TUT claims orange in spaces against GBV

The second iteration of Claiming Orange in Spaces will take place at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Arts Campus on Monday, 2 March, at the Heidehof Residence entrance from 12:00 to 13:00.

This activation forms part of the Research Niche Area: Artivism as a Tool to Combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and initiates a sustained series of monthly interventions that, from here onwards, will be held on the last Thursday of each month throughout 2026.

The March activation coincides with the week of International Women’s Day (8 March) and launches a campus-wide appeal for all staff and students to wear orange on the last Thursday of every month in solidarity with GBV artivism.

This community-engaged initiative invites the TUT community to “claim orange” in shared spaces as a visible collective stance against GBV.

The activation will include dance performances, performed dialogue and a collective moment of silence. Through embodied action and shared presence, everyday campus environments are temporarily moved into sites of solidarity and public refusal of violence.

Claiming Orange in Spaces will continue throughout 2026 across various TUT campuses and high-risk spaces, extending the methodology beyond a single site and building sustained engagement. By taking up space through colour, movement and gathering, the initiative aligns with national efforts to address GBV and supports research indicating that creative, participatory practices can strengthen community cohesion and contribute to shifts in social norms around violence.

The project is co-led by Dr Nicola Haskins and Dr Karina Lemmer, lecturers in Performing Arts and co-chairs of the Research Niche Area.

Through ongoing activations across the year, the initiative seeks to cultivate collective responsibility and continued public engagement in response to the national crisis of GBV.

For more information, please contact Dr Nicola Haskins at HaskinsNL@tut.ac.za

Images of the inaugural Claiming Orange in Spaces activation in December 2025.