Creative Feel April 2016

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SA R36,90 (incl. VAT) - April 2016

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NO MATTER WHAT THE OCCASION WE WILL DRESS YOU


MICHELANGELO

TOWERS

MALL

SHOP AND DINE WITH US AT MICHELANGELO TOWERS MALL, OFF NELSON MANDELA SQUARESOUTH AFRICA’S FINEST LIFESTYLE CENTRE. AMPLE PARKING - ENTRANCE OPPOSITE SANDTON CONVENTION CENTRE www.towersmall.co.za . Tel: +27 11 245 4000

MICHELANGELO TOWERS MALL


Composed and premiered in Vienna, Austria 1791, Mozart’s opera - The Magic Flute has remained ones of the most performed and most beautiful music in the world for the last 200 years.

JOIN US AS WE SAVOR IN THIS RICH OPERA, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED ON THE MANDELA STAGE, AT THE JOBURG THEATRE FROM THE 18TH MAY TILL THE 24TH MAY 2016.

This opera boasts an international and local cast made up of Musa Nkuna, Aubrey Lodewyk, Caroline Nkwe, Alexander Olczyk, Viola Zimmerman, Anna Nesyba, Christie Dammann, Marek Gastecki, Henning Jendritza and the award-winning Gauteng choristers as chorus. Internationally active theater director Dr Christoph Dammann directs the classic opera. Sybille Pfeiffe and Wolfgang Stärke design the costume and lighting and accompaniment is done by the German Rhine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of young conductor; Desar Sulejmani.

Ticket prices range from R200 to R500. Bookings can be done online at www.joburgtheatre.com or by calling 0861 670 670. For group bookings of ten or more tickets, contact the Theatre’s ticketing office on (011) 877 6815 / 6853 or book through the following options: Tickets for JOBURG THEATRE remain available from www.joburgtheatre.com and 0861 670 670, but from 1st January we have introduced the following exciting new options: • Option 1 – BOOK WITH WEBTICKETS at www.webtickets.co.za – patrons can book and pay online; this is ideal for patrons who are already registered with Webtickets. • Option 2 – BOOK ONLINE / PAY INSTORE – patrons can book tickets on www.joburgtheatre.com and pay at any PICK ’N PAY store. • Option 3 – BOOK AND PAY INSTORE – patrons can book and pay at selected PICK ‘N PAY stores (For a full list of stores http://www.webtickets.co.za/pnpoutlets.aspx). • Option 4 – BOOK AND PAY ON YOUR PHONE – patrons can book and pay via the Nedbank App on your Smartphone.



Stop the Press

T

A selection of chairs at the Sitting Pretty auction Bonhams

he headline should rather read ‘Stop Aids’ but

the specific challenges they face and help staff improve care.

these days the general public is not terribly

Their mentoring and teaching in rural health facilities and

interested in the Aids problem. ‘There is

the on-going support has enabled a new generation of better

treatment, right? What is the problem? Is there

equipped South African healthcare professionals to treat

really still a problem with Aids? Who is affected by Aids?

greater numbers of children living with HIV; to improve the

Who still gets Aids?’ Actually, all of these questions are still

long-term management of their health and well-being.

really important and need to be addressed. In South Africa we have a great number of people

When we heard about Bonhams’ Sitting Pretty charity auction in London we decided to get involved and highlight

who work extremely long hours, very often under difficult

CHIVA Africa by featuring these beautiful chairs as our

conditions, to make a very real difference to Aids and TB

cover story in Creative Feel. It is such a great, positive way

treatment and of course the prevention of these diseases.

of generating Aids awareness, that we really got inspired to

Medical staff is not only treating patients, they are educating

do something that we feel is important – talk about Aids,

them on taking their medication, living healthy lives and

stop Aids.

they are talking about prevention of Aids, still very important mainly in the adolescent population in our society. The Foundation for Professional Development’s (FPD)

Then why ‘Stop the Press’? Simple, we held this issue of Creative Feel back from printing in order to be able to announce the result of the charity auction in London that

Technical Assistance (TA) Cluster is an example of a project

was held on 15 March in aid of CHIVA Africa and generated

putting innumerable effort and resources into changing the

the proud amount of just over £90 000 (about R2 000 000).

South African healthcare system, dealing particularly with HIV and TB. One other such institution is CHIVA Africa, which is dedicated to improving healthcare for children living with

Congratulations and thank you to all the artists – both South African and British – who managed to use art to get the discussion once more going about something that affects us all – Aids.

HIV. Their paediatric programme, ‘New Chance for Life’ works closely with individual healthcare clinics to identify

Lore



T

We loved this!

E

A

M

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lore Watterson; lore@desklink.co.za COPUBLISHER & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Chris Watterson; chris@desklink.co.za DEPUTY EDITOR Tamaryn Greer; tammy@desklink.co.za INTERNS Abigail Phiri Francesca Matthys Nomagugu Gumede ADDITIONAL EDITORIAL CONTENT: Natalie Watermeyer Nondumiso Msimanga Ismail Mahomed Michelle Constant Indra Wussow SALES & MARKETING sales@desklink.co.za sales@creativefeel.co.za SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR Oupa Sibeko; oupa@desklink.co.za DESIGN Leigh Forrest; leigh@desklink.co.za FINANCIAL DIRECTOR Debbi Smith; debbi@desklink.co.za DISPATCH Khumbulani Dube SUBSCRIPTION & CIRCULATION Debbi Smith; debbi@desklink.co.za Published by DeskLink™ Media

Nigerian artist Fred Martins uses art to trigger an emotional response in the viewer and to convey a serious message about climate change. The visual, graphic and surreal artist realised early on in his career that making pretty things wasn’t enough. He decided that using creativity to trigger an emotional response in the viewer was an important part of creating. Martins focuses on how art can create positive change in society, and is currently working within advertising and direct media. Some of his recent posters, which tackle the issue of global warming and its effects on the natural world, have been published by the United Nations on their Global Goals campaign.

8 / Creative Feel / April 2016

PO Box 3670, Randburg, 2125 Tel: 011 787 0252 Fax: 011 787 8204 www.creativefeel.co.za www.desklink.co.za PRINTING ColorPress (Pty) Ltd © Copyright DeskLink™ Media The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.


tuesday 19th april 2016 lyric theatre, gold reef city FOR 18:30 | DRESS: THEATRICAL TUESDAY18:00 19 APRIL 2016 | LYRIC THEATREGLAMOROUS | GOLD REEF CITY The Naledi Awards curtain goes up at 19:30 Cocktails and Wine served in the foyer

open to the public | book now at computicket Naledi holds a mirror to the best of the best of SA Live Theatre! A sparkling awards event showcases highlights from nominated shows, top entertainers, accompanied by the Joburg Youth Orchestra. Items from Sister Act, Little Shop of Horrors, Sweeney Todd

27 CATEGORIES - 4 SPECIAL AWARDS

NALEDI WILL BE BROADCAST ON SABC 3 TWITTER HANDLE: @NALEDIAWARDSSA | CLICK ON #NALEDIAWARDS FOR MORE INFO


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SOUTH AFRICA CELEBRATES RESOUNDING SUCCESS OF THE SEASONS IN THE UK

The major cultural exchange initiative – SA-UK

Seasons 2014 & 2015 – has impressively delivered on

cover story

its mandate.

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SITTING PRETTY

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HISTORY WILL BREAK YOUR HEART

Designers, artists and celebrities from the United

History Will Break Your Heart, the exhibition by

Kingdom and South Africa have created unique

Kemang Wa Lehulere, the 2015 Standard Bank Young

chairs that were auctioned off by Bonhams

Artist Award winner for Visual Art, will showcase

London in aid of CHIVA Africa, an organisation

works by Wa Lehulere, Ernest Mancoba and Gladys

dedicated to improving healthcare for children

Mgudlandlu, as well as works made in collaboration

and adolescents living with HIV.

with the artist’s aunt, Sophia Lehulere.

Cover image: Sitting Pretty chair designed by Daniel Lismore. Photograph by Frederick Wilkinson

contents

arts and culture

36

SA TAXI FOUNDATION ART AWARD 2016

24

MBOISA 2016

Engines and paintbrushes, distinct, different

Every year, Design Indaba invites South Africans

and both part of the SA Taxi Foundation and

to think of how they define beauty and cast their

Lizamore and Associates’ fresh collaboration for

votes to determine what represents that idea in

2016. The SA Taxi Foundation Art Award is an

our country.

upcoming innovative visual art competition which

fuses the creativeness of fine art with the

enthusiastic and efficient nature of the South

African mini bus taxi.

38

THE MAGIC FLUTE IN JOBURG

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CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS CONNECTED

With the closing of the SA-UK Seasons and the

announcement that the British Council Connect

ZA programme will continue, Creative Feel’s

Tamaryn Greer spoke to Heath Nash and Unathi

most beautiful pieces of music ever written and it

Kondile, two South Africans who have participated

was Mozart’s last opera, composed shortly before

in Connect ZA’s cultural programmes.

his death.

10 / Creative Feel / April 2016

Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, is one of the


40

LA BOHÈME IN DISTRICT SIX

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THE 2016 NALEDI THEATRE AWARDS

Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème, the passionate, timeless,

The much anticipated annual Naledi Theatre

and indelible story of love among young artists in

Awards take place at the Lyric Theatre,

Paris, can stake its claim as the world’s most popular

Gold Reef City on Tuesday 19 April 2016.

opera and it is now coming to Cape Town again.

lifestyle and entertainment

42

A 50-YEAR-OLD MEMORY

2016 marks 50 years since the largest concentration of

people were forcefully removed from District Six in the

Western Cape, during the apartheid era.

46

BREAKING DOWN BOUNDARIES

The Market Theatre has played a valuable role

in the development of many important and

innovative productions over the years, including

works by Handspring Puppet Company and their

collaborations with William Kentridge.

48

THE FOUNDING OF THE MARKET PHOTO WORKSHOP

The vision that brought the Market Theatre into

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ARTLOOKS & ARTLINES

being was one shared by many. Similar ideals also

Artlooks & Artlines is a monthly column

informed the establishment of the Market Photo

by Ismail Mahomed, Artistic Director of the

Workshop, founded within the ambit of the Market

National Arts Festival.

Theatre by David Goldblatt in 1989.

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BUSINESS & ARTS

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THE MARKET LABORATORY

Business & Arts is a monthly column by

The Market Laboratory was opened in a small

Michelle Constant, CEO of Business and Arts

warehouse in Goch Street in 1989 with Barney

South Africa (BASA).

Nondumiso Msimanga spoke to prior Market Lab

16

LITERARY LANDSCAPES

co-ordinator, Vanessa Cooke about this important

Literary Landscapes is a monthly column written

learning space for young people.

by Indra Wussow, a writer, translator and director of

the Sylt Foundation.

