“I was the sort of child who felt very secure at home, but in the school system… I couldn’t voice my opinion the way I could at home. At school, I gravitated toward children who also didn’t fit in so well. So, socially, I found it very difficult just being authentically me.”
These words from Prof Marichen van der Westhuizen reveal much about the path that led her to the Social Sciences. They offer a tender glimpse into the heart of a woman whose life’s work has been shaped by the quiet struggles of childhood. From ballet shoes to academic journals, her journey has been one of seeking—and creating—spaces where self-expression is not merely accepted but celebrated.
This week marks a milestone in her career: her inaugural lecture at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), held on Monday, 16 October, where she officially steps into her role as a full professor. Traditionally, the lecture is a celebration of academic achievement.
Growing up as part of a small, expressive family during apartheid in Oudtshoorn, where she spent most of her childhood, Prof Van Der Westhuizen’s upbringing was steeped in creativity and critical awareness.
“We were a creative bunch. My parents were singing, dancing, performing – always busy with something expressive. Through the arts, I learned how powerful it is to express and to have a voice,” she revealed.
Her father, an educator, played a pivotal role in shaping her understanding of learning and teaching through the arts.
“He used the arts as a method of learning and teaching, which was really odd in those days,” she said. “But it showed me how powerful it is to express and to have a voice.”
Her story unfolds from a childhood of feeling safe at home but silenced in society, to becoming a social worker and academic who helps others find their voice.
“I have no memory of making a choice or having a strategy to become a social worker or to become a professor. I am so, so deeply blessed – and humbly so – that my life happened the way it did.”
Her academic journey began at Stellenbosch University, where she studied social work and formed enduring friendships that nurtured her growth.
“The first day I met five friends. And to this day, they’re my friends. They treated me as if I were strong, as if I were able to do things. Through that safe environment, I could grow and become stronger.”
Her first professional experience in Hillbrow—a melting pot of cultures and challenges—was transformative. She loved the diversity, the “vibe” and then “strangeness”.
“There, I really learned about being silenced, not having a space to express yourself, not being heard. That lack of sense of value, worthiness – it always stuck with me.”
Prof Van der Westhuizen’s pioneering use of arts-based methods in social work stems from both personal and professional experiences.
“With my husband’s work as a music educator, the arts became a topic in my life again,” she explained. “I started using the arts in my classroom and students would ask me, ‘Why are you only bringing it in now? Why can’t we use it in practice?’ And so the research started.”
Since 2012, she has explored how music, dance, photography, and storytelling can serve as tools for social cohesion and inclusion—not as therapy, but as a means of expression and connection. And the reports on personal development from participants and social work students alike are proof of its effectiveness.
Feedback from one of the students was: “I had to learn that some people look like they do not want to participate, but it is because they have never had a place where they felt their opinions mattered. This project showed them they matter. And also us… that we matter.”
“Making music together puts people into contact with each other. They have to coordinate, be aware of each other, and hear each other. Music has the power of synchronisation – everyone follows the same beat. And in that moment, they’re equal. Everybody has a role to play,” said Prof Van der Westhuizen.
She describes this phenomenon as “affect attunement”—a shared emotional experience that fosters deep connection. “They will all start crying because it’s so beautiful, or they will all start laughing. They will all have goosebumps.”
In South Africa, where the scars of segregation still linger, her work is timely and transformative.
Her own experiences as a child who found solace in ballet inform her empathetic approach.
“My whole school career, I did ballet. It was my sport, my art, my expression. Really, dancing became my form of education. I was very proud when I could express myself without words – musically or physically.”
Today, colleagues describe her as energetic, generous, and open-hearted. “I’m very energetic,” she laughs. “Sometimes my rolling is too quick, but I’m really open to feedback. I love sharing resources and opportunities with colleagues because people shared that with me – and it really contributed to me growing into the person I actually thought I was.”
Author: Harriet Box, Institutional Advancement
