Safika is taking art education to underprivileged Cape Town schoolchildren by sponsoring Artmode, an innovative art exhibition in which visitors can see the artists at work.

Safika will take children from poor schools that do not offfer art education, to Artmode, where they will get a guided tour of the exhibition and participate in art workshops facilitated by Bloemfontein-born artist Atang Tshikare.

Tshikare has taught art all over the world and is known internationally for his ability to develop creativity in young people.

“Children in South Africa’s poor areas get little exposure to art because schools very rarely have the resources to teach it,” said Moss Ngoasheng, Safika’s chief executive.  “Yet art enriches the human spirit; children need to be given the opportunity to know about this part of life.”

Ngoasheng said that he would like to see children from underprivileged backgrounds have the opportunity to become artists and art curators and administrators.

“We need a skilled new generation who will understand the vital need South Africa has to preserve its heritage and proudly display its art.  Who knows, perhaps one of the children we help to see an art exhibition for the first time, will one day be a famous artist or head of the national gallery.”

Artmode opens on Thursday May 21, 2015 at 18:00 at the Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Cape Town.