Setting “Just Tables” at Feast of the Clowns 2025

Javett-UP was proud to partner with the The Centre for Faith and Community: Theology Department at the University of Pretoria in this year’s Feast of the Clowns, a community-driven festival that celebrates Tshwane, its diversity, and God’s presence in the city. Run by the community and for the community, the festival remains a vibrant platform for justice, creativity, and transformation.

On Friday, 22 August 2025, the movement flowed through the Javett-UP and into the heart of the UP Mamelodi Campus, where a collaborative activation unfolded under this year’s bold theme: “Just Tables.” This youth-focused engagement combined exhibition exploration with participatory protest art-making, using the “table” as a powerful metaphor for justice, dialogue, and witness.

The day began with a guided tour of the One and the Many exhibition, which invited participants to reflect on how art creates space for difficult conversations, spiritual questioning, and visions of transformation. Through the lens of social justice “the act and process of advocating for the fair treatment of all people, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or background” participants connected their lived experiences to the artworks on display. The protest posters generated in this space became more than creative output. It stood as testimony to resilience, courage, and a collective determination to imagine a more just society. 

This was more than a one-day activation, but a living reminder of how collaboration between cultural institutions and academic spaces can open doors to dialogue and meaningful social change. The UP Mamelodi Campus, with its deep connections to surrounding communities, was a fitting host embodying the festival’s spirit of accessibility and transformation.

The Feast of the Clowns continues to raise awareness of pressing social justice issues through peaceful, playful protest reclaiming the city as a space for collective healing and visioning. It reminds us that transformation is not an abstract ideal: it begins when art, community, and justice come together.

For more on the wider festival and its initiatives, follow the Tshwane Leadership Foundation, the movement behind this powerful community celebration.