PLAYING OUR PART
To drive social and economic change through our various community projects
Shear Kindness
Access to basic personal care can significant impact self-esteem, mental health, and opportunities for social and economic reintegration.
Unfortunately, homeless individuals lack access to basic hygiene facilities, such as showers, restrooms, and laundry services. Additionally, they often lack the necessary resources for their hygienic and sanitary requirements. This lack often leads to health issues, including poor skin conditions and potential parasitic infections.
Because of the lack of privacy, they are often subjected to grooming in public spaces or shelters, leading to a loss of self-worth and social isolation.
The psychological and physical impact of the indignity suffered by lack of grooming led to Be The Salt and Light’s Shear Kindness Project. Through our Shear Kindness Project, we provide free grooming services to the homeless community of Cape Town. Partnering with local shelters, safe spaces, and soup kitchens, Shear Kindness offers these services through the deployment of mobile units equipped with professional barbers and equipment.
The success for the Shear Kindness Project to improve individuals’ appearance and boost their self-confidence empowers participants to:
- pursue employment opportunities,
- engage more actively in their communities,
- work towards family reunification, and
- seek personal stability.
Stage for Change
Stage for Change is a Performing Arts project which utilises Applied Theatre to catalyse social change. Through various art disciplines, including poetry, storytelling, singing, dancing, reader’s theatre, and drama scenes, we aim to break down social barriers, empower diverse voices, and foster empathy, understanding, and human connections.
The project targets marginalised youth with talent and interest in Applied Theatre. They undergo thorough six-month skills training and art teaching programs to equip them to operate as a small theatre group.
The ultimate goal is to enable participants to produce Applied Theatre programs for other entities as a means of job creation and income generation while making a positive impact in their communities.
As part of their training, the selected youth rehearse a performance they will present in schools and community halls within their communities. These performances serve a dual purpose: raising awareness of social issues (Substance Abuse) and promoting the arts to create new audiences.
Applied Theatre, encompassing various practices such as theatre in education, theatre for development, youth theatre, disability theatre, and prison theatre, provides the framework for this initiative, leveraging the transformative power of theatre to address social concerns and effect meaningful change.