56 58 60 62 63

CINEMA NOUVEAU TIMES MEDIA TIMES MEDIA CD REVIEWS BOOK REVIEWS

contents Simon and Dr John Kani as founding directors.

contributors

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 11


MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER Making Music Together is an exhibition of 30 black-and-white prints journaling the extensive community, education and outreach of the busy KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, will be on display at the Durban Art Gallery from 17 March until 30 April 2016. ‘So often one associates the orchestra with performing sublime concerts in our magnificent Durban City Hall during our Symphony Seasons, not realising that although the Symphony Seasons are our flagship programme, they represent a fraction of the overall activities of the orchestra. The majority of the orchestra’s time is spent presenting performances, workshops, master-classes and mentoring programmes which take place in community venues, school halls, rehearsal rooms, old age homes and informal spaces across the length and breadth of the KZN province,’ says Bongani Tembe, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the KZN Philharmonic. Working closely with the Durban Art Gallery, an exhibition has been created to give galleryvisitors special insight into some of these activities. The Print Room in the gallery has been transformed into a mock orchestra rehearsal room, with 30 carefully chosen black-and-white prints displayed on music stands. The photographs have all been taken over roughly a twomonth period during December last year and February this year, by photographers Val Adamson; Gcina Ndwalane and Rogan Ward to create a storyboard which begins to capture some of the special moments, connections and nuances of these community engagement programmes. The exhibition is curated by Illa Thompson; designed by Peter Court; photographic consultant is Val Adamson. Making Music Together can be seen at the Durban Art Gallery (DAG) until the end of April. DAG is open seven days a week: Monday to Saturday from 8:30 until 16:00, and Sundays from 11:00 until 16:00. Entry is free and all are welcome. For more information, contact the Gallery on 031 311 2264/9 or Jabu.Mngwengwe@durban.gov.za (weekdays). CF

12 / Creative Feel / April 2016


A UNIQUE VALENTINE EXPERIENCE Some people say that the ‘month of love’ is only in February. At Casta Diva’s Boutique Hotel we believe that every day is Valentine’s Day! Should we not make an effort to spoil our loved ones every day? Why not surprise your loved one, bring them to a place nestled on the northern slopes of the Magaliesberg, a place like no other hotel. Spoil yourselves with a weekend away in a magical environment, or simply enjoy a delicious dinner with someone special under the Fig Tree. We will meet you at our parking area and bring you to our reception with a warm, welcoming smile. All 28 of our rooms are comfortable and individually decorated without any clutter. Enjoy the amazing view of the mountain slopes from the deck of our most exclusive room, The Dam. Relax in the tranquil setting of The Village – five guest rooms joined by a quaint courtyard decorated with lemon trees and a water fountain, or Las Terrazas, the latest addition. Our property, just less than two hectares of lush green garden, is breathtakingly beautiful. Book your table at our restaurant, where you are guaranteed a culinary experience. Your host will tell you about the specials for the evening, or just order one of the delightful dishes from our á la carte menu. There are some interesting developments at our intimate theatre and art gallery, more news on this next month. Future classical concerts, usually hosted in our restaurant, will be advertised on the Facebook pages, Casta Diva’s Charisma and Casta Diva, The Place To… simply like these pages and you will be automatically updated with regard to the events. You are guaranteed to be amazed and made to feel special at Casta Diva Boutique Hotel. It truly is the place to just… be. For booking information visit www.castadiva.co.za or email us on info@castadiva.co.za. CF


Artlooks & Artlines In this first of a four-part series, Artistic Director of the National Arts Festival, Ismail Mahomed, reflects on some of the Market Theatre productions that are deeply etched in his heart.

I

n the ‘80s, Junction Avenue’s production Sophiatown, staged at the Market Theatre, was an incredible success. Apart from being a huge hit at the box office and going on to win several awards, the production offered its

audiences an opportunity to go back to a place in time that was deeply engraved in their hearts and minds. The production Sophiatown was no ordinary nostalgic play about a place and time that was destroyed by the bulldozers of the Nationalist Government. At the time when the play was first staged at the Market Theatre, South Africa was still in the grips of apartheid. The colourful suburb that was destroyed by the Nationalist Government in the ‘60s was arrogantly renamed by the government as Triomf (Afrikaans for ‘triumph’). The staging of the play at the Market Theatre was a wonderful metaphor. It said to the Nationalist Government that as long as the old suburb remained in the hearts and minds of South Africans, the Nationalist government would be enjoying no triumph. The return of the production to the Market Theatre this year is no coincidence. This year marks the tenth anniversary of when the suburb was once again baptised and officially took back its old name. At a ceremony to turn the tables on Triomf and to take back Sophiatown, the then Mayor of Johannesburg, Amos Masondo said, ‘The reclaiming and renaming of Sophiatown, which has had two names for far too long, is a past we dare not forget.’ I was a high school teacher in Lenasia in the ‘80s when

generation of students. They wanted to know more

Malcolm Purkey’s Sophiatown premiered at the Market

about Sophiatown and the inhuman Group Areas Act, the

Theatre. I took a small group of students to see the play.

Immorality Act, the Mixed Marriages Act and the various

What came in the weeks to follow was a pilgrimage of 13

other apartheid laws that ripped families and communities

busloads of students, teachers, parents and community

apart from each other.

leaders who all wanted to see the play. The return journey on the buses was a powerful moment.

Malcolm Purkey’s Sophiatown allowed these young students to share the pain and anguish that their parents

The play was an outstanding catalyst. It unleashed years

had endured watching their homes being destroyed and

of bottled emotion and unspoken memories. It inspired

their lives torn to shreds. The community of elders shared

a wonderful dynamic of inter-generational dialogue on

memories with a kaleidoscope of emotions. There was

the buses. Malcolm Purkey’s play had inspired a young

laughter on the bus. There were tears. And then suddenly

14 / Creative Feel / April 2016


“The Market Theatre was a place of healing. The stories told on its stages allowed those who were brutalised by apartheid to to be comforted and to have renewed hope. The courageous productions that it presented challenged the apartheid government. The Market Theatre stood up with truth to power” somebody would break into song. The protest songs which Malcolm Purkey had so meticulously reprised in the production would be sung by both the young students and the elder community members long into the night until I had said goodnight to the last passenger leaving the bus. The next morning the school classroom would become a little museum. The young students would bring photographs and other artefacts that late in the night their parents went to dig out from their closets. This was the unusual power that the Market Theatre held in the ‘80s. It wasn’t an Rehearsals for Sophiatown 2016. Photographs by Blaq

ordinary theatre. This was a place that served more than just the arts. It was the Palace of Justice in the old South Africa. The Market Theatre was a place of healing. The stories told on its stages allowed those who were brutalised by apartheid to to be comforted and to have renewed hope. The courageous productions that it presented challenged the apartheid government. The Market Theatre stood up with truth to power. Founded in 1976 – a tumultuous year when Soweto went up in flames – the lights in the Market Theatre went on for the first time. This year, as South Africans reflect on the 40th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, the Market Theatre too will be offering us wonderful opportunities for critical reflection and celebration. The Market Theatre’s 40th anniversary is a celebration that is well deserved. The Market Theatre’s four decades of triumphantly being able to tell South African stories that heal, inspire, challenge, critique our society makes it undeniably one of South Africa’s most important cultural institutions. CF

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 15


Business & Arts is a monthly column by Michelle Constant, CEO of Business and Arts South Africa (BASA).

L

istening to Minister Pravin Gordhan going through

and process that could give the corporate the opportunity

the Budget Speech made me smile. Whilst his job

to believe that they have made a true engagement based on

was probably the least desirable one in the country

Shared Value and Shared Opportunity? Is it something that

at the point in time, his humour and grace in the

could be driven through the BBBEE codes, and not simply

eye of extreme change, reminded me of a wonderful saying

as marketing? Importantly, the case of arts partnerships

by UK designer Naresh Ramchander, ‘Grace is the sugar

is not a case of ‘one size fits all’. In thinking about making

coating around the bitter pill of change.’ And indeed 2016

the link, one needs to become the customer, as obvious as

promised, and continues to promise, a very bitter pill of

that sounds. After all, as one of the speakers at the recent

change and how we swallow it will be a signal to our true

Design Indaba said, ‘A pitch is about finding a way to share

character as South Africans.

yourself.’ So the request to simply find someone who is

How we handle it in the cultural sector is further worth

‘approachable’ and willing to spend R2 000 000 (no small

noting. As mentioned by Gordhan more than once, it is the engagement between public, private and third sector that will support us on the rocky road. Given that this is, and has been the positioning of the arts for a while, it comes as no surprise that we need to interrogate what this relationship really means. I felt deeply despondent recently, when at BASA we received an email from a production company that I believe is doing extremely inventive and inspired work at the moment. The request in short, was ‘looking for a financial sponsor who would see the incredible value in this unique product. And we are “only” looking for R2 000 000 to help us make it all happen. If you have any thoughts on who/which entity might be approachable I would deeply

“Given the new austerity measures being prescribed by Minister Gordhan it behoves us in the arts sector to engage more rigorously in the process of creative entrepreneurship – identifying opportunities that exist in surprising places”

appreciate an introduction.’ To use a terribly hackneyed term – perhaps we should

sum for a country that is in dire need of support in many

‘unpack’ those three sentences. Firstly – if you are already

sectors) lacks the meticulous approach that the project

thinking of the ‘financial sponsor’ as the purse strings

merits in the first case.

and not as a partner, then there is no doubt that they

Given the new austerity measures being prescribed by

will feel the same way. An equitable partnership is about

Minister Gordhan, it behoves us in the arts sector to engage

collaboration, a relationship and an alliance. From the get-

more rigorously in the process of creative entrepreneurship –

go one should have this approach. The ‘incredible value in

identifying opportunities that exist in surprising places. The

this unique product’ implies, again, a lack of rigor. I would

Minister’s mention of tourism highlights the opportunities of

never argue that the product is not unique or incredible,

cultural tourism, the potential export of culture – in particular

but how are we going to sell it to the private sector as

to the African continent – the focus on small businesses and

such? How would it be valuable to a business or corporate

nation building. All of these offer stimulating prospects, and

who partners, or is considering partnering, in the current

we need to address them with an unwavering passion and

economic environment? What is it about the production

focus if we are going to succeed this year. CF

16 / Creative Feel / April 2016


Either Creative Feel print Creative Feel + UK Gramophone Print Bundle Creative Feel Digital subs@creativefeel.co.za 011 787 0252


Literary Landscapes is a monthly column by Indra Wussow, a writer, translator and director of the Sylt Foundation.

