(Fiona Gordon,
Conference Project Manager. Pic by Jan Potgieter)
As The ACT | UJ Arts & Culture Conference approaches, a
free series of Creatives in Conversation
will be presented at UJ Arts Centre on Thursday evenings at 17h30, from February
5.
The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) and UJ Arts & Culture
in partnership with the British Council Connect ZA will present the third ACT |
UJ Arts & Culture Conference in March 2015 at the UJ Arts Centre.
Linked to the conference, a series of ten conversations with
emerging and established creative practitioners will be hosted in the Upstairs
Studios at the UJ Arts Centre. The first of five conversations will be hosted
on a weekly basis for five weeks from February 5 leading up to the Conference,
and the series will continue with a further five conversations following the
conference.
According to Fiona Gordon, Project Manager for this year’s
conference, “The first four conversations are themed around the more
traditional arts and culture disciplines, focussing on theatre, music, visual
arts and dance respectively; with the final one opening up the conversation to
contemplate the creative sector more holistically.” She continues, “Continuing
the series after the conference will provide opportunities for those engaged in
the creative industries to take the conference conversations forward.”
The programme for the first five conversations is as follows
(all conversations take place in the Upstairs Studios of the UJ Arts Centre at
17h30):
February 5: Warona Seane (Artistic Manager: Soweto Theatre)
in conversation with Phillip Dikotla (Emerging Playwright/Performer). Facilitated
by Brenda Sakellarides (ACT Ambassador and Director: Pink Room Productions)
February 12: André le Roux (SAMRO Foundation) and Concord
Nkabinde (Musician) will discuss best practice for musicians while Concerts SA
will present findings of research mapping the South African Live Music
Performance Landscape.
February 19: Mariapaola McGurk (Business Development
Manager: Classicfeel Magazine) in conversation with Usha Seejarim (Conceptual
Artist). Facilitated by Precious Maputle (Marketing Officer: UJ Arts &
Culture)
February 26: Nadia Virasamy (CEO: Moving Into Dance
Mophatong) in conversation with Kieron Jina (Independent Dance Practitioner).
Facilitated by PJ Sabbagha (Artistic Director: The Forgotten Angle Theatre
Collaborative)
March 5: Pieter Jacobs (CEO: Arts & Culture Trust) in
conversation with Lynsey Smith (Creative Economy Programme Manager for
Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe: British Council). Facilitated by Grace Meadows
(Producer: UJ Arts & Culture)
Entrance to the conversation series is free but space is
limited. To secure your place e-mail your contact details to preciousm@uj.ac.za indicating which of the
conversations you would like to attend and how many people you would like to
book for.
Entitled Creatives
Make It Happen, the conference will run from March 8 to 10. The two and a
half day conference aims to provide a forum for developing and inspiring the
creative community. Engaging with entrepreneurs, manufacturers, policy makers
and implementers; in addition to the advertising, film, design and broader arts
industries; it will showcase new ways of cultivating business ideas in a
contemporary South Africa. The conference will host several thought-leaders and
leading industry professionals from South Africa, Africa and abroad; and will
provide opportunities for attendees to engage with speakers and conference
participants alike.
The 2015 ACT | UJ Arts & Culture Conference is presented
by the Arts & Culture Trust, UJ Arts & Culture and British Council
Connect ZA, with support from the Department of Arts and Culture, Business and
Arts South Africa (BASA), SAMRO Foundation, Pro Helvetia, the European Union,
the SA-UK Seasons 2014 & 2015; and media partners Classicfeel magazine and
UJfm.
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