Youth as knowledge producers: Towards changing gendered patterns in rural schools with participatory arts-based approaches to HIV and AIDS

Drawing on work with participatory arts-based approaches and research employed in the collaborative National Research Foundation-funded Youth as Knowledge Producers (YAKP) project (2007) in the rural area of Vulindlela, this article considers how, by paying attention to youth constructions of gender and sexuality, pre-service teachers' interaction with rural learners in the era of HIV and AIDS can be transformed, and arts-based participatory approaches can be used to move towards greater equality of rights for young people in rural areas. Our research findings to date show that arts-based approaches are effective in drawing forward known social expectations, but suggest that working to change or broaden these requires deeper thought. Here through a description, review and analysis of collage field work and some findings on image theatre, I consider how collage (and image theatre) can be used to explore HIV and AIDS issues and gender and identity construction with pre-service teachers and with learners in rural contexts. Some of the challenges to using these methods, and how critical thinking around gender construction and its impact on sexual violence can be enhanced for pre-service teachers and learners in the context of rural schools are also discussed.