T

his month I would like to talk a little bit about

the injustice of it – which was still very much a strong

the reception of the African continent in the

colonial view point as we know today.

German-speaking world through the lens of its literatures. This is a vast topic and can only be

The publishing of South African literature in German experienced an incredible boom during this time. It was

superficially touched here but might be the introduction of

predominantly white writers such as Nadine Gordimer,

a more specific scrutiny into different countries and writers

Andrè P. Brink and JM Coetzee that garnered attention and

within the next months.

were published by the big publishers and definitely shaped

First of all, one can say that African literatures really

the image of South Africa through their writing. Beyond this,

bloom in the German-speaking parts of Germany, Austria

small publishers sold books by Lewis Nkosi or Zoe Wicomb

and Switzerland. In the last five years, approximately

that were widely read and told South Africa’s fight against

400 books of fiction by African writers where published

apartheid from another perspective. Anthologies of struggle

(excluding poetry and anthologies) on these three markets.

poetry and performances by poets like James Matthews were

The selection of writers is as diverse as the publishing scene

also incredibly popular.

and its readers.

The ‘90s somehow saw a declining interest in African

The information sought after in the books that have

literatures. The reason might be the opening of the ‘Iron

been translated into German has been subject to enormous

Curtain’ and the end of the Cold War that lead to a new

changes over the last decades, as has the postcolonial

discovery of territories in Europe, that had not been part of

reception. Writers like Chinua Achebe, Mongo Beti and

the literary landscape for some decades apart from those few

Ousmane Sembéne were the first whose works were

celebrated Samizdat writers such as Alkesandr Solzhenitzyn.

translated into German in the end of the ‘50s. During that

The end of the Cold War, on the other hand, led to a new

time there was a focus on the topics of history and politics;

discovery of those countries that had been perceived as

topics that are still prevalent today.

enemies or allies in those ‘proxy wars’ that had been fought

With the advent of dictators like Idi Amin or Bokassa,

fiercely before. The ‘Third-World-Movement’ was somehow

books were published that dealt with the phenomenon of

replaced by a more realistic attitude that has rather been

dictatorship and its role for the oppressed people. Novels by

based on partnership.

Congolese writers Henri Lopés or Y.V. Mudimbe, offered an

Even though it might be true that the majority of

experimental approach and told their sad and cruel stories in

German-speaking people still cling to obsolete perceptions

a way that questioned the prevalent image of Africa as ‘the

of ‘Africa’, there has been a major shift in the intellectual

heart of darkness’.

and cultural debates. This shift has led to a new reception of

The ‘80s in Europe saw a ‘professionalisation’ of the socalled ‘Third-World-Movement’ and therewith the topics of interest changed to a more sociocultural emphasis. Novels

African literatures and offered them a much broader and less preconceived space. A highlight of this new ‘handling’ of African literatures

by female African writers such as Amma Darko (Ghana) or

was a new translation of Chinua Achebe’s novel Things

Calixhte Beyala (Cameroon) were discovered and became

Fall Apart by German translator Uda Strätling in 2013.

part of a worldwide feminist discourse that was shaped by

This translation so deeply and profoundly questioned our

the idea that Africa’s problems of that time had been caused

language and its use when it comes to transmitting traditional

by colonisation and that the new generation of readers need

perceptions and ideas regarding ‘Africanness’ that it can really

to know the consequences of this legacy and help overcome

be regarded as a milestone in literary translation and also as a

18 / Creative Feel / April 2016


milestone in a new perception of African literatures. Strätling freed the original text from all the inherent colonial baggage of its old translation and gave it the modern, fierce and visionary face that the author had intended. The new interest in African literatures and their writers coincides with a more informed literary world; of publishers, editors, literary reviewers and readers of course, who have a broader knowledge of what has happened on the African continent. One chance to enhance the reception of African literatures in an adequate and effective form is the occupation of more than one book in order to deepen the intellectual knowledge through comparative reading. Today, like never before, German-speaking

“The end of the Cold War, on the other hand, led to a new discovery of those countries that had been perceived as enemies or allies in those ‘proxy wars’ that had been fought fiercely before”

countries are able to learn, to study and to explore other literary landscapes thoroughly and the amount of readers engaging in a new reception of ‘Africa’ has been growing over the past few years. Of course there are the bestselling writers like Chimamanda Adichie, whose works are widely read and her readings in Germany have been visited by hundreds of people. Aside from the mainstream, there is an incredible amount of diverse and literary experimental voices that are read and discussed; voices that further question and change our conceptions of the countries that these voices write about. But their voices do not only tell us about their countries, their literature contains a worldliness that tells us a universal story, too and tells us about ourselves in this difficult and not-peaceful world. These voices very often open us to new literary traditions and forms that enrich our idea of writing and reading, of literary criticism. Novels like Tram 83 by Congolese writer Fiston Mwanza Mujila (which is shortlisted for this year’s Etisalat debut prize) or Ishmael Beah’s (Sierra Leone) Radiance of Tommorow, which combines the tradition of oral literature with other forms in a very new way find their way onto the shelves of German readers, as did Shimmer Chinodya’s important novel Strife that dealt with African cosmology in the changing African world. An incredibly fruitful dialogue between writers and their readers has just started and it remains to be seen what the results will be. CF

Ishmael Beah © John Madere

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 19


Designers, artists and celebrities from the United Kingdom and South Africa have created unique chairs that were auctioned off by Bonhams London in aid of CHIVA Africa, an organisation dedicated to improving healthcare for children and adolescents living with HIV.

C

HIVA Africa was founded by Dr Karyn Moshal in 2005

KZN, the Eastern Cape and Northwest Province: more than

with the aim of sharing valuable knowledge gained

20 000 healthcare personnel looking after over 100 000

by doctors in the UK with regard to the treatment

children, so far,’ says Moshal. ‘We have taught, mentored and

of HIV. When the South African government first

supported; we have run workshops and seminars, master

introduced its HIV treatment programme in 2004, the health

classes and ward rounds empowering our colleagues with

service experience major challenges, particularly as few South

the practical skills and experience we have garnered over

African healthcare professionals had experience in the use of

years of clinical studies, service provision and trial and error.

Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) drug regimes. In the UK, as opposed to in South Africa at the time,

‘However there is much still to do, and as we set out to expand our programme, with our growing cadre of South

HIV was seen as a chronic condition for children, who

African experts joining their UK colleagues to continue our

continued to live healthy lives. In South Africa, HIV was

work through South Africa and beyond, I invite you to join

a death sentence for thousands who continued to die of

us on this extraordinary journey.’

AIDS. Ten years ago, when the first CHIVA Africa mentoring

The Sitting Pretty auction was conducted online until

teams arrived in South Africa, they found colleagues numb

14 March 2016, with a live event at Bonhams on 15 March.

and exhausted from watching patients, friends, family and

Thirty stunning hand-painted and upholstered one-off

communities die from a disease they felt powerless to treat;

chairs by stars, designers, artists and celebrities were

it was difficult for them to imagine that people could live

auctioned at Bonhams in aid of CHIVA Africa.

with HIV. The UK volunteers began work in the worst affected areas

A range of artists and designers from South Africa supported the initiative, they include: Norman Catherine;

of South Africa, providing mentoring, training and support

Sam Nhlengethwa; Beezy Bailey in collaboration with Jessica

for those caring for the country’s children. The effects of this

Dorrington; Vanashree Singh; Kimberley Gundle; Simone

programme can be seen, ten years on: most of South Africa’s

Krok and Porcupine Rocks.

HIV positive population are on treatment, living normal healthy lives and the children are growing up. The problem isn’t completely solved, however, and there

Their British counterparts included: Emma Viscountess Weymouth of Longleat; Victoria Baker Harber and Mark Francis of Made in Chelsea fame; Sorapol and Daniel

are many challenges remaining. Adolescents are the group

Lismore: designer team extraordinaire; Nicky Clarke and

with the greatest number of newly acquired infections.

Kelly Simpkin; Maureen Lipman; Aston Martin; Arsenal

In order to combat this, CHIVA Africa has developed an

Football Club; Dr Ranj Singh: NHS doctor specialising in

adolescent mentoring programme in order to address the

the care of children and young people; Sinitta; Tricia Guild:

issues facing them and those caring for them.

founder and creative director of Designers Guild; Deborah

‘CHIVA Africa has achieved a great deal in the past ten years, reaching staff in hospitals and clinics throughout

20 / Creative Feel / April 2016

Azzopardi; David Bent; Silia Tung; Rozanne Bell; Samson Soboye; Sam Edkins and Giovanni Bedin. CF


Daniel Lismore’s photography and fashion design college studies were interrupted by a modelling career at age 17. He has worked with some of fashion’s biggest names and was featured in magazines such as Vogue UK, L’Uomo Vogue and ID Magazine. In 2012, Lismore joined forces with designer Sorapol Chawaphatnakul, merging artisanal techniques with subversive silhouettes to create decadent idiosyncratic luxury. Since their launch in 2012, they have skyrocketed to cult status in the fashion industry to create the innovative fashion house SORAPOL. This uniquely wrapped chair is ‘upholstered’ with true Daniel Lismore style and flair, created by incorporating a mask of his face from his current exhibition at SCAD Fashion Museum

Photographs by Frederick Wilkinson. Images provided by CHIVA Africa

in Atlanta.


Norman Catherine is one of South Africa’s most acclaimed international artists. In the 30 years spanning his career, Catherine’s visual trademarks have included rough-edged comical and nightmarish forms, rendered in brash cartoon colours. His idiosyncratic vision, a combination of dark cynicism and exuberant humour, as well as an innovative use of everyday materials, Beezy Bailey is a highly collectable South

has secured his place at the forefront of

African artist who works in various media,

South African contemporary art. He has

including painting, sculpture, drawing,

had 25 solo exhibitions and his work

printmaking and ceramics. He is a full-

is displayed in numerous public and

time artist with an exceptional career

private collections, both in South Africa

spanning 30 years. Bailey has had over 20

and internationally.

one-man shows in London, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Bailey’s original landscape painting has

Catherine created this original artwork, which was then printed onto fabric resulting in this one-off piece, which was

been transferred onto fabric to upholster

a hit with collectors of his work. The solid

this solid beech chair. The chair is signed

beech chair is finished in gloss black,

on the back. Embroidery enhancements

upholstered in suedette, and includes the

were added by Jessica Dorrington.

artist’s signature on the back of the chair.


South African born Kimberley Gundle completed her BA and Postgraduate Studies at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town. She went to London in the late 1980s to study at the Slade School of Fine Art and has lived and worked in the UK ever since. In designing her chair, Gundle took inspiration from her collection of artwork on the Maasai of East Africa. The original artwork has been printed onto velvet and the solid beech frame has been painted and then adorned with gold leaf.

