Impact — Kromdraai Impact Hub

Impact Over The Years

UP Waterstories

Shared Ground

A collaboration between NIROX Foundation, Kromdraai Impact Hub and the students from the University of Pretoria’s School of Arts, led by Professor Johan Thom.

Held in April 2024, the residency invited students to explore the concept of water through multiple lenses, responding to the ongoing water challenges in Kromdraai. The result was a deeply collaborative body of visual and physical artwork created alongside local community members; a reminder of water’s enduring yet complex presence in our collective story.

Phenomenal Women & The Ubuntu Queens

We hosted a creative residency that brought together leading female artists and our local girls’ group, The Ubuntu Queens. The residency served as both a space for artistic collaboration and a forum for dialogue, hosting conversations around present and future matters that shape the lives of young women today.

Throughout the programme, the children worked closely with the artists to compose original songs that reflected their shared stories, hopes, and visions. These pieces were later presented at the Women’s Day concert at NIROX Sculpture Park, celebrating creativity, community, and the collective voice of women across generations.

We hosted a Writer’s Residency with young people from the local community, centred on exploring and refining the impact of her children’s book, Unako and the blue couch. The residency created a nurturing space for storytelling, dialogue, and imagination — where Athi Peleta engaged directly with the youth to test ideas, gather feedback, and deepen the book’s resonance with its intended audience. Through shared reading sessions and creative writing exercises, participants reflected on themes of identity, belonging, and growth, contributing meaningfully to the development of the work.

The project brought together artists, writers and researchers from Ukraine and South Africa to reflect on shared global concerns including children’s rights, environmental challenges and the importance of dialogue across borders.

Throughout the residency, that took place 13-27 Aug, Ukrainian artists Anastasiia Shcherban and Olha Fedorova worked alongside South African artist Diana Victor, exploring shared contexts and creating new work shaped by common reflection and place.
The residency was accompanied by the recording of 3 NIROX Dialogues podcast series, offering in-depth conversations with participants and invited experts.