Giving Compass' Take:

• Positive Vibrations is empowering young South Africans through arts programming aimed at honing talent and building confidence. 

• How can arts programs specifically foster empowerment in young people? What organizations or schools have already seen success with the arts? 

• Read about the importance of leaning in with arts education to uplift student voice. 

A youth organisation called Positive Vibrations aims to change the lives of young people in South Africa through the arts.

It was founded by passionate young theatre practitioners Lungile Lebogang Maboe and Zandisile Dyantyi back in 2005, with the aim of empowering young, up-and-coming artists with skills that will enable their arts careers to flourish.

Maboe told Global Citizen that when she founded the organisation, her hope was to create learning programmes that would help those who wanted a career in the arts.

Maboe said that the organisation, based in Chief Albert Luthuli Park in Gauteng, has a vital role to play in the development of young people in South Africa — by introducing them to the values that they can learn from disciplines like dance, singing, and acting.

“This would broaden their horizons and extend their interests in the life of the arts,” Maboe continued. “In this way Positive Vibrations contributes in developing a civil society and helps with moral regeneration in our country.”

“Young people are able to build up confidence using the arts,” she said.

Maboe said that although it wasn’t easy promoting the arts, she was moved by the power the discipline has.

“This is not an easy task as the majority of our young people are not acquainted with the performing arts, apart from attending music concerts,” she said. “We therefore need to offer them an experience which has an obvious benefit to them, such as presenting prescribed works with which they often struggle.”

“Our productions and programmes are educationally based… are in line with basic education curriculum context, and serve to mandate the objectives of education,” she added.

Read the full article about empowering young people through the arts by Thato Mahlangu at Global Citizen