Born in Soweto from a dialogue between Ilze Wessels and Vuyolwethu Reoagile, Wombanifesto emerged as a constellation of artists, thinkers, and visionaries committed to empowering women, queer, and marginalized bodies through art and community.
We design immersive workshops, pop-up sessions, and reflective dialogues using artistic tools to unpack gender-based violence and cultivate healing practices. These are spaces for unlearning, reimagining, and creating new responses rooted in care and creativity.
Building alternative economies rooted in feminine values: care, intuition, interdependence, and resilience. We support creatives in developing skills, networks, and entrepreneurial tools that enable them to thrive using their art as currency, voice, and power.
We begin by imagining new possibilities. Dreaming is our foundation—creating space for visioning, ideation, and daring to ask "what if?" This is where we honor our intuitions, ancestral wisdom, and collective aspirations for a more just and creative world.
Dreams take shape through intentional development. We build frameworks, design workshops, create curricula, and develop artistic projects that transform vision into tangible action. This phase is where ideas become practices, structures, and systems of support.
We bring our work into the world with full presence—showing up authentically in communities, facilitating transformative experiences, and holding space for healing and growth. Presence is our commitment to being fully engaged, responsive, and accountable in every interaction.
We curate and host exhibitions that center marginalized voices and challenge conventional narratives. Our shows create platforms for artists to share their work, build community, and engage in critical dialogues.
Our workshops are immersive spaces for learning, unlearning, and transformation. We use artistic methodologies to address gender-based violence, build creative skills, and foster healing practices.
We engage in critical research that centers the experiences of women, queer, and marginalized communities. Our research informs our practice and contributes to broader conversations about art, activism, and social change.
{W}e believe you.
{W}e are sorry.
{W}e are listening.
WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH VICTIMS OF GBV
{W}e need art in township schools.
{W}e teach [to others] what we know.
{W}e need more creative work & educational spaces in townships.
WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH ARTS & CULTURE EDUCATORS
{W}e are artists, not beggars.
{W}e demand competence in the arts' sector.
{W}e demand reform in South Africa's arts' administration.
WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH EXPLOITED ARTISTS
{W}e know better.
{W}e are kind.
{W}e are critical but compassionate.
WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH VICTIMS OF CYBERBULLYING & REVENGE PORN
Email:
wombanifesto@gmail.com
Location:
Soweto, South Africa