
ARIVA'S
BACKGROUND
ARIVA ARTS FOUNDATION has evolved out of Rootspring Music, by founder Antonio (Nino) Rivera. In 2022 the new arts foundation was formed to further the original vision of Antonio Rivera, to leave a greater legacy of transformation and education through the Arts.
To this end, Ariva Arts Foundation has become the primary partner of the Cape Town Arts Festival, reaching further into underserved communities with skills development programmes, education, performance and income opportunities, creating thriving arts communities and changing lives.

Sign up to our newsletter to get notifications about upcoming events
Recent TRACKS
Listen to some of our latest tracks
Rise Remix, Vuka Africa
Im a Busker, Morne Holland
Afrika Yam, Zanie Madloyi
Reenboog In Jou Hart, Abraham Van den Berg

VISION, VALUES & MISSION
VISION
CUSTODIAN OF THE ARTS
Ariva Arts Foundation is a custodian of the Arts, priding itself in Arts education both within underserved communities and the world of mainstream performing arts.
Their unique approach lies in the personal investment into the lives of artists. Their holistic approach of listening to each artist’s story, identifying the needs of each individual and facilitating transformation through Arts Education and mentorship, is often life changing.
Developing healthy citizens with a sense of responsibility through the arts, is what Ariva Arts Foundation strives for. They believe that if one life can change through personal empowerment and creativity, preparing our youth to develop a resilient attitude towards a lifetime of challenges, then we can see transformation in our society through the arts – one artist at a time.
values
EMPOWERMENT
Diversity • we believe that through diversity and the cross pollination of artists from different sectors of society, we can achieve faster transformation and sharing of skills.
Empowerment • we believe in providing arts education in a practical way, that yields results, followed up with real opportunity in commercial and community projects.
Support Networks • we believe in fostering connections among the people of diverse backgrounds, we forge powerful networks that can support each other, creating artistic hubs, infused with positivity.
Raising public profiles • an online presence and visibility is essential in the world of art today. We assist each individual with training and technical support to become visible online, including content creation, opening up doors of all kinds of opportunities in their own fields and beyond.
Youth and young adults • our focus is on the future, which lies in developing our youth, educating them and mentoring them to become an asset to society.
Exchange • we believe that South Africa has a huge global offering, and to this end we partner with International companies to facilitate music and creative exchange. We value the interplay of ideas and creativity among people seeking to make a positive influence with an uplifting message to the world.
mission
SERVE COMMUNITY
- AAF will be an important part of our richly diverse community. Our Board of Directors reflects this diversity.
- We will ultimately serve as many communities in the Western Cape with the intention to spread nationally in 2025
- Our Artist base will grow and flourish through community festivals and mainstream festivals, becoming a powerful vehicle for social cohesion and transformation.
- AAF will partner with Government amplifying the voice of hope in our country through the arts.
- AAF will develop working partnerships with non-profit organizations nationally and globally, using art to enhance their work.
- We will focus on sustainability within the arts, giving artists additional skills as arts administrators, and developing diverse business skills to multi-task within their field to earn a living wage.
- Our organisation will be linked to schools, working with students and teachers to create innovative ways to enrich classroom curriculum with arts education.
- Our organization will build a strong financial base with fully supported staff.
- We will be recognized as creators of high quality artistic output, celebrating diverse cultural content.
- AAF will serve as a model for and will openly share information with other arts organisations.

IDEA

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access
AAF has adopted the following principles to support our values and address structural inequalities by providing access to programs, services, and resources.
What is IDEA?
IDEA is an acronym for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access. IDEA highlights efforts toward underserved communities by addressing structural inequities. Organizations that embrace IDEA are able to foster cultures that minimize bias and recognize and address systemic inequities, which, if unaddressed, create disadvantage for certain individuals or groups.
Inclusion
All feel welcomed
and valued
Inclusion is the act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, represented, supported, and valued to fully participate. Example: Ariva Arts Foundation supports initiatives like the Beyond Busking Programme – a skills development programme that includes ages between 20 and 60, with the idea that the youth could learn from the older artist’s participation, each artist was from a diverse background, both, racially, economically and education. This approach gives an opportunity for the cross pollination of skills and ideas, especially when the programme runs over months.
Diversity
All the ways
we differ
Diversity includes all of the ways in which people differ, encompassing the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. While diversity is often used in reference to race, ethnicity, and gender, we embrace a broader definition that also includes age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, education, marital status, language, physical appearance, geography, and any other identifiers that make one individual or group different from another. Example: Diversity can refer to different economic backgrounds, different ages, and physical abilities – all of these factors can be harnessed in the world of creativity. A person from a less privileged background draws on a level of creativity to survive, which can be innovative and refreshing in the world of art. An artist coming from a privileged background brings a certain level of education and skill. All of these factors, framed as mutually beneficial rather than a hierarchy of better or worse, can have an explosively successful outcome both artistically and on a personal level.
Equity
All having the opportunity to fully participate
Equity encompasses the policies and practices used to ensure the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time trying to identify and eliminate barriers that have historically prevented the full participation of some individuals or groups.
Example:
Equity is not equality. With equality, everyone gets the same piece of pie. But some people aren’t hungry and some people are really hungry. Sharing equally doesn’t make sense. How could the pie be shared equitably? Give pieces of pie to those that need it most.
Applied to the arts, let’s consider an exhibition that’s open to the public – everyone is welcome to attend. Free is a great start. Equity means creating a policy or policies that ensure greater, meaningful participation by recognizing not everyone comes from the same access point (they may need free access, large print labels, a ramp to get into the exhibition, transportation, or translated materials).
AAF in the spirit of equitable arts, provides free access to festivals, transport money and meals for artists participating in educational programmes – making it accessible to all communities and those that need the support, guidance and skills development the most.
Access
Of any and
all abilities
Access refers to the commitment for everyone to be included in all programs and activities. Example: Besides providing easy access to Arts Education Programmes in the city bowl, through providing transport and meals, AAF goes into disadvantaged communities and provides skills development classes and work opportunities within townships. AAF will expand these programmes into rural initiatives as well as National school tours in 2025.
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access
AAF has adopted the following principles to support our values and address structural inequalities by providing access to programs, services, and resources.
What is IDEA?
IDEA is an acronym for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access. IDEA highlights efforts toward underserved communities by addressing structural inequities. Organizations that embrace IDEA are able to foster cultures that minimize bias and recognize and address systemic inequities, which, if unaddressed, create disadvantage for certain individuals or groups.
Inclusion
All feel welcomed
and valued
Diversity
All the ways
we differ
Equity
All having the opportunity to fully participate
Equity encompasses the policies and practices used to ensure the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time trying to identify and eliminate barriers that have historically prevented the full participation of some individuals or groups.
Example:
Equity is not equality. With equality, everyone gets the same piece of pie. But some people aren’t hungry and some people are really hungry. Sharing equally doesn’t make sense. How could the pie be shared equitably? Give pieces of pie to those that need it most.
Applied to the arts, let’s consider an exhibition that’s open to the public – everyone is welcome to attend. Free is a great start. Equity means creating a policy or policies that ensure greater, meaningful participation by recognizing not everyone comes from the same access point (they may need free access, large print labels, a ramp to get into the exhibition, transportation, or translated materials).
AAF in the spirit of equitable arts, provides free access to festivals, transport money and meals for artists participating in educational programmes – making it accessible to all communities and those that need the support, guidance and skills development the most.
Access
Of any and
all abilities
Testimonials
Great Hits
Great Hits
Great Hits

Sign up to our newsletter
