feel seen, heard, and valued.

At the heart of the programme’s success is a dedicated team of young facilitators -  Zizipho Mbolekwa, Jenna Greef, Pule Dlothi, and Hayley Ernstzen - who bring warmth, guidance, and authenticity to every interaction. Their work is supported by Anita Chen, who documents the journey through art, preserving the magic of each moment, and by Frances Sakina Esterhuyse, who offers emotional support to ensure the learners’ psychological well-being is always front of mind.

But the programme doesn’t stop with the learners - it also invests in the facilitators themselves. These young adults are gaining hands-on experience in trauma-informed education, emotional first aid, event organisation, and creative facilitation. It’s a pathway into future careers in the arts, education, and tourism, and it’s equipping a new generation with the confidence, empathy, and skills to make meaningful change.

While the programme is still in its beginning phases, the team is eager to continue this work, having already seen powerful shifts take place. From a research perspective, early insights confirm what we intuitively know to be true: when young people are offered agency, safety, and creative freedom, they respond with enthusiasm, courage, and curiosity. The programme has also been adopted by the University of Stellenbosch and will see continuation past the events of the Stellenbosch Triennale 2025.

Healing Through the Arts is more than an education programme. It’s a model for what learning can become -  restorative, empowering, and deeply human.