Our Programmes
supporting and Nurturing
Creative Skills Factory is a non-profit organisation that develops and runs a variety of different programmes to break the cycle of poverty in the Overstrand by engaging disadvantaged children at an early age to give them the foundation they need for educational and human development. Each programme has its own reach into under-resourced communities in the region with objectives in line with our Vision and our Mission.
Early Learning (ECD) Program
Creative Skills Factory’s Early Learning (ECD) Program focuses on fostering school readiness by supporting children, teachers, and caregivers through three essential streams. By combining these three streams, our program ensures holistic support for children, teachers, and caregivers, promoting a strong foundation for early learning and development.
Early Learning Program
The Early Learning Program, guided by a skilled Occupational Therapist and delivered by our trained community-based ECD facilitation team, emphasizes the development of foundational skills for academic success. Through small group interventions, children receive personalized attention, allowing them to strengthen their abilities and improve their skills. This focused approach enhances essential competencies such as fine motor skills, cognitive skills, and social-emotional development. Currently, our non-profit organization partners with four Schools: Die Bron Primary School in Stanford, Okkie Smuts primary school in Stanford , Funimfundo Pre-Primary School in Die Kop, and Masakhane Primary School in Gansbaai.
Teacher Support & Workshops
Our Occupational Therapist offers tailored workshops for teachers, addressing a range of topics related to supporting young learners. These workshops equip teachers with practical strategies and activities aligned with the curriculum to foster children’s development in key areas such as fine motor skills, cross-motor skills, and perceptual abilities. By working directly with the entire class, the Occupational Therapist helps teachers integrate these techniques into daily classroom routines, ensuring continuous support for every child’s learning journey.
Parent & Caregiver Workshops
In collaboration with Schools, Creative Skills Factory runs workshops for parents and caregivers, focusing on how to enhance children’s development at home. These workshops offer valuable insights into play-based activities, creating learning resources from everyday materials, and understanding the importance of nutrition and skill-building at early stages. Topics also cover practical ways to support a child’s growth and development within the home environment, empowering caregivers to play an active role in their child’s educational journey.
Movement Booklet - a resource for teachers & caregivers
A book of exercises for movement breaks in the classroom, published by David Krut Publishing. To order, please email us.
Extra Mural Program
Arts & Cultural Appreciation Programme
Our after-school Arts and Cultural program builds on our school-based initiatives, reflecting our commitment to supporting children holistically. All our programs are interconnected, fostering a cohesive learning experience.
Through various cultural art forms—such as Literacy, music, poetry, storytelling, painting, mural art, drama, puppetry and dance—we aim to enhance the development of children and youth in disadvantaged and under-resourced communities while enriching both the local people and natural resources.
The Music Programme
The Legacy of the Penny Whistle together with MIAGI – ‘Music is a great Investment’ (https://www.miagi.co.za/).
MIAGI generously makes available to the children who attend our music groups, one of South Africa’s most outstanding penny whistle virtuosos, Jack Lerole Jnr, who also is an accomplished composer, arranger and teacher. Jack teaches the girls and boys in our groups to play the penny whistle solo and in ensemble via regular online lessons with the assistance of Vuyokazi Siza, our own facilitator.
He guides their personal development with the help of the enchanting South African penny whistle music treasure.
From time-to-time,MIAGI sends Jack to us all the way from Johannesburg for special person to person lessons and workshops, and to perform at the local festivals.
The legacy of the penny whistle in South Africa, is a truly great and unique legacy. Jack Lerole Jnr is the son of legendary South African penny whistle icon, Big Voice Jack Lerole.
Creative Skills Factory is proud and excited to be part of this collaboration.
Manuel Jardine, of the Manuel Jardine Arts Foundation (https://www.facebook.com/manueljardineartsfoundation/), is a professional musician and teacher who regularly mentors the children who participate in our music group, teaching them to read music and to play the recorder, with the assistance of Vuyokazi Siza, Creative Skills Factory’s Choir Mistress who works with Manuel Jardine and the Die Kop Youth Group children throughout the year.
Small Group Artist Mentoring
Identified children and youth with talent and enthusiasm for art will be mentored in small groups by a local artist and exposed to a variety of art disciplines.
Arts & Cultural Outings
Small groups of children who are coming regularly to the existing groups will be taken on arts and cultural outings to participate and experience exhibitions and events. Examples: take them to the arts festival in Hermanus, taking them to Stanford Hills for a nature walk and painting in the forest, attend concert. Outings make sense to the overall program.
Creative Workshops (After School Program)
Community-based creative workshops for children aged between 5 to 13 years old. The workshops are run by trained community facilitators who offer a structured programme from our centre in Stanford, The Learning Tree, or from their homes and from other community places such as the Municipal Community Halls. In addition to the open workshops, the facilitators offer workshops to smaller groups of children to enhance artistic as well as social skills.