South African born Kimberley Gundle completed her BA and Postgraduate Studies at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town. She went to London in the late 1980s to study at the Slade School of Fine Art and has lived and worked in the UK ever since. In designing her chair, Gundle took inspiration from her collection of artwork Sam Nhlengethwa is one of South Africa’s

on the Maasai of East Africa. The original

leading artists; he is internationally

artwork has been printed onto velvet and

recognised and exhibited. Born in Springs,

the solid beech frame has been painted

South Africa in 1955, Nhlengethwa lives

and then adorned with gold leaf.

and works in Johannesburg. He was born into a family of jazz lovers and this has become one of the themes of his art. His love of jazz and admiration for Ella Fitzgerald was the inspiration behind the design of Nhlengethwa’s exclusive artwork. The chair has been upholstered in original artwork that has been printed onto suedette, the exposed legs painted in a matching gloss black.


Sorapol Chawaphatnakul, Director and Head Designer of SORAPOL, received a gift from his mother when he was aged ten that would inspire his artistic dreams – a book of Parisian Couture Design, which sparked his lifelong love and passion for fashion design. His pocket money was spent on fabrics and materials instead of toys from then on. He went on to study Fashion Design and Illustration, eventually taking the plunge and moving Simone Krok is a sculptor and multimedia

to London aged 17, to study at the London

artist who, for the past decade, has been

College of Fashion. From there, Sorapol

crafting visually striking and thought-

went on to form the brand SORAPOL with

provoking works that explore deep

artistic director Daniel Lismore.

questions relating to the human condition and the nature of creation. Krok has created this one-of-a-kind

This unique chair has been exclusively designed and created by SORAPOL. Upholstered in artificial grass, decorated

piece by using mixed media with found

with spring flowers and wrapped with gold

objects, Butler and Wilson bracelets,

foil featuring the Sorapol logo, this chair is

copper foil and acid patina resulting in a

a true piece of art.

truly individual work of art.


Sinitta is a singer, television personality, dancer and actress. She is best known for her work in television and for her hit records in the 1980s. Sinitta has 14 international hit singles and three albums. She has also acted in a number of West End shows. The solid beech frame has been varnished in an off-gold colour to create a warm finish. The centrepiece of Sinitta’s arresting chair is made of chocolate brown faux fur, shaped in a natural seating position (Sinitta was used as the model).

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 25


Every year, Design Indaba invites South Africans to think of how they define beauty and cast their votes to determine what represents that idea in our country. This year, there were ten nominations chosen by influential cultural commentators in South African culture. They were given wide parameters to determine their nomination and encouraged to think laterally about the concept of beauty. Past nominations have included street art, buildings, furniture, technology, film and even packaging. Tracy Lee Lynch, design, décor and styling guru, nominated the 2016 winning entry, the shawl by Laduma Ngxokolo. The Xhosa beadwork-inspired patterns that Laduma translates onto his knitwear have become iconic pieces of fashion from South Africa. His shawl has already been paraded on international catwalks.

Photograph by Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

MBOISA 2016

Director of the Museum of African Design in Johannesburg, Aaron Kohnhas nominated Haroon Gunn-Salie’s first solo exhibition, History After Apartheid. The exhibition focuses on contemporary South Africa and the struggle for socioeconomic justice. Using colour and light, the exhibition sparks debate and dialogue on resistance movements and riot control


Gareth Cliff, well-known radio and television personality and founder of CliffCentral, has nominated the Bottle 2 Build school initiative. The project’s

Veejay Archary and

primary aim is to tackle

Marisa Holley of Black

South Africa’s shortage of

Africa Group nominated

classrooms by upcycling

a vegetarian dish created

plastic water bottles to

by Candice Philip, a

Sindiso Khumalo, a fashion

form the ‘bricks’ needed to

renowned chef at the Five

designer whose label

build the infrastructure for

Hundred Restaurant at

focuses on sustainable

new schools.

the Saxon Hotel. Philip

contemporary textiles,

prides herself on her

nominated the Kassena

ability to use strange

Katlego Maboe, singer,

Town Cabinets by Dokter &

flavours to create

songwriter and television

Misses. The three cabinets

unexpected journeys. She

presenter, has nominated

are shaped to resemble mud

has recently created an

the See-Saw-Do social

buildings that together

innovative vegetarian dish

enterprise. The project uses

form a ‘village’ of cabinets.

that began with a simple

creative injections to transform

Doktor & Misses created

pea. Using peas, wasabi,

and enliven classrooms for

the set to look like a small

lemon crème and parsnip

underprivileged children.

West African town and are

fudge, she turned peculiar

This affords them a stimulating

hand painted with Kassena-

combinations into a well-

environment, which is more

inspired patterning

rounded taste experience.

conducive to learning.

Dillion Phiri, founder

Chief Director of Cultural

and creative director

Industries at the South

at Creative Nestlings,

African National Department

has nominated a

of Arts and Culture, Lindi

skateboard created by Kent

Ndebele Koka, has

Lingeveldt. Every board

nominated the Umthi

that leaves the Alpha

Hanging Lamp by Meyer Von

Longboards workshop

Wielligh. The inspiration

is hand cut, shaped,

behind the lamp was to take

sanded and finished by

processed wood back to its

the founder himself. Each

natural form and appreciate

board is unique and many

the material in light of its

The team at Design Indaba,

are custom artworks.

origin. The Umthi Hanging

the publication and festival

Lamp was then designed to

that celebrates the power of

resemble the organic lines of

creativity to create a better

Emilie Gambade, the editor-in-

tree branches

world, has chosen for their

chief of ELLE South Africa, has

nomination the Twenty

nominated the Basotho Blanket

Journey book. The book

Classic Starburst Coat by Thabo

was created by three South

Makhetha. The Starburst Coat

African photographers who

is a classic piece from Thabo

set out to visually document

Makhetha’s range of garments

the country 20 years into

inspired by the Basotho

democracy. Sipho Mpongo,

people. The Coat is a modern

Wikus De Wet and Sean

interpretation of this traditional

Metelerkamp have told the

South African culture

story of a new South Africa through their compelling photography series.

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 27


Initiated in 2013 as part of the South African leg of the SA-UK Seasons 2014 & 2015, the British Council’s Connect ZA programme supported cultural connections between young people in the UK and South Africa. With the closing of the SA-UK Seasons and the announcement that the British Council Connect ZA programme will continue, Creative Feel’s Tamaryn Greer spoke to Heath Nash and Unathi Kondile, two South Africans who have participated in Connect ZA’s cultural programmes.

Heath Nash

28 / Creative Feel / April 2016


CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS CONNECTED

I

n February 2013, the British Council’s Arts department

UK (with fellow winners from around the globe) to witness

team invited a group of curators and designers to visit

what similar creators were doing. Around this time, Nash

Cape Town and Johannesburg, in preparation for Connect

was also looking at ways to manufacture the ‘leafballs’ and

ZA, a cultural season dedicated to connecting young

other designed objects that were now in high demand and,

creatives in South Africa and the UK. Tom Porter and Sarah

through trial and error, has now hired a skilled team who

Mann guided the travelling party through the urban cultural

handle the manufacturing in order for Nash to focus on

hubs to get a feel for the local scene. The team included

more creative endeavours.

curator Catriona Duffy of Panel; designer Mil Stricevic;

Nash’s Maker Library at GUILD (a partnership between

architects Stuart Falconer of GRAS and James Binning of

V&A Museum and British Council Connect ZA) in

Assemble and Daniel Charny, director at From Now On. The

2014 featured a varied programme of events, from skill

latter was commissioned to lead on the design and making

demonstrations to guest maker talks, bringing making into

aspect of the programme.

the design fair. The Library, which featured guest librarian

Inspired by the energy and entrepreneurship of the

Tetsuo Makai from Study’O Portable, included a display

emerging creatives met by the team, including Nkuli

of work by contemporary British designers in the Maker

Mangeli, Thingking, Alphabet Zoo and Heath Nash, Charny

Library’s gallery, curated by Jana Scholze from the V&A with

pitched an idea for a programme that would both support

Daniel Charny as curatorial adviser. ‘We did a lot of things,’

and enhance local activity, while connecting with the UK

says Nash. ‘We did porcelain, there was a wood carver, we

design scene.

made picture frames, bookbinding, electroplating, shoe

Mentoring, peer-learning and strong studio culture would form the basis of the project.

lacing and shoe making… After GUILD my next Library moved to a place called The Bank and then later I moved

This conceptual idea then became a creative concept

to the building next door, which is 75 Harrington Street [in

called the Maker Library Network (MLN), which was officially

Cape Town]’ where the Maker Library is currently housed.

launched on 1 March 2014 by Daniel Charny, the Network’s

‘My main area of interest is hand-making, simple craft

Creative Director, and leading British architect, Thomas

techniques and simple materials… lately I’ve been playing

Heatherwick. Founding Maker Libraries were based in Cape

with prickly pear, crushing it up and mixing with paper pulp.’

Town, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with the Network

Nash’s Maker Library is split into two streams: a public

currently expanding globally.

stream whereby people can walk in and participate (it is also

Through Charny’s connections made in 2013, Thingking and Heath Nash were the first South African Maker Librarians, with Thingking’s Maker Library kicking off

open on the City’s First Thursdays) and more private streams where professionals and amateurs are invited to co-create. Maker Libraries are workspaces defined by three key

at Design Indaba 2014 and Nash’s opening at the GUILD

elements: a library, a makespace and a gallery. Each Maker

exhibition in 2014.

Library is led by a librarian who is interested in fostering

Designer Heath Nash wowed the South African

creative, social thinking and learning through making by

creative industry with the 2005 Design Indaba debut of his

running a dynamic programme of activities and workshops.

