The Power of Art to Transform Lives (Muholi Art Institute in partnership with Bavulele Art Residency & Nomonde Mafunda Foundation)

The Muholi Art Institute firmly believes that art can change lives. It can heal, empower, and connect us across boundaries of language, background, and circumstance. At the heart of this belief is our ongoing partnership with the Bavulele Art Residency, founded by the visionary Charmain Carol, and the Nomonde Mafunda Foundation, established by the inspiring Nomonde Mafunda. Together, we are building pathways of creativity and opportunity in communities that are often overlooked, but never short of talent, spirit, or imagination.

Our collaboration is rooted in the Mount Frere region of the Eastern Cape, a place rich with culture, resilience, and untold stories. Here, through the PXP (Photo Xperience Program, we teach photography and handcrafted art as powerful tools for storytelling, independence, and self-discovery. These workshops are not just about technical skills; they’re about giving voice to personal experience, reclaiming identity, and nurturing confidence.

Guided by the brilliant photographer and mentor Lindeka Qampi, participants, many of them young people and women, learn to see the world through a new lens, both literally and figuratively. They explore themes of community, womanhood, home, and dreams, transforming their observations into striking visual narratives. The result has been nothing short of inspiring: a public exhibition hosted at a local primary school, where participants proudly showcased their work to peers, family, teachers and community members. Each image told a story of courage, resilience, and vision, proof that creativity can be a force of healing and hope.

This initiative is more than a programme; it’s a movement. It reaffirms that art is not just a pastime, but a lifeline, a way to communicate, to imagine, and to create new futures. By nurturing artistic growth, we are also encouraging economic empowerment and personal agency, especially for young women who often face social and financial barriers to self-expression.

Watching these young minds and women discover their creative power has been deeply moving. Their journeys remind us that art is transformative, that when given the right tools, encouragement, and space, every person holds the potential to create something extraordinary.

Our commitment continues: to expand access, deepen mentorship, and amplify voices that deserve to be heard. Because when art thrives, so do communities.