NAF THINK!FEST

The National Arts Festival Think!Fest, in partnership with new media partner The Daily Maverick, is a space for leading thinkers from a broad spectrum of disciplines to collect their thoughts and share their insights in a series of lectures, workshops and discussions at the Rhodes University Eden Grove complex, from July 1 to 10.

There are various overarching themes that broadly direct this year’s Think!Fest programme. Think!Fest convener Anthea Garman said: “We’ve taken on some important issues in the arts this year, disability and dance, the funding regime, the place of critique. We’re also hosting and interfacing with films and exhibitions as well as keeping alive conversations about social issues big and small (what social contribution are you making? are you happy? do you sleep well?). And we’ve introduced for the first time our ‘free-thinking speakers’ – people with strong opinions who want to share them more widely and start debates. We’re also looking into the future by giving some impressive young South Africans a platform to talk for themselves. It’s a big, varied, wide-ranging programme which we hope will satisfy those who like to talk and think between their shows.”

Free-Thinking Speakers include Justice Albie Sachs answering challenging questions in Have the beautiful people been born? and Denis Beckett discussing Muammar, Hosni, Laurent and the end of democracy as we know it. The keynote lecture for the colloquium Thinking Africa: 50 years on, running concurrently with Think!Fest at Rhodes University, is delivered by VY Mudimbe, Professor of Literature at Duke University.

The Creative Conundrums theme includes From criticism, to critique, to criticality: Developing performatory and participatory forms of criticism, a panel discussion initiated the recently-established South African Arts Writers & Critics Association (SAAWCA). Arts journalists Mary Corrigall, Leon de Kock and Sean O’Toole will review traditional forms of criticism and identify ways in which it can fulfill a more participatory role in the art-making process. International World Café facilitator Melanie Kiley returns to Think!Fest to facilitate meaningful conversation around the academic and social fragmentation between science and the rest of culture as represented by the humanities in World Café discussion: Poles apart? Perceived differences between the sciences and humanities.

A discussion chaired by Adrienne Sichel looks at Access/no access: dance, disability and audiences. Panelists include Catherine Cole (Professor in the Department of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies at the University of California, Berkeley), Victoria Marks (Professor of Choreography in the Department of World Arts and Cultures at UCLA), Malcolm Black (Artistic Director of the Remix Dance Company), Andile Vellem (Remix Dance Company dancer and choreographer) and Gerard Samuel (Director of the School of Dance at University of Cape Town).

In other Creative Conundrum talks, Richard Cock takes an amusing look at the world of conductors in Conduct unbecoming: an apology is too late!; Anthony Akerman will discuss how he came to write Somewhere on the Border while living in exile in Amsterdam in An outsider’s perspective; and Craig Higginson, dramaturge and author, introduces his recently published novel, Landscape Painter.

The Economics of the Arts theme will see Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile take part in a panel discussion presented by The Helen Suzman Foundation. The Funding the Arts discussion will explore how funding of the arts can become more streamlined, co-ordinated and effective to enhance the sustainability of the sector. The discussion is hosted in association with the Open Society Foundation for South Africa. Other speakers will include the CEO of Business Arts South Africa, Michelle Constant, Head of the Drama Department at UCT and co-artistic director of the Magnet Theatre, Professor Mark Fleishman and musicologist Dr Chats Devroop.

Staying on the theme of economics, Helena Barnard asks How do creative industries differ from other industries, and what does that imply for how creative industries evolve?; and Gwen Ansell explores the topic Building studios or building networks? Supporting innovation in the South African music industry.

The Women Who Walk the Talk line-up will see Elinor Sisulu discuss Bridging the literacy and digital divide: The experience of the Puku initiative, Sisonke Msimang on Leadership, citizenship and South Africa’s political trajectory and Angel Jones (founder and chairperson of the Homecoming Revolution), looking at the distinction between Human Beings and Human Doings. In Choosing safety, Judy Klipin (Life Coach and Crime Prevention Consultant) explores the difference between safety and security. They will all participate in a panel discussion on What women can do in the world today.