‘leafballs’, created out of recycled plastic. In June 2006,

As an active member of the MLN community, the librarian

Nash was recognised by the British Council with a Young

has an opportunity to contribute, connect and learn with

Creative Entrepreneur Award and a subsequent tour to the

like-minded people. Librarians in each country will be

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 29


Daniel Charny

UK singer LAW, who travelled with Young Fathers on their SA tour in 2015,

Friday Jibu at the Maker Library Network at GUILD

The British Council’s Connect ZA programme was designed to further connect the two parts of the world through numerous cultural activities.

visits 75 Harrington in Cape Town

Fellow Young Creative Entrepreneur (awarded in 2014), Unathi Kondile started making a name for himself in the publishing world in 2010 when he and partner Madambi Rambuda formed Science Stars. The magazine (which is no longer owned by Kondile) is a science publication distributed in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. Following this success, Kondile ventured into the realm of newspaper publishing. In 2012, while researching for a PhD proposal to transform the media, Kondile came across a number of Xhosa newspapers. The one that

able to share and adapt the MLN principles for their local

caught his attention was Isigidimi SamaXhosa, which

conditions and locations; whether in their studio, in the

was published from 1870 to 1888. The fact that this

corner of a café, or in a purpose built travelling vehicle.

newspaper spoke plainly to the readers about their issues

Maker Libraries exist as an addition to already existing

captured his attention. Later that year he revived Isigidimi

businesses and support the practices and exploration of

SamaXhosa, writing about the issues faced by the Xhosa

that space.

community on a daily basis, in the language they understand

When a Maker Library is set up, the librarian receives

best – their mother tongue – isiXhosa. ‘I liked what they

a starter kit which includes a blueprint and materials

were doing by not just telling news but also to change the

budget to build a library, a core set of books, a growing

living conditions of Xhosa-speaking people back then. I took

resource of open designs and access to a panel of mentors

the title from them… so it’s an ongoing project from almost

via an online platform.

100 years ago.’

Aside from the Maker Library, Nash is currently working

The print run grew from an initial 5 000 copies to

on personal projects such as conceptualising a sculpture

printing 20 000 a month. Kondile set up a business model

for the V&A Waterfront and has recently finished a public

that could promote growth of the Xhosa community in

commission called My Citi Bus Station.

which it was situated. The newspaper was sold on a monthly

Nash’s enthusiastic involvement with one of the original

basis for a nominal amount to individual distributors, known

Maker Libraries has been a contributing factor in the uptake

in their communities, allowing the sellers to keep 100% of

of the Maker Library Network worldwide.

the profits.

30 / Creative Feel / April 2016


Unathi Kondile with I’solezwe LesiXhosa

It was this entrepreneurial spirit that was recognised by the

to strength, becoming the country’s first daily Xhosa

British Council through the award and saw Kondile travel to

newspaper. Kondile is looking to expand it even further,

the UK with a group of creative entrepreneurs from all over the

with research currently being done into the markets within

world. ‘It feels like just yesterday,’ he says. ‘I saw other people

the Western Cape and Gauteng.

working at other creative projects across the country, so when

Kondile attributes this next step in his career to the

I won it, it was very unexpected, but it also opened a lot of

guidance received from the mentors he was partnered

doors for us. It was the first time I travelled overseas, we went

with through the YCE Award. ‘We got mentors who would

to London and met other YCEs from other parts of the world.

talk to us on a weekly basis after we won,’ he says. ‘I think

I think two of them were working on language and culture

that’s why I was able to let go of my company and focus

related things. We got to chat and see what they were doing and

on the actual newspaper and give it to a bigger company.

it was a networking opportunity more than anything else in

If I wanted to grow the newspaper, the only way was to let

those places. In London itself we got to see people doing what

it go. They told me that in other parts of London, that’s

we were doing on a bigger scale. So we got to meet all these

how it goes. It did assist in a number of positions that I

artists and creatives working around things that were still small

ended up taking and it was a drastic change. It did also

in South Africa. We were able to see how they were doing it and

dent my ego, confronting these challenges. It was a great

it meant that there were more opportunities and a lot of things

experience, the changes that happened were direct results

we have yet to do in South Africa.’

of that programme.’

In March 2015, Kondile incorporated the paper into the

Through work done before, during and now after the

Independent’s core of newspapers, renaming it to I’solezwe

SA-UK Seasons 2014-2015, the British Council’s Connect

lesiXhosa similar to the Independent’s Isolezwe Zulu

ZA programme has been paramount in facilitating

newspapers in KwaZulu-Natal. Under Kondile’s continued

opportunities for South African creatives and recognising

editorship, I’solezwe lesiXhosa has gone from strength

the exceptional talent that exists in our country. CF

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 31


Sibongile Khumalo, Thandiswa Mazwai and Gloria Bosnan

Arts and Culture Minister Mr Nathi Mthethwa

Inala with the Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Royal Ballet Bokani Dyer

Esther Mahlangu

Jamie Callum

Mara Louw with Mr Brian Filling, Honourary South African Consule in Glasgow and former leader of the Anti-Apartheid movement in the United Kingdom

32 / Creative Feel / April 2016


South Africa Celebrates Resounding

SUCCESS OF THE SEASONS in the United Kingdom

The major cultural exchange initiative – SA-UK Seasons 2014 & 2015 – has impressively delivered on its mandate. The partnership, launched in March 2014 to strengthen cultural ties between South Africa and the United Kingdom, has officially closed after a remarkable two years and has been proclaimed a success by the arts community.

T

he SA-UK Seasons 2014 & 2015 was the multi-

Commissioner-General of the SA-UK Seasons, Mr Bongani Tembe

faceted bilateral project by South Africa’s Department of Arts and Culture and the British Council, whose main objective was to strengthening

cultural ties between the two countries. The SA-UK Seasons was comprised of three streams of activity, namely: Joint projects which were approved by the Joint Organising Committee (JOC) and received assistance grants from the JOC fund of R8 million; The South African Season in the UK, which was directly funded by the South African Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) which was managed by the SA Seasons’ team and implemented by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and lastly the Connect ZA, which was directly funded and managed by the British Council. During the SA Seasons in the UK more than 800 South

Business Arts South Africa (BASA) recognising their efforts which aimed to reach new and diverse audiences for the arts

African artists travelled to the United Kingdom and performed

and stimulate innovation, whilst forging new collaborations in

in more than 15 cities across the UK. The artists featured in

the creative arts sector.

more than a thousand performances in performing, visual

Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, said,

and creative arts. They collectively attracted audiences of

‘SA-UK Seasons creates a diverse multicultural environment

more than half a million people. The SA Department of Arts

that provides a great framework for cultural diplomacy

and Culture invested more than R20 million in this stream

to be practised by the two countries. The Department of

of the programme. The UK partners - in the form of major

Arts and Culture invested a substantial amount of money

arts festivals arts intuitions, arts council and performing

in contribution to the initiative. This was to support the

arts institutions - contributed more than R60 million to the

vision of forging stronger relations and creating platforms

resounding successful initiative which gained traction across

to foster mutual understanding through the arts as part

the United Kingdom.

of our ongoing commitment to open up new markets.

The Joint programme funded 40 projects and the Connect

Whilst showcasing South African talent is a major part of

ZA programme a highly successful. The programme made a

the programme, a large emphasis is also placed on skills

lasting impact in the South African cultural landscape, with

transfer, relationship-building as well as education,’ said the

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 33


“SA-UK Seasons creates a diverse multicultural environment that provides a great framework for cultural diplomacy to be practised by the two countries”

minister. He concluded that the SA-UK Seasons had been an

a critically applauded theatrical multimedia production by

overall success, adding, ‘The Seasons managed to promote

Handspring Puppet Company, directed by William Kentridge,

the growth and sustainability of the arts and culture sector

highlighted the atrocities of apartheid and received peer

with a strong emphasis on audience development, economic

recognition in the festivals in their contribution to talks and

growth and market access.’

discussions. Author Margie Orford represented South Africa on

Having sung at the inauguration of former and late

invitation to participate at the Edinburgh International Book

president Nelson Mandela in 1994, singer and actress Marah

Festival to discuss her Clare Hart thrillers, alongside Scottish

Louw paid homage to Madiba’s legacy with a performance

author Ben McPherson.

at Glasgow’s annual Book Festival Aye Write! in April 2014.

The Seasons also boasted noteworthy highlights. Three

Marah had sung in the presence of Mandela on his first visit to

talented South African fashion designers, Eleni Labrou,

Glasgow in 1993. In a celebration held to mark 100 days before

Laduma Ngxokolo and Adriaan Kuiters, were amongst 130

the commencement of the Commonwealth 2015 Games, 300

emerging designers from 30 countries in the largest public

young people aged between 16 and 19 years old also took part

fashion exhibition of its kind. They were placed second for Best

in the Aye Write! Future News International Young Journalists’

Exhibition at the International Fashion Showcase in London.

Conference. A month before the games, the SA Season in the

Additionally, Laduma Ngxokolo of the Amaxhosa fashion label

UK supported the participation of two young South Africans,

received a Best Designer mention at the London Fashion Week.

Samantha van Gysen and Matheu Kieswetter, who were part

Multiple award-winning a cappella group The Soil

of the prestigious Commonwealth Youth Orchestra that held

represented South Africa at the Commonwealth Day

Commonwealth Gala Concerts, starting off in Glasgow and

Celebration held at Westminster Abbey. The trio gave an

performing across the UK. The pan-Commonwealth project

incredible performance, with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

engaged with all six regions of the Commonwealth.

II and other members of the Royal Family amongst the

The SA-UK Seasons 2014 & 2015 included a partnership

audience. The group went on to meet the Queen after their

with major institutions in the UK such as the Edinburgh

performance, heralding a new era in South African cultural

International Festival. It signalled the best of the Seasons with

integration through art in the UK. The Soil also headlined at

participation in six different categories, namely the Edinburgh

the EFG London Jazz Festival, the UK’s largest celebration

Art Festival, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, the Royal

of jazz music and London’s biggest multi-venue music

Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh International Book

festival. They shared the stage with GRAMMY-nominated

Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival and Edinburgh

singer, writer and musician Melody Gardot. Next to world-

Fringe Festival. Inala, a dance piece that incorporated

class artists were the ladies of song and seasoned jazz divas,

South Africa’s internationally acclaimed male choral group,

Sibongile Khumalo, Gloria Bosman and Thandiswa Mazwai,

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, premiered at the Edinburgh

who brought the Cadogan Hall in London down with their

International Festival Society. They fulfilled key objectives of

richly South African-flavoured hits.

the Seasons in securing future invitations to tour nationally and internally. The creators of Ubu and the Truth Commission,

34 / Creative Feel / April 2016

The Seasons took pride in two octogenarians who, though partaking in different art genres, made a meaningful impact


to the initiative. Charismatic jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim,

the South Africa at 20: Freedom Tour. High on the goals of

in celebration of his 80th birthday, performed at London’s

this project was the challenge to promote multiculturalism

Southbank Centre. His performances told the story of South

and cross-cultural understanding and tolerance, and, most

Africa’s history and optimism in the new era. He brought

importantly, deepen the experience and knowledge of other

together the infectious township jazz of his septet Ekaya,

cultures. The project boasted 133 screenings of 25 films across

backed by the New Trio, and deservedly received a standing

47 venues in the UK. Two South African films, Hear Me Move

ovation. The exceptionally talented and world-renowned

and Four Corners, were both picked up by UK distributors for

Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu also marked her 80th birthday

release in 2015. The themes and stories portrayed helped to

with an illustrative solo exhibition, Esther Mahlangu 80, at

dispel misconceptions and stereotypes about South Africa.

the Irma Stern Museum in Cape Town. The exhibition was

Commissioner-General of the SA-UK Seasons, Bongani

accompanied by a comprehensive exhibition catalogue

Tembe said, “The SA-UK Seasons served to change the

featuring most of her life’s work (her signature contemporary

perception of contemporary culture in both South Africa

paintings that reference her Ndebele heritage). She later

and the United Kingdom through cultural exchange

travelled to the United Kingdom to showcase her work as part

programmes, tackling the challenge positively. In showcasing

of the Seasons.

and promotion of both countries’ arts and culture in visual

In keeping with the Seasons’ objective for skills transfer

arts, theatre, dance, cinema, literature and music, the

and driving education, 2011 Standard Bank Young Artist

Seasons successfully delivered in its mission and met the

Award winner and talented pianist, Bokani Dyer teamed up

set objectives. These included promoting people-to-people

with harmonica player Adam Glasser and British jazz flautist

contact, institutional collaboration and programmes that will

and arranger Gareth Lockrane in leading a series of workshops

have the potential for long-term impact and sustainability in

and specialist music education events, live performances at

the creative sector of both countries”.

the Ivy House in London and jam sessions celebrating the

Director of the British Council in South Africa, Colm

vibrant legacy of South African jazz composers new and old.

