2-Day Art Workshop (13-14 November 2025)

[uj phenomenology]

2-Day Workshop at the Centre for Phenomenology in South Africa

 

CFA

 

For the Love of Art

 

13-14 November 2025

 

University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Organized by Gabrielle Chabuda, Catherine Botha, and Rafael Winkler

 

Theme

“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering- these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” Dead Poets Society

We are all artists in our own right, not because we are sculptors, painters, musicians, writers, or poets, but because we are part of the human race. Art is a fundamental part of humanity. It plays a significant role in how we express ourselves and in the way we see the world around us.

In our daily lives, we engage with different forms of creation through storytelling, expression, and movement. This is what embeds art in human existence. Art is more than the sensuous expression of a non-sensuous idea (Hegel). It is our way of being. As Peter Weir’s 1989 Dead Poets Society reminds us, “life is more than just survival but is rooted and shaped by meaning, love, passion and beauty.” You create meaning and leave a mark on the world through your thoughts and actions. 

As artists, we do more than create. We also discover. In the midst of chaos, we find meaning. In solitude, there is a sense of companionship, and in violence, there is a quiet refuge. Art takes what is there already and gives it the ability to transform itself and shine brightly in the world. It takes the rawness and abstractness of existence and changes them into something that transcends time and culture, history and nature. This is how we become linked to each other and to the world around us. It is through art that, in these moments of creation and connection, we touch something deeply human. 

This workshop is a celebration of what it means to be human, to have the ability to connect, create, and express what words cannot capture. In doing so, we learn that the significance of art in society is to challenge us, sustain us, and allow us the space to leave a mark on the world. The aim of this workshop is to raise some of these issues.   

The topics include, but are not limited to: 

·  The transformative power of poetry and literature 

·  Art as a reflection of the human spirit 

·  Creativity and individuality in a conformist society 

·  Finding meaning in chaos through art 

·  The connection between art and philosophy

·  Passion, beauty, and the purpose of life 

·  Why do we create?

·  Art as a means of resistance and liberation 

·  Art and identity politics 

·  Art and perception 

·  The value of different artforms

·  Society and the arts 

·  Art as a language beyond words

Submission: 

Please send a 300-word abstract for blind review to ujpheno...@gmail.com. Submissions must include the author’s name(s), email address, and institutional affiliation. The presentation should span from 15-20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of discussion, it is also an in-person and hybrid event. The deadline for abstracts has been extended to the 30th of September 2025. Notification of acceptance will be sent by the 2nd October 2025.

If you'd like to attend as an attendee, please let me know. You’re also welcome to share the invitation with anyone who may be interested (everyone is warmly invited). It promises to be a meaningful and engaging way to end the year, so it’s definitely an event not to miss ;)