Creative School Support for Schools
Curriculum support for local schools by bringing in professional artists to the schools to teach and mentor learners in music, drama, poetry and art and to facilitate workshops for teachers covering topics such as how to teach art in confined spaces with limited materials, which art techniques to use at certain ages and how to make art using scrap materials, etc.
Our Horse Programme - Riding High
Weekly horse interaction forgroups of children aged between 10 to 18 years old. The children learn to ride horses and how to care for horses, the importance of maintaining the equipment, etc. In this programme, they are trained to be confident and responsible riders, their personal confidence is developed and they get to experience beautiful natural environments and learn to appreciate nature.
School Holiday Program
The Creative Skills Factory School-Holiday Program—a safe and stimulating space for children aged 5 to 13 during the school holidays. Our free daily creative workshops, offer a wide range of engaging activities, including beading, printing, painting, crafting, dancing and free movement, yoga, puppet-making and puppet shows, drumming, pottery, make-up art, creative writing, reading, and storytelling. Each day concludes with children leaving happily nourished with fresh fruit and a meal. These workshops provide a safe environment, keeping children off the streets and fostering creativity and learning, with spaces filled to capacity every day. Building on the After-School Creative Workshops offered throughout the school year from our centre The Learning Tree in Stanford, our holiday program serves the Stanford and Masakhane (Gansbaai) communities for one to two weeks each holiday period. We are excited to expand this enriching program to more areas across the Overberg, especially in rural communities, to inspire and nurture young minds.
Occupational Therapy Program
The Occupational Therapy program aims to share professional knowledge and resources within the community by training our facilitation team and empowering parents to support early childhood development (ECD) in the Overstrand. Led by Regina Broenner, a registered Occupational Therapist, the program provides therapy services and small group intervention at three primary schools in the Overberg, working with both individuals and groups.
The program is designed to support each child’s strengths and individual needs. Our trained ECD community facilitation team, alongside the Occupational Therapist, lead small group sessions focused on skills development through play and movement activities, including ball play, puzzle-building, early literacy, arts and crafts, sensory play, and outdoor activities. These sessions create a child-centered, natural learning environment where play is the primary learning tool.
The focus is to provide therapeutic support and skills development to achieve school readiness in the grade R learner.
The Occupational Therapy and Early Learning program not only aims to share professional knowledge and resources within the community but also creates job opportunities through the training and empowerment of our local ECD facilitation team. These community members are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver the Early Learning Program effectively, creating sustainable job opportunities in the Overstrand.
The Learning Tree - After School Centre
Our after school center, The Learning Tree, is a significant milestone in our development as an organization and is officially registered with the Department of Social Development. Located in Stanford, it serves as the foundation for both our inclusive, community-based extra-mural Arts and Cultural program and our ECD community program.
The Learning Tree is open every day for after-school activities, accommodating approximately 150 children per month. Our community facilitation team offers a wide variety of activities such as art and craft, early literacy, games, movement, storytelling, beading, and clay work. These activities provide a safe, stimulating environment for children to learn and grow. Each participating child also receives a snack.
The center not only nurtures creativity and education but also creates jobs for our local facilitators. Our facilitators, trained in various art forms, play a vital role in running these activities, contributing to job creation and community development.
The Learning Tree offers year-round programs aimed at helping children and youth develop their creative skills and life lessons through the arts. By fostering creativity and offering educational opportunities, The Learning Tree strengthens our community and continues to be a pivotal part of our organization’s growth and commitment to supporting the development of children and youth.
Future Vision: The Play Bus
The Play Bus will be a mobile education and play center designed to bring regular educational activities to schools, crèches, and communities in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas. It will offer activities like storytelling, role-play, drama, crafts, and physical games to engage children, families, and communities.
In development with various stakeholders, the Play Bus will be equipped with a small library, educational games, toys, and art materials. It will deliver programs on life skills, health and wellness, early childhood development, and more. Topics for teens will include sex education, HIV prevention, and healthy eating, while parents will receive workshops on child development, permaculture, and arts and culture.
The Play Bus team, in collaboration with educators, therapists, and artists, will use creative methods to educate and engage community members. The bus will visit each community once a week and local facilitators will be trained to continue activities between visits, fostering long-term sustainability.
The Play Bus will provide a unique opportunity to reach remote areas, offering both educational and health support while using creativity as a tool for community transformation.
Getting Involved
If you are interested in a workshop or would like to be involved or just stay updated with our progress, we’d love to hear from you! Please email or call us, or fill in the form below and we will be in touch.
Make a Donation
Creative Skills Factory is entirely funded by the generosity of our donors. Just R150 can make a big difference in the life of some of our most vulnerable children.
Creative Skills Factory is a registered NPO and PBO – South African Section 18A tax receipts can be issued for all donations.