Joanna Daniela Glanville

Joanna Glanville from South Africa, is pursuing a Masters in Theatre Making and Scenography at the University of Cape Town. After having experienced first-hand the transformative healing power of art as therapy, Joanna is passionate about using film and theatre to facilitate conversations about taboo subjects. Joanna has previously used creative facilitation as a tool to discuss and confront subjects such as, healthy sexual practices, self-esteem and gender-based-violence. Her current research seeks to explore how scenography (set design, prop making, etc) can be used as a means for creative facilitation or trauma rehabilitation. For those whose pain is still too acute for on-stage performance, scenography offers an interesting, behind the scenes, alternative to role-playing drama therapies.

“The power is in transferring a painful inner landscape outside of yourself; where you can manipulate and respond to it […] allowing the spaces [you are] creating to absorb all of [your] trauma …so it doesn’t gnaw at the inside of your body.”

Faatima Omarjee Ebrahim

Fatima Ebrahim is a 2020 South Africa Program grantee. She is pursuing a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Cape Town. Faatima Ebrahim is South African and a clinical occupational therapist with 20 years’ experience serving the disabled community primarily in pediatric practice, and in a public health managerial capacity. Having a special needs child opened her eyes to the heavy burden on - almost exclusively female – caregivers, and radically changed her views on the role of the therapist. Ebrahim returned to university to better equip herself to research and advocate for caregiver engagement in therapy, as well as promoting inclusive communities, where those with disabilities can integrate and thrive, in collaboration with relevant NPOs.

“I grew up in apartheid South Africa. It was only in my first year at university that I was exposed to other cultures and communities within my own country. My parenting journey of a child with special needs has been a significant influence on the way I view my work. My own lived experiences of discrimination have empowered me to own my identity, and created a yearning for me to create and build the capacity of other women and children.”