Wood carving produced by one of the artists of the Lesheba Wilderness Arts Programme, sponsored by De Beers
			The Lesheba village houses the Wilderness Arts Programme and is built on land provided by the Soutpansberg Conservancy
			One of the artists of the Lesheba Wilderness Arts Programme with her work of art
			One of the artists of the Lesheba Wilderness Arts Programme with the wood carving he produced

De Beers, international mining house based in South Africa
South African Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (Government)
Soutpansberg Conservancy (NGO)

The Lesheba Wilderness Art Programme is aimed essentially at preserving and extending a unique and indigenous form of wood sculpting. The project is focused around three master artists and two professional sculptors from Venda, an underdeveloped region of northern South Africa.

Most importantly the programme instructs and trains young aspiring artists in Venda wood carving techniques and skills, thereby ensuring that the culture will be transferred to and preserved for future generations. The project has also established a permanent venue for the artists to practice their craft and will hopefully in the future, create a window to local, national and international markets for the craftsmen to sell their creations.

By formalising the instruction and training of future artists in the unique Venda wood carving techniques, this programme ensures that a vital element of the social fabric of a community is preserved: their culture.

The programme provides young artists with an opportunity to recognise and develop their artistic capability as well as skills to use in seeking employment or creating a source of income.

Although the project is still in its infancy, it is hoped that the programme will extend to include a commercial opportunity for those involved, in local, national and international markets. This would obviously provide income for individuals, families and communities, and could also lead to job creation and the development of a tourism initiative around the artists (the facility is already located in the region of a national heritage site).

Wood for the project is collected from naturally fallen trees and it is therefore "environmentally friendly", while finding a sustainable use for the resource.

The programme is only months old, but has created a lot of excitement amongst the stakeholders. It is clear that the preservation of heritage is an important aspect of any culture. This aspect of the project is difficult to measure and may only become evident once the talents of the young artists have developed.

In the long term it is hoped that the project will grow to include a commercial opportunity for the wood carvings created by the participating artists. In the medium term, however, the young artists will learn and develop skills which will hopefully create employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Many of the cultures in the world are at risk of being lost to future generations and this project demonstrates how a collaboration between stakeholders can address this issue, while also providing avenues for economic improvement. Most of the projects funded by the De Beers Fund (the company´s social investment vehicle) are based on community initiative and involvement and the sustainability of the project. A project has to be led and driven by the community in order for it to succeed and grow. This is clearly evident in this project as we see already established artists willing to give of their time, experience and knowledge for the training of young artists and possible estalishment of a commercial venture in the long-term.

The project is unique in that it not only seeks to create commercial opportunities for existing and established artists but more importantly aims to train and instruct new artists so that a culture is not lost and the skills they acquire can be used elsewhere. What is inspirational is the enthusiasm of the communities and the individuals involved in the project.

De Beers, an international diamond mining and marketing company with its roots firmly in southern Africa, contributed R150 000 to the launch of the project earlier this year.

The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology has provided technical assistance and advice.

The Soutpansberg Conservancy has provided land and housing for the facility.