As the current Artscape CEO, my passion is simply to use Arts and Culture to empower and enable disadvantaged groups and to make a difference in another human being’s life. I am a driven person with a Masters of Philosophy in Disability Studies from UCT and an Honorary Doctorate in Education from CPUT. I completed many tertiary programmes, like the Women in Leadership Programme at the UCT Graduate School of Business. I obtained my Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education as well as a Higher Diploma in Education at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). I also have a Diploma in Senior Management obtained at the University of Stellenbosch.

Awards include the Fair Saturday Award, awarded in Bilbao, Spain as an advocate for human rights, inclusion and openness throughout her career and the theatre’s commitment to promoting essential values through its diverse and accessible programmes (June 2019); The Commonwealth’s Point of Light Award, In recognition of exceptional service promoting disability rights, signed by Her Majesty The Queen of England (February 2018); Western Cape Provincial Government Awards: Ministerial Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts and Disability (2017 and 2018); The Desmond Tutu Legendary Award (2001) and the Shoprite/Checkers Woman of the Year – Art Category (1998), among a host of others (available on request).

Professional associations and involvement are too numerous to mention in a one-page resumé but include the following: Director of the Afrikaanse Taal en Kultuur Vereniging (ATKV); Chairperson of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation (until 2019); Chairperson of Chrysalis Youth Academy (2014 – current); Chairperson for the Foundation for the Empowerment through Afrikaans (SBA) – (current); Member of the International Advisory Board of Africa Open Institute (AOI) – (current); Commissioner of the Rights of Cultural and Linguistic Communities – appointed by the President of South Africa; Member of the Presidential Working Group on Disability; Co-founder of WAND (Women’s Achievement Network for Disability) – (current); Serve as an expert for the British Council on Arts Development in Africa; Chairperson and founder member of the Certificate for Youth Trainers (CYT) - a skills and leadership youth development program sponsored by the French Foreign Ministry (1996 - present); Representative of CYT at various conferences in France, La Reunion, Madagascar, hosted mostly by CEMEA - a French non-profit organization involved in the fields of education and culture (1998 - present) among a host of other professional bodies that I serve on (available on request).