OSJ PHOTO FESTIVAL
Since 2013, the Of Soul and Joy Photo Festival has been held every three years in Thokoza, offering a vibrant platform to celebrate and reflect on South African photography. Supported by the Rubis Mécénat Cultural Fund and Easigas, the festival showcases powerful works by students from the Of Soul and Joy project. Rooted in the community, the festival invites residents of Thokoza and neighboring areas to come together in celebration of local talent, storytelling, and the transformative power of photography.
“Using art as a tool for empowerment and healing.”
Of Soul and Joy Photo Festival is a meeting point where the project’s beneficiaries, local communities, and the wider artistic community celebrate photography and its role in shaping collective memory and future generations.
INGQUBEKO
The 5th Of Soul and Joy Photo Festival in Thokoza brought together over 500 people to celebrate Of Soul and Joy.
This year’s main exhibition, “Ingqubeko,” a Zulu word meaning “progress” or “continuance,” captured Of Soul and Joy Project’s mission to nurture storytelling through photography. The exhibition explored “Ingqubeko” through mentorship, where the alumni, once mentees introduced to photography through the Of Soul and Joy initiative have now become mentors themselves guiding and inspiring new generations of students. This ongoing cycle of knowledge sharing illustrates the essences of “Ingqubeko” the continuation and evolution of creative and communal growth.
The exhibition beautifully showcased works by Of Soul and Joy’s students from Thokoza, Merafe Hostel in Soweto, and the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, through screenings, prints and live discussions.
PREVIOUS EDITIONS
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5th Edition OSJ Photo Festival 2025. Celebrating 13 Years of the Of Soul and Joy Photo Project.
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4th Edition OSJ Photo Festival 2022. Celebrating 10th Anniversary of the Of Soul and Joy Photo Project.
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3rd Edition OSJ Photo Festival 2019. Celebrating 7 years of the Of Soul and Joy Project.
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2nd Edition OSJ Photo Festival 2016. Celebrating 2 years of the Of Soul and Joy Project.
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1st Edition Celebrating 1st year Of Soul and Joy Project. OSJ Photo Festival 2013
