


2025 Program
The 2025 Creative Borders Program in Gaborone, Botswana, marks the fifth year of Creative Borders’ impactful arts initiatives. Over the course of two weeks in February, four Teaching Artists from the U.S. and South Africa will lead daily movement, dance, and theater workshops at Maru-a-Pula School and Ambrose Academy, engaging students in creative expression and fostering a love for the arts and storytelling.
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Creative Borders has partnered with Arts Ignite, another U.S.-based nonprofit arts education organization, to foster cross-cultural collaboration and innovation through the arts. This year, we are launching the Teaching Artist Fellowship Program to empower local artists and support the next generation of arts educators in Gaborone, ensuring the long-term growth and sustainability of arts education in the region.
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Through this program, Teaching Artists will impart their expertise to students and contribute to the development of local teaching artists, ensuring the continued growth of arts education in Botswana. The program emphasizes cross-cultural collaboration, community building, and the nurturing of artistic potential for both students and educators alike.
2025
TEAM
In partnership with


Taylor is an Arts Ignite Teaching Artist trained in various styles of dance from the Atlanta Ballet and acting at The Freeman Studio. She is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and now lives in New York. She has been teaching for over ten years, starting at youth dance camps teaching jazz, tap, and ballet, and brings great enthusiasm and skill to every classroom!
Taylor's regional credits include Ain't Too Proud (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), The Wiz (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), and Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery (Spelman College). Her New York credits include Ain't Too Proud (Broadway), Becoming David (Playwrights Horizons) and Viva Las Vegas (AMDA). Her TV credits include My Parents, My Sister & Me; The Game; and Born to Dance.
Taylor Symone Jackson

Chavon Hampton
Chavon Hampton is an Arts Ignite Teaching Artist who is a professional triple threat. She is an AMDA NYC graduate and has made a career out of doing what she loves. She’s traveled nationally and globally with her profession. Her career started off on the stage touring Broadway shows and national theatres. A few of her credentials include; Violet U/S (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory), Little Inez (Hairspray), Lisa (Mamma Mia), Starlight Jones (iLuminate), Dream Girls and many more.
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Along with her successful stage career, Chavon has made a name for herself in the TV/Film industry as well. You may spot her in some commercials such as: Mohegan Sun, Red Apple Ale, Victoria’s Secret. Chavon has now crossed over into film; she starred in 5 films in just the past year, which will all be released this year.

Thembile Tshuma
Thembile Tshuma is an Arts Ignite Teaching Artist and Applied Drama & Theatre practitioner. Thembile is also the associate artistic director for Arts Ignite’s artsINSIDEOUT, an arts based programme at Nkosi's Haven, a home for mothers and children with HIV/AIDS. He is also a percussionist, TV & stage actor, writer, puppeteer, dancer, choreographer, musician, Theatre Director, Cultural Leadership Mentor and Arts Administrator. Thembile is ASSITEJ SOUTH AFRICA’s Gauteng Theatre4Youth Provincial Coordinator where his main role is to close the gap between theatre and education in the province!
His artistic background starts all the way from 1997, and has been involved with a number of Theatre Companies across the SADC region and beyond. Some of the companies he has worked with include Theatre for Development Initiative (ZIM), Amakhosi Theatre (Zim), Ghetto Waves Productions (BOTS), Drama for Life Theatre company and Playback company (SA), Soweto Theatre (SA), Jo’burg Theatre (SA), Ubumwe Educational Project (UG) among others.

Brian Thabiso Nyoni
Brian Thabiso Nyoni is multifaceted professional with a diverse skill set in the performing arts industry. With training in acting, dancing, singing, scriptwriting, directing, and project management, he has honed my talents and expertise over the years. In 2005, He began his journey in community organization training, which sparked his passion for using the arts as a tool for positive change.
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Throughout his career, he has successfully managed community development projects and facilitated the coordination of Arts Festivals, showcasing his ability to combine artistic excellence with community engagement and empowerment.
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A theatre and a dance facilitator, he has worked in different projects both locally and internationally and recently was a Dance Facilitator for artsINSIDEOUT! at Nkosi's Haven.