Schreiner Karoo Writers Festival 
Visual Text Workshop

In June 2023, team members Simon Stanton-Sharma, Maire Tracey, Sanja Nivesjö, Andrew van der Vlies and Jade Munslow Ong attended the 13th Annual Schreiner Karoo Writers Festival in Cradock, South Africa, where they led 'Visual Storytelling' and 'Visual Text' workshops for local educators and other festival attendees.

The 'Visual Text' workshops were designed by award-winning poet, Dr Judy Kendall (Salford), and delivered by Sanja and Jade. Attendees were invited to engage creatively with the environs, histories, writing and culture associated with Cradock and surrounds, including the work of San artists, writer Olive Schreiner, the Cradock Four (Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli), Buffelskop mountain, the flora and landscapes of the Karoo semi-desert, anti-apartheid struggles, anti-racism and other local prompts...  

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A recording of the workshop and images of the visual texts can be found below, published with the kind permission of participants.

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We would like to thank Lisa Ker and the Schreiner Karoo Writers Festival team, the AHRC and University of Salford for funding our trip to South Africa, and Judy Kendall for so generously sharing her workshop materials. All photography courtesy of Simon Stanton-Sharma and Maire Tracey.