Open Studio as a therapeutic model: Responding to the needs of inner-city Johannesburg children

Children from Johannesburg’s inner city live in a context of multiple forms of violence, where the capacity of parents to provide safety, containment and emotional processing is severely compromised. Lefika La Phodiso Community Art Counselling Training (Lefika) is located on the edge of the inner city and facilitates an open studio arts-based programme, which aims to responsively meet the psychosocial needs of the children who attend. This research aimed to gain insight into how Lefika’s open studio may contribute to creating a sustainable city for Johannesburg’s inner city children, with the participation of children as co-researchers in the project. Utilising a qualitative approach, and a participatory action framework, within the art therapy principles and practice of the open studio model, data collection included meaningful discussions of participant experiences. Data analysis and interpretation was done collaboratively with participants using thematic analysis. Children’s community experiences highlighted that Johannesburg’s inner city is no place for children, who consequently seek out safe spaces where they can play, be with their friends and have access to caring adults. Within this context, Lefika’s open studio is responsive to participants’ needs, promoting experiences of psychosocial well-being. Lefika’s Open Studio model is of inherent value to participants, offering them the opportunity to resist the limitations posed by their inner city environment. The findings confirm the applicability of the open studio model to inner city children and the authors advocate for widespread replicability of the programme with children.