Arts bring healing power to communities in Cape Town

Creative expression is used to reshape wellbeing, education and culture. By Lance Kieswetter

- By Lance Kieswetter

Left: Rise and Rave hosts sober dance gatherings that focus on creativity, not escapism; Right: A Spiel Arts Therapies Collective meeting in a park.

(Photos: Supplied)

Cape Town's artistic heartbeat is not only found in galleries, concert halls and nightlife venues. It pulses through community centres, makeshift studios, marimba rooms, school halls, church basements and dance floors transformed into sanctuaries of expression.

Over the past two decades, a growing ecosystem of community-driven arts initiatives and therapeutic creative practices has steadily reshaped emotional wellbeing, education and social belonging in the Western Cape. This movement has created accessible pathways for individuals and communities to process trauma, celebrate identity and build resilience.

Beneath this creative awakening lies a deeper truth: the arts are not an optional extra, but a fundamental human necessity that is central to healing, belonging and cultural continuity.

Leading organisations such as MusicWorks, Art Therapy SA, The Heartshine, Sanata and the Spieel Arts Therapies Collective have laid a strong foundation for therapeutic creative practice in Cape Town. Through music, movement, play, storytelling and ritual, these organisations create safe spaces for children, youth and adults to explore emotion, release tension and reconnect with their inner worlds.

MusicWorks, founded in 2002, exemplifies this approach. What began as a community music therapy clinic has evolved into a responsive, community-rooted organisation shaped by adaptability and contextual sensitivity. Its practitioners understand that music — fluid, nonverbal and deeply embodied — can open doorways to healing where traditional methods may struggle. In trauma-affected environments, the arts often become a bridge, meeting children and adults exactly where they are.