McGivern, said further, ‘The SA-UK Seasons has been the

This was Dyer’s second instalment of the Seasons, having

largest programme of people-to-people cultural diplomacy

previously worked and collaborated with UK-based like-

ever mounted by South Africa and the UK. Forging connections

minded musicians in a skills transfer programme. During

with the next generation is principally our concern as to aid in

the educational leg of his participation in the Seasons, Dyer

strengthening relationships of people from both continents,

worked with aspirant young musicians, sharing a wealth of

which is vitally important. In using artists, creatives and

creativity found in the distinct South African music style. The

collaborations even right across education and training helps

UK participants benefitted from the educational workshop at

forge stronger relationships from country to country. The

the Royal Academy of Music and showed greater appreciation

SA-UK Seasons has been the template for this. It is important

of South African jazz via the cultural outreach.

to refresh people’s perceptions of culture in South Africa and

The Africa in Motion Film Festival gave a platform to artists to showcase the best of South African cinema at

the UK to get an up-to-date view, closing the gap between perception and reality.’ CF

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 35


To Whom it May Concern. Installation View © Kemang Wa Lehulere
 Courtesy Stevenson, Cape Town/Johannesburg
 Photograph: Mario Todeschiniy

HISTORY WILL BREAK YOUR HEART History Will Break Your Heart, the exhibition by Kemang Wa Lehulere, the 2015 Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for Visual Art, will showcase works by Wa Lehulere, Ernest Mancoba and Gladys Mgudlandlu, as well as works made in collaboration with the artist’s aunt, Sophia Lehulere.

36 / Creative Feel / April 2016

H

istory Will Break Your Heart takes its cue from the works of South African artists Ernest Mancoba, Gladys Mgudlandlu, and writer Rolfes Robert Reginald ‘R.R.R’ Dhlomo. Employing narratives

of remembering and re-enactment, the exhibition presents the fractured personal stories of these artists in relation to Wa Lehulere’s own work, and questions the detrimental effects of society’s collective memory on the lives of these artists. Working within the genres of video, installation and drawing, History Will Break Your Heart explores intimate narratives that speak of the contradictions inherent in personal versus collective memory.


“His ethos, ‘The Foot Has No Nose’ is a Xhosa idiom, meaning one doesn’t know where one’s journey is going, or where one is headed, is closely linked to this”

Performer, photographer and filmmaker, initially a theatre aspirant working with the Cape Town Theatre Laboratory, Wa Lehulere enrolled in a performing arts course at CAP (Community Arts Project) and decided to change to a visual arts course because he wanted a challenge. Here, he garnered experience in drawing, painting and sculpture. From there his interest moved to new media and film and he recalls: ‘Initially I became drawn to works which dealt with identity politics because I could relate. I looked a lot at Berni Searle, Tracey Rose, and Thando Mama. That kind of work became my interest, instead of painting. Even though I have continued painting and drawing throughout, that was what drew me in, quite strongly.’ Co-founding the arts collective the Gugulective, and collaborating with the Centre for Historical Re-enactments and Falling event 8. © Kemang Wa Lehulere
 Courtesy Stevenson, Cape Town/Johannesburg
Photograph: Mario Todeschiniy

the NON-NON Collective, Wa Lehulere focuses on initiating conversations in the arts, particularly bringing the arts into the townships and making it accessible to the masses.

Growing up in Gugulethu, 30-year-old Wa Lehulere was

Wa Lehulere’s visual artworks range across media where he

surrounded by a creative family as a child. His mother was

is particular about not conforming to one medium and draws

a singer and his cousins were scriptwriters, directors and

on a range of subjects by being open to the unknown. His ethos,

actors in film and theatre.

‘The Foot Has No Nose’ is a Xhosa idiom, meaning one doesn’t

Despite having won five awards, including the first

know where one’s journey is going, or where one is headed, is

International Tiberius Art Award Dresden, launched in

closely linked to this. Theatre also influences his works by using

2013 as a tribute to outstanding contemporary artists

props to change the traditional meaning of spatial relations on

outside of Europe; having had four solo exhibitions; 50

stage or in a gallery. He explores themes of boundaries: portals

group exhibitions and six residencies, he remains humble

between the living and the dead, the past and the present;

in his achievements and emphasises the importance of hard

segregation, discrimination and identity. Wa Lehulere uses

work, exposure to the arts and collaboration. ‘The most

iconic objects as reference points to represent these themes.

important thing for me has been to read as much as possible,

The longevity of his works are influenced by the medium in

interacting with other artists, going to see shows, going to

which he presents them: from using charcoal and chalk to

the theatre and watching a lot of independent films. It is also

create works, playing on the idea of preservation.

important to keep working and that doesn’t mean producing physical things but researching and writing as well.’

History Will Break Your Heart is showing at the Standard Bank Gallery from 15 April to 18 June 2016. CF

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 37


SA TAXI FOUNDATION Art Award 2016 Engines and paintbrushes, distinct, different and both part of the SA Taxi Foundation and Lizamore and Associates’ fresh collaboration for 2016. The SA Taxi Foundation Art Award is an upcoming innovative visual art competition which fuses the creativeness of fine art with the

D

irector of Lizamore and Associates, Teresa Lizamore fashioned the concept of creating an artwork which would be transferred onto the external surface of a taxi. The novelty of such

a process is rather intriguing and shows promise for art to come. Not only does the invention surpass the ordinary, it reaches the ordinary man. Although there are little defined rules of what art across all disciplines today entails, we are still moving away from the elitist nature of art in a dawdling pace, which should be questioned. Art, more so in Africa,

enthusiastic and efficient nature of the

has remained a vehicle through which social change and

South African mini bus taxi.

specifically from young artists, is sprouting up everywhere,

social connections are made. In an era where art of all forms, the average man or woman is still not gaining access to these powerful and influential works. Young artists deserve a platform and Lizamore and Associates believe that it is important to support the growth of young artists through various empowering exercises. These include gallery space, mentorship programmes where

38 / Creative Feel / April 2016


Artworks from the 2015 SA Taxi Foundation Art Awards. Images provided by Lizamore and Associates

young artists are paired with established artists, curatorial

This fascinating initiative is such a positive

mentorship programmes and awards such as the SA Taxi

contribution to the South African arts industry. Last

Foundation Art Award.

year, the entries were all of an outstanding standard and

The SA Taxi Foundation has assembled a three tier guide

this is proof that South Africa is not short of talent. It

to what the artists may experience. The first tier provides

is, however, important that artists are constantly being

the artist with a sound platform; an exhibition of their

supported, especially young and upcoming artists. This

work which will boost their careers. The second consists of

project does just this and more. Art has always been

artists using their submitted work to follow a further brief.

a space for expression and catharsis and availing this

This is a crucial lesson as artists in the industry are often

platform to the public can only bring about positive

commissioned to create different works and follow briefs.

social transformation.

The final tier involves our society. The final works will be

Entries for the SA Taxi Foundation Art Award 2016 are

transferred onto numerous operating taxis, which will not

open and applications can be found on

only allow exposure for artists but exposure to the people;

http://www.sataxiartaward.co.za/.

the public who may not be exposed to the gallery space on

The SA Taxi Foundation Art Award is certainly an event

a regular basis. This then becomes a moving public artwork

to look forward to and will absolutely produce talent that

which is able to spark dialogue.

should be watched closely. CF

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 39


Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written and it was Mozart’s last opera, composed shortly before his death.

T

he Magic Flute is a highlight in any opera season at any opera house or theatre anywhere in the world with many popular melodies like the duet by Papagena and Papageno, ‘Pa Pa Pa’ or the heart-

melting aria ‘Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön: This image is enchantingly lovely’. The two arias sung by the Queen of the Night include the highest notes possible in music and are sung by a coloratura soprano. The world premiere of the opera was conducted by Mozart himself on 30 September 1791 and was called a Singspiel on the playbill. Literally meaning ‘Sing-speak’, the form combines spoken dialogue with arias and ensembles, and relies on spectacular visual effects to keep the crowd happy. Interestingly, in his letters Mozart referred to it as an opera – he evidently took the piece more seriously than a mere Singspiel. He wrote the music to the words of his friend Emanuel Schikaneder, an actor, impresario and fellow enthusiast of the freemasons – a group whose rational ideals had a powerful influence on the opera’s plot where a noble prince is ordered by the mysterious Queen of the Night to rescue a beautiful princess who has been kidnapped. Joburg Theatre, in partnership with MDN Classics, will

Musa Nkuna

40 / Creative Feel / April 2016

be presenting Mozart’s The Magic Flute on the Mandela


The two arias sung by the Queen of the Night include the highest notes possible in music and are sung by a coloratura soprano.

stage at Joburg Theatre for four shows only in May, the texts will be sung in German for this production and the spoken dialogues have been adapted into a mixture of South African languages to activate the light-hearted side of this opera and to be as close as possible to the audiences. What better way to do it than with Mozart’s masterpiece: The Magic Flute? An international cast has been assembled for this production, which will include German-based South African tenor Musa Nkuna as Tamino; South African classical singer Aubrey Lodewyk as Papageno; German-based South African soprano Caroline Nkwe as Pamina; Polish coloratura soprano Alexandra Olczyk as the Queen of the Night; the Three Ladies are Viola Zimmermann, Christine Dammann and Anna Nesyba; Polish bass Marek Gastecki as Sarastro; German tenor Henning Jendritza as Monostatos and the award-winning Gauteng Choristers will be the chorus. The stage director is Dr Christoph Dammann, an internationally active theater director and cultural manager, including director of the Cologne Opera, the Portuguese National Opera Lisbon and the Opera Festival Berlin. Costume and lighting design is done by Sybille Pfeiffe and Wolfgang Stärke. This production is accompanied by the German Rhine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Desar Sulejmani, a young Albanian-German conductor whose conducting has taken him to some of Europe’s most important opera houses and concert halls. Performances are on Wednesday 18 May, Thursday 19 May, Friday 20 May and Tuesday 24 May. Tickets range between R200 to R500 and are available by calling 0861 670 670 or visiting www.joburgtheatre.com, as well as through Webtickets. For group bookings of ten or more, please contact the theatre Caroline Nkwe

directly on (011) 877 6853/6815. CF

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 41


Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème, the passionate, timeless, and indelible story of love among young artists in Paris, can stake its claim as the world’s most popular opera and it is now coming to Cape Town again.

