HEAT WINTER ARTS FESTIVAL
truths informed by our past
06 August -10 September 2025
In collaboration with Heat Winter Arts Festival.
At the heart of every culture lies a set of values passed down through generations, wisdom shared by parents, grandparents, elders, and community leaders. Though shaped by different religions, regions, and traditions, these teachings are remarkably aligned in essence. They form a universal moral framework that has guided humanity for centuries. These value systems teach us the difference between right and wrong, the importance of truth over deception, kindness over cruelty, and justice over exploitation. They emphasise respect for others, for the natural world, for community, and for the sacred. These principles are not only cultural codes, but truths informed by our past drawn from lived experience, generational memory, and the lessons carried forward through time. Despite our diversity, these values connect us. They exist in scriptures, oral histories, ancestral wisdom, and philosophical thought across the world. They serve as a blueprint for coexistence, reminding us that what affects one affects all that dignity, fairness, and responsibility are not abstract ideals, but necessary foundations for human connection.
In an era where histories are increasingly commodified simplified, aestheticised, and sold the values embedded within them are often lost. What once served to teach, guide, and unify is reduced to surface-level representation. The danger lies not only in cultural misrepresentation but in the erosion of the ethical frameworks that once held communities together.
But these inherited truths are not relics of the past. When carried forward with care and intention, they become active tools that help us evolve, guide us to build better versions of ourselves, and offer a moral foundation for future generations. They remind us that progress without grounding is hollow and that wisdom is not only inherited but lived anew with each generation.
To honour these values is to honour our shared humanity our deepest common ground and to ensure that the future we build remembers the truths that made us who we are.
Featured Artists
Annamieke Engelbrecht, Michael Gah, Ablade Glover, Azuka Muoh, Joseph Ntinsibe, Lionel Mbayiwa, Olamide Ogunade, Nessi Penman, Khaya Sineyile, Frans Smit and Chelsea Young