First conference of Sub-Saharan arts community

The North-West University in Potchefstroom will host the first conference of SSASEA (Sub-Saharan Africa Society for Education through Arts) virtually from 1 to 4 December. “With this conference, we want to invite educators, researchers, policymakers, practitioners of the arts and students to participate and review their positional stance in a world that has become increasingly disrupted, socially distanced and unsettling,” says Merna Meyer, the vice-chairperson of SSASEA. The theme of the conference is Embracing indigenous knowledge through the arts for sustainable development goals (SDG’s*) in general and in times of (pandemic) disruption and uncertainty. The conference questions the value of indigenous knowledge.

The speakers will present papers covering leadership development and the employability of youth and the elderly; innovative and entrepreneurial skills development; inclusivity, equality, well-being and community and environmental aware-ness and heritage preservation.

Those who wish to attend the conference can visit https://edu- cation.nwu.ac.za/ssasea for more information or phone Merna Meyer at 083 235 0599. Merna invites all artists and art educators to join and register as a member of the organsation. In this way own networking and association with the arts are strengthened.

SSASEA strives to advocate the importance and essential role of arts education; develop arts-based research and best-value practices and curricula. They include music, dance, drama, and visual art and want to offer strategic recommendations for policy-related decisions and actions in implementing arts education for all. This society’s focus is to acknowledge unique identities, re-visit indigenous knowledge systems and their relevance to sustainable development in general and in times of disruptive, pandemic tipping points in their regions.

They aspire to move forward by mobilising different kinds of knowledge and learn new ways of living. In 2018, the first SSASEA symposium took place in Namibia, under the auspices of InSEA (International Society for Education through Art). As per the WAAE-Unesco declaration, the organisation aims to provide advocacy and guidance to strengthen arts education at country level, in the Sub-Saharan region and globally.

They primarily want to offer opportunities for artists and connoisseurs to appreciate arts-related occasions. SSASEA also strives to establish a sub-Saharan African identity and promote indigenous arts and crafts. It also seeks to align with other international arts organisations.