The disillusionment of the South African youth is deepened by an education system that continues to marginalise the arts and humanities. We are expected to dream within the confines of what is deemed “practical”—where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) dominate conversations about progress, while the creative and cultural industries are treated as indulgences rather than necessities.

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But what if our creativity is the revolution?

What if problem-solving means using theatre to challenge oppressive narratives, using literature to expose corruption, using art to imagine a world beyond inequity? What if the future is written not only in algorithms, but in the poet’s ink, the brushstrokes of painters, the rhythm of percussionists, and the critical reflections of young historians?

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In 1976, young people took to the streets rejecting an education system built to erase their dignity. The apartheid government dictated what was worth knowing, what knowledge was legitimate and the languages worthy of intellectual pursuit. The youth of 1976 understood that language is power, that knowledge is liberation, and that education is never neutral. The fight then was against an education system designed to oppress. The fight now is against an education system and notions that continue to economically and socially exclude, marginalise, and prioritise profit over purpose. Movements like #FeesMustFall and #RhodesMustFall highlighted the ways in which colonial legacies and economic exclusion continue to shape our education system. The call for decolonisation was not just about removing statues, but about reclaiming knowledge systems that affirm who we are. Yet, even now, disciplines that are vital to telling our stories, interrogating our histories, and reimagining our futures remain undervalued.

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#NoSTEMNoShade is a call to reclaim space. It is a protest and a proclamation that the arts and humanities are not just worthy—they are vital. They shape how we understand the world and how we create meaning in an existence riddle with inequities. The creative and cultural industries are the backbone of joy, resistance, and liberation, yet young people pursuing careers in these fields often find themselves fighting to justify their passions in a society that dismisses them.

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Why does this matter?

Because history is not just written—it is remembered, it is reinterpreted, it is sung, it is painted. From the sounds of protest, language against erasure, and narratives awakening us to the stark reality of our democracy—creativity gives voice to the restless, the outcast, and the dreamers searching for belonging.

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Through this project, we ask:

• What does it mean to be young and creative in a world that devalues your gifts?

• How do we, as artists, writers, creators, musicians, thinkers and more, confront the systemic dismissal of our labour?

• How do we reclaim the arts and humanities as essential forces for societal change?

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This is more than an open call—it is an act of defiance. A repository of feelings, where we document our hopes, our art, our dreams, our frustrations and our unwavering commitment to creating diverse futures.