LA BOHÈME in District Six

E

ver since its world premiere in 1896 at the Teatro Regio in Turin, La Bohème has played at soldout opera houses around the world. The opera has a marvelous ability to make a powerful first

impression and to reveal unsuspected treasures after dozens of hearings. At first glance, La Bohème is the definitive depiction of the joys and sorrows of love and loss; on closer inspection, it reveals the deep emotional significance hidden in the trivial things – a bonnet, an old overcoat, a chance meeting with a neighbor – that make up our everyday lives. Once again, La Bohème, is coming to Cape Town but this time around the classic opera comes with a local twist,

42 / Creative Feel / April 2016


staged as La Bohème in District Six to mark 50 years since the destruction of District Six. Africa Arts, a collaborative production company, will be staging La Bohème in District Six at the Suidoosterfees. District Six was a vibrant neighbourhood with a diverse population who appreciated the arts and music, which is why it became a logical idea for Africa Arts to combine La Bohème’s storyline with the historical legacy of District Six. ‘La Bohème means “The Bohemians” and District Six was well known for its bohemian atmosphere. It was a place where South African artists of all races and religions could mix freely and share ideas, which resulted in a collective culture in opposition to the apartheid regime.’ The original La Bohème is set in a Paris garret and is a tale of four young struggling bohemians. The opera revolves around a tragic love story between Rodolfo, a poet, and Mimì, a young seamstress. La Bohème in District Six is a 90-minute version of the classic opera, re-imagined by the seasoned opera veteran, Angelo Gobbato. His arrangement is accessible while still keeping the essence of the most important operatic moments. The opera will be accompanied by a live orchestra conducted by Alex Fokkens. La Bohème in District Six will feature five emerging South African singers who portray this 120-year-old story in a South African context. Given Nkosi plays Rodolfo; Amanda Osorio will be Mimi; Lynelle Kenned as Musetta; Marcello will be played by Owen Metsileng and Njabulo Sifiso Mthimkhulu will play Schaunard. This group of talented artists will be led by the awardwinning Tara Notcutt as director. She has received best production accolades for …miskien and The Three Little Pigs and this will be Notcutt’s first full scale opera. ‘I am beside myself with excitement at having a chance to direct such a well-loved piece. As my first opera, I feel very lucky to be in the hands of such incredible music and the wonderful team at Africa Arts. La Bohème in District Six is about the spirit of beauty, love and art and I hope that audiences allow themselves to be swept up in the romance of Puccini’s music.’ La Bohème in District Six will be presented at Suidoosterfees 2016, at the Kyknet Theatre in Artscape Theatre Centre, Cape Town on Thursday 28 April, Friday 29 April and Sunday 1 May. CF

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 43


A 50-year-old Memory 2016 marks 50 years since the largest concentration of people were forcefully removed from District Six in the Western Cape, during the apartheid era.

District Six Museum interior. Photograph by Paul Grendon 44 / Creative Feel / April 2016


D

emolished based on the notion that if we were different we’d have to be separate, District Six became the largest concentration of residents subjected to forced removals under the apartheid

Group Areas Act. Following this, in 1966 the absconded land was proclaimed as a ‘white’s only’ area under the mentioned law of 1950. The sundry of cultures in District Six was made up of African, Indian, European, Malay and European immigrants as well as ex-slaves and bohemians. Soon after 1966, the area was renamed to Zonnebloem. District Six, a pulsating communal hub was robbed of its entirety and its strong community foundation was difficult to reclaim in the Cape Flats, where certain groups were moved to. All that was left were the churches and mosques, which demonstrates the strong philosophy of coexistence in District Six. Apart from being a major occurrence in South Africa’s segregated history, District Six has provided a creative opening for many South African artists who were all inspired to document this intricate story through their art. Dollar Brand (now Abdullah Ibrahim), Gerard Sekoto and, most direct to the content: David Kramer and Taliep Petersen who created District Six: The Musical, to name a few. The arts had always been a driving force for the community of District Six, for example: the Kaapse Klopse (Cape Town Minstrel Carnival), various artists, intellectuals and writers were a part of helping the community flourish regardless of their environment. As we approach the 50th year since the forced removals, we are overcome with an ocean of grief; observing our country and the residue of apartheid slowly creeping its way back into our society. Formally a Methodist Church, a communal sanctuary in District Six, the District Six Museum houses the last remnants of what was once a vivacious, assorted lucky packet of culture. The Museum desires to craft and use the memory of this mixed heritage rather than to recreate this sensitive space, which is still deeply entrenched in the entire beings of former residents. The Museum, which opened in 1994, focuses on the lives of the District Six residents and, specifically, the forced removals. These forced removals have become such a prominent event in history, showcasing mass destruction of both homes and lives. As you enter the Museum, you are confronted by a hanging display of street name signs, which were kept safe by a member of the demolishing team. Metal and paint, yet they hold so much significance in such a tightly woven community,

Corner of Hanover and Tennant Streets. Photograph by Jan Greshoff Creative Feel / April 2016 / 45


destinations which all speak of memories. There is a large map painted on the floor of the Museum, both this and the former represent the physical space of District Six. The entire Museum is crafted to reflect the delicate subject matter of people who owe their character to District Six. Inside the former place of worship, you will find a permanent exhibition: Digging Deeper, which opened in 2000. The exhibition finds meaning in the Museum space and how it is used and interrogated through the subject of memory. Digging Deeper is an interdisciplinary exhibition which uses the voices of exresidents of District Six as its primary source. The exhibition, however, penetrates the surface of its content in order for visitors, especially ex-residents, to engage and dialogue with our past as South Africans and how it affects our present. Some of the installations are replicas of bedrooms and other living areas in District Six homes. The joy in this is seeing a familiar doily draped over a coffee table and a porcelain dog perched on it politely; familiar. Domestic installations such as this create a sense of reality and allow us to politely invade on the past just for a moment. The Museum also encourages active social enhancement and uses the arts and other projects to do this. The Reminiscence Theatre Festival, hosted by the Museum in 2012, is an illustration of this. The Community Survey is a social project that was tasked to reconnect ex-residents, returning or not, and to start a conversation with them about their experiences, restoration of the area and how the museum could possibility benefit the community. This once alive and zealous area was home to a large group of people who took ownership of their surroundings; they felt safe. Today, the streets of Cape Town and its less kosher areas are avoided, as in many cities. Fifty years later, it is evident that the Museum is an attempt to restore but also to reconnect with ourselves as human archives and each other in contemporary South Africa. CF DISTRICT SIX MUSEUM: 25A Buitenkant Street Cape Town, _8001, South Africa Tel/Fax: +27 21 466 7200 Email: info@districtsix.co.za TOUR BOOKINGS, VISITOR ENGAGEMENTS: Zahra Hendricks Tel: +27 21 4667200 (during office hours: Monday – Friday) 09:00 – 16:00 Monday to Saturday On Saturday, please call 021 466 7100 (Sundays are by appointment only) Email: reception@districtsix.co.za

46 / Creative Feel / April 2016


Hanover Building during demolition process, Donor: Len Copin

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 47


Breaking Down Boundaries The Market Theatre has played a valuable role in the development of many important and innovative productions over the years, including works by Handspring Puppet Company and their collaborations with William Kentridge.

A

mong the many extraordinary and innovative works to have taken to the Market Theatre’s stage, some of the most memorable have been created by the

Handspring Puppet Company, often in collaboration with William Kentridge. Many of these were produced and co-produced by the Market Theatre and made their debut on its stages, conveying, as often as not, a powerful critique of the abuse of power and a meditation on the human condition. Handspring brought their quest ‘to break the longstanding division between straight theatre and other art forms such as puppetry, dance and sculpture’ to the Market and Baxter Theatres with 1988’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. This saw Shakespeare’s romantic comedy realised in a play that spliced together influences from the Bambara and Bozo traditions of Mali and the conventions of Japanese Bunraku. Then in 1990, co-founder of the Market Theatre, Barney Simon created and directed Starbrites with Handspring. This starred a plethora of puppet characters, including ‘gossiping neighbours in windows, Soweto street life, alley cats and life-size shebeen queens’ all performing alongside the principal

The witness from Ubu and the Truth Commission

48 / Creative Feel / April 2016

(human) cast.


The Vulture from Ubu and the Truth Commission

“To break the longstanding division between straight theatre and other art forms such as puppetry, dance and sculpture”

All images courtesy of David Krut Publishing.

and buying sprees, [consuming] all that Africa has to offer... his victims the African people and their land.’ No less critical of the status quo, 1997’s Ubu and the Truth Commission was directed by William Kentridge and placed Alfredo Jarry’s despicable glutton Ubu Roi in the midst of the unfolding drama of the Human

Niles, Handspring Puppet Company studio, Cape Town.

Rights Commission. Incorporating both animation and documentary footage, along with a cast of humans and

Handspring went on to team up with William

puppets, the production depicted Ubu as a policeman ‘for

Kentridge with Woyzeck on the Highveld in 1992, the

whom torture, murder, sex and food are all variations of a

first in a series of works that incorporated puppets,

single gross appetite.’

human actors and animation. Woyzeck on the Highveld,

Handspring further collaborated with William Kentridge

an adaptation of a play by Georg Buchner, delved into

to create Il ritorno d’Ulysse (1998) in which Kentridge

‘jealousy, murder and the struggle of an ordinary man

transposed Monteverdi’s Ulisse to a hospital bed in

against an uncaring society which eventually destroys

Johannesburg, (where live opera singers communicating his

him.’ As with their many of their re-visitations of classic

thoughts, dreams and memories of his return to Penelope

figures, Kentridge and Handspring brought Woyzeck into a

following his ten-year expedition following the Trojan War).

contemporary South African context, setting it within the

Confessions of Zeno and Zeno at 4am meditated on the limits

industrial backdrop of 1950s Johannesburg.

of self knowledge.

