Jerry Pooe’s Eager Artists Theatre Company is hosting a fundraising art exhibition for its community scheme, Happy Faces Children’s Project, which opens at Bean Bag Bohemia on March 22.

Happy Faces Exhibition is a group exhibition of paintings by University of Zululand Visual Arts graduates who generously donated their artworks to be sold for the benefit of the project. Other well-known Durban artists who donated their works are Zamani Makhanya, Derrick Zulu and Paul Sibisi.

“Our beloved country is devastated by HIV/AIDS epidemic, which affects all the people living in South Africa especially the children who have lost their parents through this “killer”,” says an Eager artists representative. “A child should always be a child and a pleasant memory of a child is the innocence of his laughter! In this project, Eager Artists aims to bring back Happy Faces to the sad children in orphanages through visual arts, music and dance during week-ends and school holidays.”

Eager Artists will first work with orphanage homes in Umlazi and Chesterville and expand to other areas in Durban. Children will be taught how to express themselves in the various activities under the different art disciplines, such as Visual Arts, Dance and Music.

Professional artists who are full-time performers of the Eager Artists theatre company are qualified and well equipped in the above arts disciplines. Involved in the teaching of arts and culture in KZN township schools, they also have extensive training and experience in working with children at home and abroad.

Happy Faces Exhibition opens on March 22 and will run until April 7 from 09h00 to 18h00.

Anyone wishing to make donations to the project should contact Andile at Eager Artists on 031 305 1624 or 073 898 2079 or email pfcaters@mweb.co.za