The well-attended festival is hosted every three years and presents a selection of photographic narratives developed by young photographers who are part of the OSJ photography project.
Launched in 2012 by the Rubis Mécénat Cultural Fund and Easigas, OSJ provides a platform for young people in and around Johannesburg to learn photography skills.
This year’s festival programme included a photographic exhibition of 60 works by former and current OSJ students.
The festival also welcomed musicians and performers. There was an arts and craft market and OSJ project books were also on sale.
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The popular interactive photo booth gave visitors the opportunity to have their family or personal portraits taken by OSJ photographers.
Although a severe thunderstorm in the afternoon forced organisers to call off outdoor activities, the much-anticipated panel discussion continued in the school library.
The discussion, “Reflecting on South African photography”, was moderated by Kabelo Malatsi, the director of The Visual Arts Network of South Africa with renowned South African photographers Andrew Shabangu and Jabulani Dhlamini; independent curator and founder of PHOTO John Fleetwood; and 2018 OSJ alumnus Thembinkosi Hlatshwayo.
In honour of South Africa’s 25 years of democracy, new images exhibited included a series of works developed under the theme “Khumalo Street, post 1994”.
During the 1990s, this notorious street in Thokoza was a no-go area due to the political violence that claimed lives and displaced many families. Among those who lost their lives was well-known community leader Sam Ntuli.
“Young people have a responsibility to know and understand their history, and, in the process, use creative platforms to tell their stories boldly. The works created by the OSJ students seek to reflect on and capture a Khumalo Street that is free from political violence and at the same time interrogate its current state,” said project manager and mentor Jabulani Dhlamini.
Additional works showcased included a collection of images from the Place of Peace 2018 exhibition with works by 2012 alumni Tshepiso Mazibuko, Lindokuhle Sobekwa and Sibusiso Bheka.
“Twenty-nineteen marks Of Soul and Joy’s seventh anniversary of narrating African stories through the lens of young photographers, and we will continue to develop emerging photographers, encourage self-expression, support creative collaborations. We look forward to an even more successful photography festival in 2022,” said Dhlamini.
