Of Soul and Joy in partnership with Market Photo Workshop present the latest annual exhibition titled “Of Soul and Joy XIV: Assemblies of Community”.

Of Soul and Joy (OSJ), an educational programme dedicated to empowering youth through photography, in partnership with the Market Photo Workshop, announced its latest annual exhibition, Of Soul and Joy: XIV. Assemblies of Community, curated by Dr Nontobeko Ntombela, bringing together the work of emerging photographers, students and mentors from its programme. The public can visit the installation during working hours at The Market Theatre Square building in Newtown and join the planned public walkabout on 20 June and join a roundtable at the Market Photo Workshop about “The Relevancy of Photography as a Tool of Social Change in South Africa Today” on 16 July 2026.

Now in its fourteenth year, Of Soul and Joy continues to grow from its home at Buhlebuzile Secondary School in Thokoza, where it has become a space for learning, mentorship and creative expression through photography. This year’s exhibition looks at the many ways communities come together through family, faith, memory, place, friendship and shared experience.

At the heart of Assemblies of Community is the idea that our stories do not exist in isolation. They run alongside one another, overlap, meet unexpectedly and create connections we may not always see at first. Through portraiture, landscape and documentary photography, the exhibition brings these threads into view.

  “For us, photography has always been about more than taking pictures. It’s about staying close to the people and places that shape us, and creating images that allow communities to recognise themselves, speak for themselves and be seen with dignity,” says Jabulani Dhlamini, founder and project manager of Of Soul and Joy.

“This exhibition is timed to highlight the role young photographers from spaces like Of Soul and Joy play in reflecting on their communities and telling stories that provoke sobering reflections on social realities.

The exhibition amplifies photography as both a voice and a powerful tool for storytelling and empowerment. The curated works capture the lives of ordinary people while drawing attention to the many social ills that communities continue to face and that demand meaningful change,” says Bekie Ntini, Training and Public Engagement Programming Manager at The Market Photo Workshop. The exhibition features work by photographers from Of Soul and Joy, including Anele Ntshangase, Athenkosi, Fuwe Molefe, Hloni Sigaba, Jabulani Dhlamini, Life Ngubeni, Lunathi Mngxuma, Sibusiso Bheka, Siyabonga Mhlanga, Tadiwa Mkono, Teboho Mabuya, Thandile Zwelibanzi, Vuyo Mabheka, Thembinkosi Hlatshwayo, Xolani Ngubeni and Zwelibanzi Zwane.

It also includes important work from the Merafe Hostel project, developed through the continued efforts of Jabulani Dhlamini, Sibusiso Bheka and Thandile Zwelibanzi. The Merafe Hostel works expand the exhibition’s conversation around community, offering a closer look at a place often spoken about from the outside, but rarely seen through the eyes of the young people who live there.

Together, the works offer a layered view of everyday life from township streets and rural landscapes to family spaces, spiritual gatherings and personal moments of reflection. They show how young photographers are using photography to question belonging and how they might help others see it differently.

The Market Photo Workshop is a fitting home for this exhibition. As one of South Africa’s most important spaces for photographic learning and exchange, it offers a platform where young photographers can share their work with wider audiences, while stepping into a larger history of image-making in the country.

Of Soul and Joy: XIV. Assemblies of Community invited audiences to witness young photographers taking part in a conversation about community, belonging and the power of creating together.

Exhibition details

Title: Of Soul and Joy: XIV. Assemblies of Community Public programmes
20 June 2026 Public walkabout and high school day
16 July 2026 A roundtable at the Market Photo Workshop about “The Relevancy of Photography as a Tool of Social Change in South Africa Today”

About the Market Photo Workshop

The Market Photo Workshop is a Johannesburg-based school of photography, gallery and resource centre for practicing photographers. Since its establishment in 1989, the school has played an integral role in the training and growth of photographers from South Africa and further afield, while promoting photography through exhibitions.

About Of Soul and Joy

Based at Buhlebuzile Secondary School in Thokoza, Of Soul and Joy is a long-term photography project providing vocational training and creative platforms for South African youth. Now in its 14th year, it remains a vital engine for community storytelling and professional development. The programme was created by Rubis Mécénat and is supported by Easigas.

The Market Photo Workshop is a Johannesburg-based school of photography, gallery and resource centre for practicing photographers.

Bongiwe Potelwa
bongiwep@markettheatre.co.za
079 967 3441
The Market Theatre Foundation
https://marketphotoworkshop.co.za