About Us
Established in 1993, Open Window has grown from its origins as a specialist art school into one of South Africa’s leading institutes for creative and digital arts, focused on visual communication, film arts, animation, and creative technologies.
We offer a dynamic, practice-led learning environment that combines academic rigour with industry relevance, equipping students with the creative, technical, and critical skills required to succeed in today’s evolving creative industries.
Vision
It is the vision of Open Window to be a leader and trendsetter in the local and international creative educational sectors by achieving product excellence through academic rigour and industry relevance, the use of cutting-edge technology and the continuous upgrading of infrastructure in a customer-centric environment.
Mission
Our mission is to deliver creative and critical thinkers who possess the technical, dynamic, professional and multi-skilled capabilities globally required by the creative industries. We provide relevant education opportunities through the application of:
- ● Superior educational models
- ● Standards of excellence
- ● International competitive outcomes
- ● Cutting-edge technology
- ● Industry requirements
Why Open Window?
Industry-Leading Lecturers
The Open Window academic staff includes award-winning creatives, researchers, and industry-leading practitioners who actively contribute to South Africa’s creative and cultural sectors.
Curriculum Built for the Real World
Professional-Grade Facilities
Students work in fully equipped studios, film production spaces, sound laboratories, and digital production environments that support industry-standard creative output.
Proven Graduate Success
Fully Accredited & Recognised
Transforming the Learning Experience
Introducing Open Window’s Creative Multimodal Teaching Approach
Open Window has embraced a dynamic multimodal learning approach that blends virtual engagement with meaningful on-campus experiences. Our students benefit from a modern mix of online lectures, in-person classes, group discussions, workshops, and critical evaluations, all designed to support both creative growth and professional readiness.
We apply three flexible teaching models, depending on subject requirements:
Model 1: Campus-First
Subjects needing specialised equipment, facilities, or hands-on training take place primarily on campus, with any linked theory sessions delivered live online.
Model 2: Multimodal Rotation
For subjects that thrive both virtually and in person, classes alternate weekly between synchronous online sessions and on-campus learning.
Model 3: Virtual-First
Subjects best suited to virtual learning are taught fully online, with students coming to campus each term for workshops, discussions, events, and jams.
Why this benefits our students
In a digital-first world, students gain the advantage of mastering both virtual and real-world professional etiquette. This flexible system builds adaptability, prepares them for diverse creative industries, and equips them with the digital fluency needed to collaborate beyond geographic borders.
For any questions, contact our Student Support team:
studentsupport@openwindow.co.za
Our Academic Department Heads
Dr Jayne Crawshay-Hall Robertson
Deputy CEO
Jaco van der Merwe
Film Arts
Maaike Bakker
Visual Communication + Postgraduate programmes
Morné Venter
Creative Technologies
Stephan Calitz
Animation Arts
Our Partners
Open Window is a part of the UXi Private Education Group and is affiliated with the following international educational institutions:
