Art teacher Walter Sibuyi has the opportunity to attend an art conference in Budapest; being such an inspiration to his students, a crowdfund has been set up to get him there.
Mpumalanga, South Africa (19 April 2023) – According to Harriet Nimmo, art teacher Walter Sibuyi is a hit at his school. Students love his classes and the Shobiyana High School has seen an increase in enrollment and student attendance. Mr Sibuyi’s class is a firm favourite and makes a difference in the small community of Acornhoek.
One of the highlights of Mr Sibuyi’s career has been the opportunity to attend the Global Art Teachers Exchange international conference in Budapest in September.
Walter Sibuyi, age 48, has been teaching at Shobiyana High School since 2012. His personal art form of choice is sculpture but he encourages art of all kinds from his students, guiding them on their own journeys.
Using his own love of sculpture, he has created beautiful elephants filled with stones. His works have been viewed by visitors and tourists, and it was this recognition, that earned him an invite to apply for the conference. Mr Sibuyi needed to submit a proposal and his lesson plans to the Global Art Teachers Exchange programme (GATE). His application was a success and he was invited to join the 2023 conference.
The only hiccup on this road to his biggest dream has been the expense. Participants need to cover their own travel costs. When Mr Sibuyi realised just how much, he knew he would need a helping hand to make this dream a reality.
“It is my dream to be able to go to Budapest and work with art teachers from Europe and America. I want to share my expertise and learn from them and bring new techniques back to Acornhoek. I have to raise R45,000 (£2,000) for my travel costs and accommodation, which is sadly beyond my means”.
Harriet Nimmo was not discouraged and knew his story was an inspiring one. She set up the crowdfund to help raise the R45,000 needed to get Walter to Budapest. So far, they have raised just over R10,000.00, the hope is to reach the amount before he needs to fly in September.
Mr Sibuyi already has his passport, so its only a matter of finances to get him where he needs to go. If you would like to support Walter Sibuyi’s dream, you can donate to the BackaBuddy here.
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