Picturing Health Rights: Voices From the Cape Flats is a creative exploration of health issues that are of greatest concern to specific communities. This exhibition is a recipient of a Donald Gordon Creative Arts Award, and will open at Hiddingh Hall on Saturday 5 October. Participants from Hanover Park, Delft and Athlone took part in this Photo-Voice project. These photos revealed concerns related to environmental pollution, substance abuse, nutrition, the effects of crime, and a need for recreational spaces.

This exhibition opening will immediately follow Claiming the right to health, a symposium about community experiences of health rights and the role of health committees. These events are supported by the Learning Network, Health and Human Rights Division, the Faculty of Health Sciences at UCT, GIPCA and the People’s Health Movement of South Africa.

The symposium will explore how community voice can be more effective in shaping how health care is delivered and the conditions needed for healthy lives are achieved. This will include exploring how health committees can be more effective vehicles for realising health rights.

This Creative Arts Award winning exhibition will travel to various spaces, beginning at the Central Library, Cape townfrom 7-11 October. It will then move to the Gospel Mission Church in Hanover Park on 28 October (9:00-15:00), Delft Library Hall on 29 October (9:00-15:00), and the Athlone Community Centre on 30 October (10:00-15:00).

The Learning Network for Health and Human Rights is a collaboration of five Civil Society Organisations and three Universities in the Western Cape. The Network is based within the School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town, and has been working on a long-term project to identify lessons for best practice in realising the right to health.

This symposium and exhibition opening will take place at Hiddingh Hall, University of Cape Town (UCT), Hiddingh Campus, Orange Street, Cape Town, on 5 October from 9:00-13:00. It will be followed by the opening of the Photo-Voice exhibition from 13:00-15:00, which will move to various venues throughout October. Attendance is free but booking is required. Please direct all bookings to Samantha Swigelaar at samantha.swigelaar@uct.ac.za, or phone (021) 4066978 for more information.

Claiming the Right to Health video recording: