Sibikwa exercises its rights to freedom of expression through a petition
On April 26 at 10am, the staff at the arts centre, as well as learners, parents and stakeholders, will be delivering the attached petition to the Ekurhuleni head office, located at 15 Queen Street, Germiston.
Sibikwa Arts Centre on Liverpool Road is exercising its right to freedom a day before the annual Freedom Day celebration by delivering a petition to the Ekurhuleni head office, located at 15 Queen Street, Germiston.
On April 26 at 10am, the staff at the arts centre, as well as learners, parents and stakeholders, will be delivering the attached petition.
The petition confronts the systemic obstacles that hinder progress in the Ekurhuleni metro, particularly concerning the arts and culture sector.
“As detailed in the petition, the Sibikwa Arts Centre has a 33-year history of serving the community and metro through its provision of quality arts education and training, award-winning touring productions, community-building projects and employment opportunities,” said Sibikwa’s Vumile Qupe.
“Following multiple attempts over the years to build a relationship with the metro, being consistently denied requests for funding and an apparent disinterest on the part of the metro to engage, the Sibikwa Arts Centre is currently gathering signatures in support of this petition.
“The Sibikwa Arts Centre expects to submit the petition to the executive mayor, Clr Mzwandile Masina. Two thousand signatures from community members support the plea to the metro to ring-fence R4-million annually to support its flagship projects.
These projects include the Saturday Arts Academy, Inclusive Creative Arts Programme and community engagement and heritage preservation events.
“We request your support in providing coverage of the Sibikwa Arts Centre and its community of learners, parents and stakeholders when delivering the petition to the mayor and raising awareness around this collective effort for the advancement of socio-economic transformation for disadvantaged communities in Ekurhuleni, through quality education, creative expression and cultural participation,” Qupe concluded.
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