There are few feelings quite as enriching as walking out of your favourite art museum - aesthetic inspiration paired with a new cultural perspective on the world broadens your mind to new possibilities for today and the future. Imagine this same enriching experience from the perspective of curiosity that is innate to childlike wonder and you will understand the huge benefits of the Norval Foundation Learning Centre.
Hugged by Constantia’s mountains, the Norval Foundation Learning Centre is not only a world class tapestry of contemporary art from the African continent and its diaspora, but it's also a beacon that champions South Africa’s promising future.
Throughout 2023 alone, the Norval Foundation played host to over 9 000 learners, offering an enriching opportunity to children from under-resourced communities to explore the centre and engage with world-class art.
Through a carefully curated visit that maximises engagement and learning, children are taken on guided tours of exhibitions, the famed sculpture garden, as well as immersive lessons from Norval Foundation’s ‘Making Art History’ series sourced from African art history workbooks. Learners are given the space to translate their own ideas into art through an art-creation lesson. They can then take their artwork home - after enjoying a nutritious snack.
Creating one’s own art can prove to be a difficult activity even for the most formidable creative minds. But when children put their uninhibited imagination to paper, they make it look effortless.
In an era where creativity continues to be an invaluable skill, a visit to Norval Foundation’s Learning Centre is a step towards confidence in self-expression, problem solving and everyday school subjects such as history and visual arts. As an additional experience, there are colourful yet educational worksheets for junior, intermediate and senior learners freely available for educators and parents to download via the Norval website.
South Africa’s art institutions present unprecedented accessibility, offering glimpses into the country’s storied past as well as an optimistic future where the work of masters and talented contemporary artists share the same floors. Who knows? The next creative mind could be visiting the Norval Learning Centre soon.
Text by Kimberly Schoeman
