Artists collaborate in ‘Stop Violence’ campaign
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Sunday October 29, 2023 06:00
They comprise creatives from different sectors such as such as fine art, photography, models and actors who have collaborated to come up with an art piece raising awareness against gender-based violence (GBV).
In an interview with one of these artists, Kenneth Bale who is a visual artist, he explained that the idea came about following an incident in Maun, which happened during the time he held his 'True To Myself' exhibition in the village.
“Last week a gay person was assaulted for being gay, so myself and some people in the creative industry collaborated for a photo shoot at the river in Maun famously known as Ko Beacheng in an attempt to raise awareness on violence against gay people. The scene combined photography, art and action to send the message.
The inspiration was from the incident that happened to one of the actors, Sarina Opelo (the victim of violence) who was recently assaulted,” he explained. Furthermore, he said the message was relayed to everyone who was involved in any kind of violence.
He called on perpetrators to stop their abusive ways and urged victims to stand up against GBV. He also called on the law enforcement authorities to take action against perpetrators. Bale further pointed out that his art was about raising awareness about issues society faces such as crime, teenage pregnancy, GBV and others. For his part, the GBV victim, Opelo, said it was important for the public to respect the LGBTQI community and refrain from judging them. He added that they were born gay and is not their own choice.
He added that they deserved to be treated equally and needed to enjoy their human rights like every person. He also appealed to the police to take their cases seriously and not dismiss them because they involve gay people. “You cannot discriminate against someone simply because they are gay. Their rights matter like everyone’s and must be respected.
It is high time our civil society organisations stand up and fight this GBV against the LGBTQI community. The police also have to treat us like human beings. I once experienced sexual assault because I am gay and the perpetrator felt like I could not report the incident. The police also have to take us seriously when we report such cases rather than dismiss us,” he said.
The Stop Violence photo shoot pictures were taken by @Lennygraphy and Jnr Mesho Photography, artwork was done by Haletlhaba Artspace and Kenneth Bale while models included Opelo, Mawila and Maclos Bapati. The lights assistants were Tale Monkgomotsi, Maclos Belteshazzar, Bapati Mothusiemang and La’kishh Nkamo.