By Nangamso Mabindla
20 September 2007

CHILDREN’S rights are the focus of the Art for Humanity (AFH) exhibition, Women for Children, now showing at the East London Ann Bryant Art Gallery.

AFH engages with cultural production, specifically in the visual arts, to promote human rights awareness regionally and globally.

The exhibition, which opened on Thursday, 14 September, aims to promote the voices of children in South Africa, Africa and other parts of the developing world.

Gallery curator Leon du Preez said that through Women for Children, AFH aimed to raise awareness of children’s rights. "[It wants] to use this exhibition as a means to inspire a sense of social ownership and social responsibility towards the rights of children."

AFH and its partners invited 25 female artists and 25 poets from South Africa, other developing countries and the international community to be part of the initiative. And, to promote multilingualism and diversity, AFH translated the poems into various South African languages.

Du Preez said that, using the exhibition, AFH also wanted to engage in an international art exhibitions programme as part of an advocacy campaign with the focus on children’s rights. It also aimed to promote creativity and critical discourse on the topic.

Talking about how the gallery became involved, Du Preez said, "We applied for the exhibition through Buffalo City and the Eastern Cape Provincial Arts Council. And we will be having it for the whole month."

The exhibition has also been to Scotland, Johannesburg and Durban.

To create public awareness about the importance of the rights of children, the art and poetry used in the exhibition has been reproduced in a public advocacy campaign that has taken billboards to public areas such as bus and taxi ranks.

One of the organisers of the East London exhibition, Kerry-Lyn Honey, said that they would love to put these billboards in Buffalo City as well.

"With funds available we will be able to have them up in our city - that depends on individual companies willing to sponsor these billboards. I would like to call on anyone interested in sponsoring to help us create public awareness."

Billboards had already been placed in Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown.

For more information about Women for Children and future exhibitions, contact the East London Ann Bryant Art Gallery on 043 722 4044.