EQUAL AIRTIME Introduction Equal Airtime focuses on multimodal arts-based research approaches to explore the lived experiences of sex workers. Equal Airtime came out of Sisonke's desire to create a body of work that would contribute to the 16 days of Non Violence to Women campaign in South Africa. Project Partners and Participants The project builds on a long-standing partnership with the Sisonke Sex Worker Movement (Sisonke) and the African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS). The project facilitators were Elsa Oliveira, who is a visual sociologist from the ACMS, and Linda Dumba who is the Limpopo Provincial Coordinator for Sisonke. Equal Airtime included twenty participants, all over the age of 18. The participants were women who identi ed as sex workers, and who lived and worked in the Limpopo Province. The workshop that was conducted in Musina had nine participants, each of them a Zimbabwean migrant to South Africa. The workshop conducted in Makhado had eleven participants. These participants were from Makhado and from a nearby town called Thouyandou. Six of these participants were South African, and ve were Zimbabwean migrants to South Africa. All of the participants in this project decided to use pseudonyms.
Project Description Equal Airtime is a body of work that came out of two workshops of three days each. The methodology in these workshops emulated that of a body mapping project which was recently completed, namely Queer Crossings. In each workshop, participants were guided through visual, narrative and theatrical exercises. These activities were aimed at exploring the lived experiences of the participants. The workshop process gave participants the chance to explore issues ranging from migration, governance, gender, sexuality and health. Location of Study: Musina and Makhado The Equal Airtime workshops were conducted in Musina and Makhado in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, the northernmost province of South Africa. The Limpopo Province shares a border with Zimbabwe. The province was previously known as the Northern Transvaal, and then included the old homelands of Venda, Gazankulu and Lebowa. Musina is the northernmost town in the Limpopo Province. It is located near the con uence of the Limpopo River and the border to Zimbabwe. This is one of the world's busiest border crossing points and is the busiest in Africa. Musina is an area of many overlapping populations, institutions, sexual networks and patterns of mobility. The workshop was conducted in the municipality building located in the Nance eld Towntowship. Makhado is located in the Vhembe District Municipality of the Limpopo Province. The workshop was conducted in the Makhado SWEAT oďŹƒces located in the Makhado CBD.
Exhibition history On the 10th of December 2014 more than 80 sex workers, stakeholders and community members came together at the Nance eld Municipality Hall in Musina to commemorate the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, and to attend the oďŹƒcial opening of the Equal Airtime exhibition. During the event, a special call was made by the Limpopo Sisonke leadership committee to stop the hate crimes that are so often committed against sex workers, and to end the unethical brutality that sex workers face daily. The day continued with singing and dancing to honour and celebrate the lives of sex workers, and it included a moment of silence and a candlelight vigil in honour of the sex workers that had died during that year. This event gave the participants the opportunity to tell their stories to the larger group, speak about the workshops, share what they had gained and learned, and receive recognition from their peers and community members for the amazing work that they produced in the workshop. Ethics The research study received ethics approval from the University of the Witwatersrand Ethics Committee (H130 644).
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
Amukelani’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Makhado.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
AMUKELANI
Amukelani’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Makhado.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
PRECIOUS
Rendani’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Makhado.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
RENDANI
Letwin’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Makhado.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
LETWIN
Malima’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Makhado.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
MALIMA
Big Show’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Makhado.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
BIG SHOW
Phophi’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Makhado.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
PHOPHI
Nina’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Makhado.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
NINA
Tifhembilu’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Makhado.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
TIFHEMBILU
Maya’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Musina.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
MAYA
Everjoy’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Musina.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
EVERJOY
Cynthia’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Musina.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
CYNTHIA
Miriam’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Musina.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
MIRIAM
Melissa’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Musina.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
MELISSA
Memory’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Musina.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
MEMORY
Lady Bee’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Musina.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
LADY BEE
Maria’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Musina.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
MARIA
Tafadzwa’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Musina.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
TAFADZWA
Hazel’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Musina.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
HAZEL
Enifa’s body map from the Equal Airtime project in the workshop that took place in Musina.
Equal Airtime, Makhado and Musina, 2014
ENIFA