WITH the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on many, local artist, Kezia Gerber and Vrystaat Kunstefees director Corneli van den Berg, registered their art studio in Jeffreys Bay as a non-profit organisation to uplift and enrich personal mental health through creative expression.
Gerber, who is the chairperson and lead artist of Dare to Imagine Studios, said she initially established the studio in 2017 as a private studio to offer private classes to her clients.
She said, pre-pandemic, the studio’s primary focus was the art and music festival industry, but in 2020, in the light of the world pandemic, Gerber together with Van den Berg, they decided to register the studio as an NPO, dedicated to sharing creative expression to uplift and enrich personal ‘mental wealth’.
“Due to the repercussions of this world pandemic and the long months of social isolation, we sensed the need for free mental health assistance in our community and globally,” said Gerber.
She said, for many years, she has lived with depression and anxiety, but from a very young age she could attest to the ‘magical power’ that visual art, dancing, singing, and writing has had for her.
Her personal experience therefore further prompted the idea to help others dealing with mental health challenges.
“In times of dire need, creative expression has assisted me to work through many tough moments and to give myself some compassion and colour,” said Gerber.
She said her workshops and classes provided people with a safe space to explore and grow creatively and emotionally.
Gerber said using creative expression enabled people to feel more connected to themselves and to others.
Furthermore, she said being creative also assisted people with being “in the moment,” while being present helped with feelings of anxiety or depression.
“Creative expression is at the core of us as human beings. Before we can run, we can dance, before we can talk, we make creative sounds. Before we can write words, we draw,” said Gerber.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic helping more people speak out about mental health matters, Gerber said there was still a great deal of work that needed to be done to empower people within the mental health scope.
She said her studio therefore focused on creating mental wealth and helping people learn how to feed their own mental wealth daily.
“The most important message we wish to spread is that you are not alone,” said Gerber.
The Dare to Imagine Studios offers a variety of creative adventures to suit everyone which included workshops ranging from drawing, painting, photography, macrame, bookbinding and home printing.
In addition, the studio runs an artist residency programme where artists from all over the world are invited to immerse themselves in beautiful Jeffreys Bay and surroundings.
As part of their residency programme, visiting artists presented talks, demonstrations, and workshops for free to the community to assist them to find their own personal expression.
The studio also offered individual and group art classes from the age of five in a variety of mediums and they hosted art parties and provide team building events too.
Apart from the various workshops offered at the studio, Gerber said they are currently working with various institutions to create an art school programme, specifically designed for children.
She said their main challenge is communication which teaches children how to talk about their emotions and how to use art to work through emotions and challenging times.
“We aim to create a space of exploration through creation that not only allows children the space to talk about difficult things but empowers them with the right linguistic tools to be able to talk successfully about what they are experiencing as well as giving them the time to feel heard,” said Gerber.
“We want to teach them how to process and feel their emotions in their bodies and how to release these feelings through various forms of art.”
For more information contact Kezia Gerber on 084 612 4269, email the studio on info@daretoimaginestudios.co.za or visit their website www.daretoimaginestudios.co.za.
