VOICES OF SOUTH AFRICA TRUST is a registered non-profit trust running a yearly educational initiative in South Africa. The work we do is aimed at the development of highly talented young people through the medium of music and the arts.

Once a year we run a two week intensive training program involving 35 young people selected from across South Africa and some neighbouring countries including Swaziland and Zimbabwe. They are selected through a rigorous process of auditions.

The young people we select and work with come from all walks of life. The majority are from the townships of South Africa where communities are still starved of opportunities for learning and developing especially in the the arts. They come from areas that are rife with crime, drug use, HIV and Aids, hopelessness, lack of resources and lack of role models. There is little or no support for young people especially those talented in the performing arts.

We have set up a yearly program of workshops which we use as a vehicle for discovering and connecting these talented young people with leading musicians, arts practitioners, music training institutions in South Africa and abroad.

We do the work through our existing workshops, masterclasses and the national singing competition run yearly in collaboration with leading artists in the field of music. Artists have included Sibongile Khumalo, Sally Burgess, Neal Thornton, Violina Anguelov, Annette Suanders, Vetta Wise, Bronwen Forbay, Ismail Mahomed, Gcina Mhlophe, Sibongile Mngoma, and other truly inspirational individuals.

Once the students have been identified we cover their:
-Return Travel from home to Durban
-Ground transport
-B&B Accommodation
-Food & Training

Each student costs the Trust £250 for the full period. This year we will host 30 students, 5 invited guest teachers plus venue costs where the training and concerts happen bringing the whole event to a total amount of £10 000. Any help will be much appreciated.