Growing For Good Connecting communities

Living Arts Foundation

Housed in The Shed at Spier, the Living Arts Foundation (LAF) connects, uplifts and empowers the Lynedoch Valley community through arts, creativity, physical movement and personal development.

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The LAF facilitates psychosocial support for community members, enhancing well-being, developing skills, and creating positive transformations in themselves, their families, and their communities.
TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH ART & MOVEMENT

LIVING ARTS FOUNDATION

THE PROGRAMMES

Stellenbosch Gymnastics: This programme uses gymnastics to nurture self-awareness, self-respect and self-discipline among those who practice the sport and promote general mental and physical well-being.

The After Image Studio: The LAF’s visual arts initiative is a space where art sessions, workshops and courses enable community members and children to use art to develop self-awareness and a sense of well-being. In a safe and nurturing environment, they are supported to express themselves creatively to process their emotions and work through the difficulties they are experiencing.

The Crafter’s Corner: Our pottery studio facilitates weekly community classes for women residing on nearby farms. Here they create ceramics available for sale at various outlets in greater Stellenbosch. Additional weekly classes are open to the public: an opportunity to unleash your creativity and express yourself through clay. Classes can also be booked for groups (e.g., birthdays, team-building workshops, etc.). The Crafter’s Corner also offers clay mindfulness workshops which serve as a therapeutic tool for community members.

Mozart’s Balanced Riding: This programme offers vaulting – gymnastics on horseback – to children. This safe and exhilarating introduction to horses and horseriding has a multitude of therapeutic benefits. These include improvements in low muscle tone, concentration, coordination, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, mental handicaps, school performance and spatial awareness. As the children work with the horses and other kids, they hone empathy (as they are required to think about the safety of others) and learn how to take turns and offer each other support.

Flying Fitness Aerial Silks Studio: This programme is where community members (both children and adults) can experience aerial silks. Silks is commonly known as a circus artform where an aerial acrobat performs daring tricks hanging from two pieces of material draped from the ceiling. The studio has taught hundreds of people to climb, twist and invert their bodies in enchanting sequences. The programme improves self-esteem and reduces anxiety (it has been especially helpful in helping people to overcome their fear of heights). Aerial silks also aid upper-body and core strength, overall flexibility, and decompression of lower back and spine. Regular performances, which are not compulsory, offer a wonderful opportunity for students to present their skills and for the community to come together to cheer on participants. Practice sessions foster camaraderie and confidence among those who attend.

Explore all our initiatives

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Teaching the value of waste

100% of our organic waste is transformed into organic, nutrient-rich fertiliser and more than 97% of our solid waste is recycled.

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Spier Food Garden

In our food gardens, Megan McCarthy teaches members of disadvantaged local communities how to grow food using eco-friendly and regenerative techniques.

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Agents of change

Because each employee is an ambassador for Spier and its values, every new member of our team participates in a five-day training course that explores environmental and social challenges.

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Skills development

Spier is a participating employer in the Pinotage Youth Development Academy which seeks to educate and employ disadvantaged youth in the wine industry.

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Tree-preneurs

Living in some of the province’s most impoverished communities, Tree-preneurs are taught how to care for indigenous trees and plants.

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Harambee youth employment accelerator

Spier recruits entry-level staff through Harambee, an initiative that sources, trains and places unemployed young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into their first jobs.

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Pack for a purpose

Pack for a Purpose invites visitors to Spier to fill spare space in their luggage with much-needed books, stationery and other educational supplies for disadvantaged young students.

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Art

A Living Tribute to Contemporary South African Art

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Reducing and reusing water

100% of Spier’s black and grey wastewater is recycled using a centralised wastewater treatment plant installed in 2007.

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An ethical supply chain

We ensure integrity throughout our supply chain by monitoring the agreed commitments in our Spier Supplier Ethical Code of Conduct, which includes compliance with all relevant labour, health and safety and environmental legislation.

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The Spier Nursery

The Spier Nursery was established to propagate and grow indigenous trees and plants that are specific to the region to re-introduce these onto the farm.