Acornhoek artist raises SA flag in Budapest

Sibuyi teaches grades 10, 11 and 12’s at Shobiyana High School in Acornhoek and was sponsored by Wild Shot, an outreach programme that facilitates photography workshops in rural areas, to attend GATE. “Director of Wild Shot, Mike Kendrick, tasked Harriet Nimmo to do fundraising to help me reach Budapest after I was invited to attend,” Sibuyi said. The conference was held from 6-8 October. Sibuyi told the Herald he fell in love with art during primary school after he met the late Big Boss Ngobeni, a local artist.

“It was tough because I was not able to buy art supplies or materials, I could not even buy a pencil. I relied on charcoal and collecting or recycling boxes to do my art,” he said. After completing matric he was sponsored to study at the Dubai College of Visual and Dramatic Arts where he met Nick Vorono and Becky Harmon, directors of Seeds of Light, a non-governmental organisation. “With their help, I started a community arts project at the Catholic Mission in Maromeng village. It was tough because we worked under a tree,” he said.

They eventually got help from the community and were given an abandoned classroom at Katlego Preschool where they hosted art classes on weekends. In 2011 he joined Shobiyana High School teaching visual arts, a subject introduced by the principal, Judy Mbokota. “In the afternoons and over weekends I continued with my classes for Seeds of Light,” he said. The school has been competing in the Mpumalanga Department of Education’s annual provincial visual arts and design competition. “My learners do well every year, also on a national level.

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People from overseas have visited our classes to encourage the learners and donate towards our cause,” he added. An attendee of the GATE, Salma Raza, shared her experience of Sibiye’s presentation at the conference. “It was an absolute joy to meet Walter at GATE Budapest this year,” she said. “The aim of the organisation is for art teachers to teach each other because we believe and know that creativity is the most important aspect of life and hope for the future,” she said.

“From the moment Walter spoke, we were entranced by his passion, his drive, and enthusiasm for art. I believe he inspired each and every one of us. When he asked us to sign the flag of South Africa, he brought us together in something much bigger, a connection. “He talked of back home and of finding creative solutions to things like materials and how that was part of the learning. “He was completely immersed and absorbed fully all aspects of what was being shared. I really hope that Walter will come back to GATE next year because something so amazing and so important is being generated in this connection and he is a key part of it,” she said.