A famous poet once said, “The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” This adage has a ring of truth for the extraordinarily talented bunch of artists going by the name.
Art of the Soul, a local youth-driven non-profi t organisation that has set out to use talent and skill to give back to the community. Put differently, Art of the Soul is an army of artists with different ideas, skills and talent brought together by one objective: using art as a means to engage in social responsibility. “Imagine fl ames burning together, because when fl ames burn together they become more in-tense. That’s what we are – poets, musicians, mimes, graphic artists, theatre actors, and painters – all coming together to produce our love for all things art” said Onkemetse Sebenyane, representative of Art of the Soul.
One of the biggest projects that they have been involved in so far was hosting a poetry session themed Poison Poetry, whose proceeds were donated to a charitable organisation for the blind in Francistown. Speaking to Time Out, Sebenyane says his organisation’s principal objective is not only to give back to the less privileged but also to take art to the people by hosting workshops in order to teach and share about their artistry.
Art of the Soul has been operating since December 2010 and now has 32 members both locally and internationally. They are currently working on a six-man production, which will be showcased at Maitisong Festival on April 10, 11 and 13 at the Botswana Craft. Their piece will incorporate poetry, hip hop, mime theatre and music, all aimed at portraying the beauty of the city through music and poetry.