What opportunities exist for young people to actively participate in the development of their own learning methods and materials in South Africa? What are the challenges, risks and realities anticipated or experienced by educators and learners alike? And what can the arts and artists offer to this mix?

Using the arts as a lens, a library, and a toolbox, Co-creative Learning in South African Schools explores these questions through doing and making. To ‘co-create’ means to create together. In a learning context, to co-create means to learn together. Each participant in the learning process is an active contributor – everybody learns. The project intends to develop extraordinary learning methods and materials in collaboration with school-going youth, educators and artists.

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francis burger is an artist and facilitator based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She works across media and processes, from education and facilitation work to publication design, textile art and pottery. francis has taught at various universities in South Africa, including Wits and UCT, and has facilitated many 'extra-curricular' reflection processes through institutions such as A4 Arts Foundation, African Centre for Cities, Keleketla! Library, and Artist Proof Studios. Most recently, francis has worked with the Department of Basic Education on their Life Skills and Life Orientation textbooks as an illustrator and facilitator.