Learning through art
DIEPSLOOT - Since 2012 Tsogo Sun Arts Academy has been promoting the arts as a mechanism for skills development in disadvantaged schools in Gauteng.
The academy is currently running in 12 schools in Diepsloot and Mayfair with a total of 480 pupils from grades 4 to 7 in primary schools and grades 8 to 10 in high schools.
“The Arts Academy aims to improve disadvantaged children’s lives through their artistic talent,” said Vusi Dlamini, Tsogo Sun’s human resources director. “We believe that this provides a sound basis for the development of life skills, while also aligning with the educational system and offering extra-curricular activities.”
Each year the academy follows a specific theme which ties in with the activities of the year, specifically in the life skills component which incorporates aspects such as emotional intelligence, journaling, listening, reading, communication, following instructions, discipline and time management. The academy’s overall theme for 2014 is ‘Plant smiles, grow laughter and harvest love’.
Commitment is an extremely valuable skill to learn early on in life and the children who are accepted into the academy have to show their commitment to the performing arts and life skills programme to their classmates and to the art time and time again as the year gets tougher and more demanding.
Confidence is also an important part of their learning, this is taught through the many performances the pupils take part in during the year.
“The heart of the Arts academy is not to discover the next Beyonce but to have a real impact on these children’s lives in the long term through the medium of performing arts,” Dlamini said.
