Let's inspire youth through their language, says multi-disciplinary artist Joburg Ash

Ashleigh Machete, popularly known as Joburg Ash, believes we need to speak the language of the youth to root them in living a lifestyle of green and sustainability.   

“I am more than an urban farmer. I am a multi-disciplinary artist. If we want to encourage the youth to be green and sustainable, we need to speak their language. Today’s language is 'art' which is a bigger platform,” he says. 

“I have shown in big galleries that the youth view as big movers in the art space such as Everard Read Gallery and FNB Art Joburg Fair last year.”  

The 36-year-old founder of Jozi Food Farmer, multi-disciplinary artist and third-generation framer was tapped to create a living artwork installation for attendees of the Nike Well Festival in Joburg at the weekend. 

“I was inspired by the brand’s Move to Zero sustainability campaign which speaks on sustainability and how we can all contribute to taking better care of nature,” he says.

“For the installation, I featured various biomes [a biological community consisting of multiple ecosystems]; the highveld biome, tropical biome, aquatic and medicinal plants and a scent garden.”  

Machete intentionally created a sensory experience for the festival goers with the arched entrance of a fragrant eucalyptus plant into the festival’s Nourish space.   

“I wanted people to be immersed in the space and touch on one of the five senses and to stir up a good mood as being in nature has mental health benefits,” he says.

“Guests were allowed to leave the event with branches of the plant from the arch to incorporate into their space at home.”    

Johannesburg’s first-ever wellness festival welcomed the city’s fitness enthusiasts for a multi-sensory experience in Newtown over the weekend.  

The unoccupied chalk-white building situated by the M1 freeway, the previous home of BMW Joburg, was freshened up in vibrant aquatic sea blues and green hues for the festival.    

The activity-full and hi-energy wellness festival transformed the four-story building into a sensory and fitness adventure for the goers. At its heart, it was introducing festival goers to various forms of wellness while curating an individualised wellness journey that would fit in with anyone’s lifestyle.    

The four-story building was divided into the stations Nike Rhythm Studio, Slow Lounge, The Sanctuary, The Style Lab and Nourish Station.  

Rhythm Studio hosted a high-energetic fitness routine that incorporated all the fitness disciplines hosted at the festival in a 50-minute signature workout led by the Well Collective on one stage.   

The Signature Workout began with a light yoga session, then moved to a HIIT session, a high-intensity workout and a mid-tempo dance-inspired routine. It was closed off with cool-down tai-chi to re-align the centre.   

Musical act Ms Party, on the DJ decks, was tasked with creating the playlist for the Signature Workout that flowed effortlessly through the different workouts and supported each Well Collective in their session.   

“What inspired my selection of music for the playlist was to localise wellness and make it accessible. With that in mind, I made a playlist where people could feel that they had a space to work out and don't feel as though they are limited by their choice of music,” Ms Party says.

“I wanted it to feel that anyone’s lifestyle could fit into wellness. It worked out and we are having the time of our lives. We need to continue to have activities that are fun and accessible." 

The Well Collective expert Mbali Shongwe co-hosted a mindful and personal mental health podcast with podcaster Gugulethu Nyatsumba from After School Is After School with Sis. G.U podcast at the Style Lab.  

The founder of Mindful-l organisation, which focuses on youth mental health, shares her favourite mindful tip when that can easily be incorporated into any wellness routine.   

“My number one thing is Dot B and it's something that I learnt from a beloved mentor. Dot B represents stop and breath. It has become my mantra,” Shongwe says.

“In life, there is nothing so urgent that you can’t stop and take a breath. Our breath centres us, and when we are panicked, our breath is the first thing that goes. If you need to realign yourself, Dot B, stop and breathe to get your bearings."