When I was about 20, I visited the most fantastic creative energising hub for children. There were separate rooms for all sorts of different creative activities, from art to music, to dancing, to drama. It was uplifting and exciting. It was buzzing with children, with adults, with different sounds and smells. It was inspiring. And it was during that visit, one day in South Africa, that I had a dream of running my own arts centre like it one day.

Until that day comes around, when all the I’s are dotted and my T’s are crossed, I will continue to teach children. I will continue to inspire them to stretch them beyond their imaginations and experiment with art. I am a firm believer in experimenting and just “giving it a go”. I try my best to teach them that a mistake is not the end of the artwork, that it is merely a moment to pause and reflect and change the plan. And more often than not, the mistake turns out to be a blessing. There is always something to be learnt and adapted. I don’t like waste and I like to reuse, so my projects are resourceful, and I make use of recycled materials wherever possible. I do not strive to get the children to produce a perfect piece of art, what I strive for is creating a lasting memory of making art that is happy and empowering.

Children grow up too easily believing that they are no good at art. Who told them that in the first place?

It is a child’s right to create and to celebrate their achievements.

 

To view my portfolio website head on over to www.toubiejack.com

​