Phansi Museum Rural School Project:Challenge for Change

The word phansi, pronounced punzi means below or beneath in Zulu and acknowledges the origin or birthplace of ancestral spirits and the place of birth of what is now known as Phansi Museum. From a small private collection of artefacts and craftwork in the basement of Roberts House the Museum was accorded private museum status in 2000 and currently houses one of the largest and most spectacular publicly accessible collections of southern African artefacts dating back to the 19th Century, including garments, beadwork, jewellery, earplugs, meat platters and headrests, snuff spoons, tobacco pipes and utensils. Research indicates that art and culture education provides learners with the skills to think creatively, to innovate and to become determined learners ready to solve multifaceted problems. Evidence suggest that especially, children-at risk, children from previously marginalised area and children affected by HIV and AIDS etc., who have access to the arts are inclined to ...