TBWA Worldwide hosts a global photography exhibition in support of Room 13 International to aid the growing network of student-run art studios in schools and community centres
TBWA Worldwide held a global photography exhibition on the same day, at the same hour (December 13th), in 13 TBWA offices around the world, including Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore (in addition to New York, Berlin, Paris, Los Angeles, Johannesburg and more), to raise funds for Room 13 International, a network of art studios in schools and community centers worldwide.
Room 13 began when a group of enterprising children established a student-run art studio in 1994. With a focus on fostering creativity and self-reliance among students in underserved communities, the studios gave students the tools they need to express themselves. Now with more than 60 studios worldwide, thousands of young people have been inspired to explore their creativity.
In October, a team of volunteers from across the TBWA collective participated in SIYEZA (meaning “we are coming” in isiZulu), a five-day photo-adventure across South Africa.
TBWA teams, led by Emmanuel Andre, president, International at TBWA Worldwide, visited five different Room 13 studios to teach photography skills to Room 13 students and raise
crucial funds for the studios in South Africa. In addition to his “day job,” Andre is an accomplished photographer whose portraits have been published and featured in galleries around the world.
The Room 13 exhibition will include photographs featuring the young people of South African townships who participated in SIYEZA. The sessions aimed to unlock the talents of young people by giving them a rare opportunity to learn photography skills and explore their own creative intuitions.
Covering more than 1000km in a borrowed Datsun van, the team supported the students as they shot their own group photographs. For some of the students involved, the photos taken during SIYEZA were the first photographs they have ever taken. For most, the photographs will be the only pictures they have ever owned.
“SIYEZA is a great example of how TBWA and Room 13 International are working together to empower a connected, global network of young artists. These images capture the energy and spirit of the young artists, and the whole project embodies our shared mission to inspire and enable young people’s creativity,” said Claire Gibb, chief executive of Room 13 International.
Nils Andersson, creative president TBWA\Asia said, “Last night we were extremely honoured and humbled to have the opportunity to host SIYEZA Exhibition in Asia, where three of our markets exhibited photography taken by the incredibly talented students from Room 13 in South Africa.
“Rooms 13 is an inspiring charity, run by children for children designed to help equip underprivileged children with skills to provide for themselves later in life, or simple, to provide them with a creative outlet to improve their quality of life.”
TBWA has partnered with Room 13 since 2005. What began as a local project initiated by
TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris in Johannesburg, working with schools in Soweto and Botshabelo, has grown into a global effort across the TBWA Worldwide collective.
In 2016, participants in the TBWA Tiger Academy, one of the agency’s training programs, developed a menu of innovative ways to raise awareness and funds, and volunteered to serve as Room 13 ambassadors throughout the company.