The Youth Leadership Series includes Gerard Boyce on South African youth: Attitudes and identities, Ross McCreath on Sport as a tool of community empowerment, Palesa Shongwe on The power of film, Bonolo Cebe on Youth capacity building in Africa and Nompumelelo Nobiva on Young women claiming their seats at the table. They will all be part of a panel on Issues affecting South African youth in the 21st century.

There will also be a series of lectures on The Human Brain. In View from the Tower Dr Trudy Meehan questions traditional, everyday notions of identity in our society by using the Mark Hipper-Tower Hospital Art Project, a weekly art group/research project run with in-patient mental health service users, as an illustration. Noëline de Goede looks at Epilepsy: The misunderstood condition. Dr Pierre van der Spuy will present two talks on pathways to a healthy brain in Happiness, humanity and the brain and Development of the human brain. Dr Luke Krige looks at the Obstructive Sleep Apnoea disorder, while Dr Alison Bentley explores How important is a good night’s sleep?

Talkradio 702 and 567 Capetalk presents Dr Christopher Smith: The Naked Scientist. The Landmark Foundation presents Leopards of the Cape by Kate Muller, and The Academy of Science of South Africa presents Reigniting the Humanities in South Africa, led by Professor Jonathan Jansen (University of the Free State) and Professor Peter Vale (University of Johannesburg).

The Legal Resource Centre presents Land Reform and Rural Land Development, a debate chaired by Judge Dennis Davis (Judge of the High Court of South Africa and Judge President of the Competition Appeal Court). Other panelists include Gugile Nkwinti (Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, and a founder member of the Eastern Cape Education Crisis Committee), Stone Sizani (member of the National Assembly and Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform) and Mercia Andrews (Director of the Trust for Community Outreach and Education, President of the South African National NGO Coalition and a founder member of the Conference for the Democratic Left).

Rhodes Business School presents the Leadership for Sustainability series. Clem Sunter will look at A sustainable future, Steuart Pennington discusses Sustainable competitiveness and Les Aupiais explores the concept of Sustainable Media. Critical conversations will be a panel discussion with Steuart Pennington, Les Aupiais and Cedric Tyler, chaired by Owen Skae, Director Rhodes Business School.

Think!Fest exhibitions includes View from the Tower, the Mark Hipper-Tower Hospital Art Project. This is an exhibition of paintings and drawings from Tower Hospital mental health service users’ art group. Landmarks, The Leopards of the Cape is an exhibition of photographs and children’s artwork of wild leopards in the Cape as well as documentary photos looking at the history, culture and politics deeply affecting their conservation and fight for survival.

Think!Fest film talks will see Richard Stanley speak on The secret order of movie making and The Shadow of the Grail. Victoria Marks has been creating work for the stage and film that challenges conventional notions of disability. Her work has included choreo-portraits of dancers and non-dancers, individuals with visible and invisible disabilities. She will introduce the films Outside in (1994) and Action conversations (2008).

Think!Fest also hosts screenings of a series of Frantz Fanon films. Each film will be preceded by a brief introduction from a participant in the colloquium ‘Fanon: 50 Years Later’ being hosted by the ‘Thinking Africa’ programme of the Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes University. The films include Frantz Fanon: His life, his struggle, his work/Sa vie son combat, son travail (France/Algeria 1998), Black skin, white masks (UK 1996), The Battle of Algiers/La battaglia di algeri (Italy/Algeria 1965) and Driving with Fanon (South Africa 2009).

The Think!Fest venue is primarily the Blue Lecture Theatre, Eden Grove (unless otherwise stated). All talks are 1 hour, and panel discussions and debates are 1 hour 30 minutes. All events are R20.

Bookings for this year’s “11 Days of Amaz!ng” are open. Tickets are available through Computicket. Booking kits available from selected Standard Bank Branches, selected Exclusive Books and all Computickets. For more information on the programme, accommodation and travel options visit www.nationalartsfestival.co.za. Also join the National Arts Festival group on Facebook for all the latest competitions and news, or follow us on Twitter. Call 046 603 1103 for more info.

The National Arts Festival is sponsored by Standard Bank, The Eastern Cape Government, The National Arts Council, The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, The Sunday Independent and M Net.