In 1995, Handspring and Kentridge similarly brought

These productions, and other works by both Kentridge

Faust – the 16th century scholar who sold his soul to the devil

and Handspring Puppet Company, have in turn given rise

– into a local context, creating Faustus in Africa. Here, Faustus

to many of the genre-bending, multi-media works that

parodies the greedy colonialist ‘indulging in elaborate feasts

continue to play on the Market Theatre’s stages today. CF

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 49


The Founding of the

MARKET PHOTO WORKSHOP 50 / Creative Feel / April 2016


The vision that brought the Market Theatre into being was one shared by many. Similar ideals also informed the establishment of the Market Photo Workshop, founded within the ambit of the Market Theatre by David Goldblatt in 1989.

‘W

hen the Market Theatre opened in 1976, it was a statement common to a lot of us,’ recalls David Goldblatt. ‘It became a community theatre and a community centre. It was the one place in Johannesburg where people from every area could come without harassment and do whatever they wanted.’

One of the early offshoots within the Market Theatre was the establishment of a photo

gallery opened by Carol Hacker, who worked with Goldblatt to present frequent exhibitions. ‘The exhibitions were often quite pointed in their interest, and many people, particularly young black people, would come to these exhibitions and ask questions about photography, and what photographs meant,’ he says. Hence the need that propelled the founding of the Market Photo Workshop: ‘At that time, it would have been very difficult for a young black person to take up an interest in photography, and become visually literate. Accommodation in Soweto was overcrowded; there was no running water, no electricity, no space. And there was no money. I thought it was essential, therefore, to provide some sort of facility, and the Market Theatre was the obvious place to do it. It was a community centre, in many ways, and this could become a community venture. And so we therefore started the workshop as a… rather rogue element in the makeup of the Market Theatre.’ Gillian Cargill taught the first beginner’s course, with classes held in unoccupied The Market Photo Workshop. Photograph by Chris Watterson

rehearsal rooms, and advertised in the Star Tonight supplement. Money from the Douglas Murray Trust also enabled the Workshop to buy cameras to lend to students. ‘People came from all over sub-Saharan Africa – Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania,’ says Goldblatt. ‘I think it would be true to say it was a truly non-racial place. I knew personally of young people who’d come there – whites and blacks – who found themselves working together in the darkrooms and going out on expeditions and outreach programmes, and working closely together.’ Goldblatt attributes much of the success of the Market Photo Workshop, along with its traditional spirit of social engagement, to the people to have taught and directed the Workshop over the years. ‘Many of them were idealistic, in the sense that they could have earned far more in commercial photography and the marketplace than the Workshop was able to pay them; but they came. And particularly, in the last ten years that he has been there, John Fleetwood has been an astonishing director. ‘The Market Photo Workshop has given quite a lot of people a foothold both in culture and the economy that they would probably not otherwise have had, and some of the students from the Workshop have become eminent and internationally successful. I don’t regard that as being the be-all and end-all of achievement – I’m just very pleased to see the names that come up in credit lines in newspapers and magazines, and many of those are the names of former students of the Workshop.’ CF

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 51


THE MARKET

LABORATORY The Market Laboratory. Photograph by Chris Watterson 52 / Creative Feel / April 2016


A

space to imagine and begin to create the society that they hope for, is the space offered by the Market Laboratory (or Market Lab) to its students. It offers a unique programme that puts its students inside of one of the leading theatre

venues in the country and associates them with some of the nation’s best established directors and cutting-edge theatre makers. For Dr John Kani, it was important to create a place for underprivileged youth to be able to access training and see themselves release their potential for active citizenship. He cofounded the Market Laboratory with Barney Simon and then continued to listen to the needs of his community, which led to the opening of the Drama School. The now Ramalao Makhene Drama School (named after the Laurence Olivier Award-winning actor who performed in Cry the Beloved Country), provides a two-year certified course. With Mark Fleishman holding the title of its first co-ordinator, Kani then saw a need for the facilitation of the creation of new plays and Professor Zakes Mda was enlisted for his expertise and willingness to wield new work. The Laboratory Residency project remains an important part of the Market Lab’s living legacy – the grooming of new voices in the South African artistic landscape. A significant aspect of the Market Lab became its fieldwork. Vanessa Cooke, the third co-ordinator remembers how vital it was to not only bring students to the Market Lab, who would otherwise not have been able to afford any kind of higher learning, but also for the students to go and work inside of their communities. Festivals like the Zwakala Festival for new work, which still runs to this day, were critical. Cooke says, ‘Working on new plays that were happening in those communities and learning a lot from those plays about what people were feeling, what they wanted, it was amazing!’ The Market Lab was never, and is not, a school in the traditional sense. It was at the avant garde of pedagogy with its Swiss model of education and a considerable fieldwork approach. With SIDA support via the Stockholm’s Statsteater, for most of its earlier years, the students were able to participate in shaping their own education. They are still seen at every show hosted by the Market

The Market Laboratory was opened in a small warehouse in Goch Street in 1989 with Barney Simon and Dr John Kani as founding directors. Nondumiso Msimanga spoke to prior Market

Theatre and with the inception of the Theatre’s latest artistic director James Ngcobo, continuing the legacy of Barney Simon in his own invigorated way, the students are also seen on the stage in shows, performing alongside professional performers. The Market Lab’s education is imparted by the country’s leading practicing performers. Cooke recalls, ‘We had such fun at the Lab, my goodness.’ She and Clara Vaughan, the Market Lab’s current coordinator, agree that Ngcobo’s passion for cultivating young artists is crucial. Cooke says, ‘it’s important, how they see things,’ the young

Lab co-ordinator, Vanessa Cooke

people of this country. And Vaughan, who believes in empowering

about this important learning

states in the call for applications: ‘We don’t have scripts for the

space for young people.

young people with their own internal capacity for critical thinking younger generation – the younger generation must write their own scripts and say what they want to say.’ CF

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 53


THE 2016 NALEDI THEATRE

AWARDS

2016 nominees including, Phillip M Dikotla, Thabo Rametsi, Kayelihle Dom Gumede, Atandwa Kani, Monageng “Vice” Motshabi and Renos Spanoudes

54 / Creative Feel / April 2016

The much anticipated annual Naledi Theatre Awards take place at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City on Tuesday 19 April 2016.


Sister Act

‘T

his year, we have the highest standard of

Counihan; Peter Feldman; Renos Spanoudes; Rudi Sadler;

excellence ever,’ says Executive Director, Dawn

Sandile Mabaso; Tiffany Courthenay Higgo and Welcome

Lindberg. ‘So much so that we have introduced

Msomi. All are passionate and informed theatre goers

four new categories: Best Director of a Musical,

and include drama teachers, theatre critics, practitioners,

Best Support/Featured Performance in a Musical and Best Performance in a Production for Children’s Theatre. The

academics and producers.   New sponsors for award categories include ROBE and

fourth new category is in keeping with the new technology

DWR Lighting Distribution, who are sponsoring lighting

involved in design of sets: Best AV/Animation.’

and sound respectively.  In addition, ROBE and DWR are

To help the judges to assess this new category, a ‘Techie

offering an all-expenses-paid-trip to Prague for the winner

Training’ session was held at the Market Theatre Laboratory

of Best Lighting Design to visit the ROBE factory and

last year, where experts in the fields of lighting, sound and

attend special workshops.

set design as well as directing, were invited to share some of

Other category sponsors include Dreamsets (Best Set

their techniques and vision. This will now become an annual

Design); Distell (Best Newcomer/Breakthrough); the Market

event for judges and students of theatre design.

Theatre, which sponsors the Best Emerging Voice Award for

The judging panel has been expanded by six new judges,

young directors and theatre makers of exceptional talent

chosen after extensive research following the highly

and ‘we are thrilled that our Arts Angel, Carolyn Steyn will

successful forum held last year to ascertain suggestions

sponsor the Joan Brickhill Award for Best Production of a

and input from the industry as to how to improve and

Musical,’ adds Lindberg.

develop the awards’ modus operandi. The new judges started assessing productions from January 2015.

Support funding from BASA and Mzansi Golden Economy has also been received, while funding from National Lottery

The panel now consists of: Annelize Hicks; Dorianne

Commission and the Gauteng DAC is still to be confirmed.

Alexander; Ferosa Marais; Fiona Gordon; Gregory Goss;

The Naledi Theatre Awards will once again be shown

Helen Heldenmuth; Jenni Newman; Johan van der Merwe;

on SABC3 on Thursday 5 May at 20:30 with a repeat on

Lance Maron; Maishe Maponya; Mandla Motau; Matthew

Friday 6 May at 14:00.

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 55


Alan Committie and

Sue Pam Grant,

Candice von Litsenborgh

Atandwa Kani and Sylvaine Strike

‘Our entertainment line-up is also very special,’ says Lindberg. ‘For the first time we have the full Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company, conducted by Eddie Clayton. All music has been specially arranged for the event and singers will perform to live music. Entertainment includes Candida Mosoma from Sister Act; Sharon Spiegel Wagner from I’m Playing Your Song; Lelo Ramasimong, Chantal Herman and Dionne Song from Little Shop of Horrors; and Somizi Mhlongo of Idols fame… Nominee and multiplewinner Jonathan Roxmouth will be performing a spoof from Sweeney Todd together with fellow nominee, Charon Williams-Ros and Timothy Moloi will perform “The Impossible Dream”. ‘The host is Mark Banks and celebrity presenters include Nataniel; Tobie Cronje; Maps Maponyane; Tema Sebopedi and Motlatsi Mafatshe from Isidingo; Robert Whitehead; Terence Bridgett and other luminaries from stage and television. Expect sparks to fly!’ Fishers of Hope proves to have had a highly successful 2015 run, with nominations for Lesedi Job (Best Lead Performance in a Play – Female); Mncedisi Shabangu (Best Lead Performance in a Play – Male); Phillip M Dikotla, Phillip Tipo Tindisa and Shaun Oelf for Best Supporting Candida Mosoma

Actor; The Baxter Theatre Centre and Mopo Productions in association with the State Theatre (Best Production


Dawn Lindberg and Shane Maja

of a Play); Lara Foot (Best New SA Script) and many more. Atandwa Kani and Sylvaine Strike have received nominations for Black and Blue for Best Lead Performance in a Play – Male and Best Lead Performance in a Play – Female respectively. Respected actress Fiona Ramsay is nominated for Best Lead Performance in a Play for both Miss Dietich Regrets and Doubt. Hinterland too received multiple nominations: Caroline Smart for Best Director of a Play, Duncan Buwalda for Best New SA Script and Sipho Mahlatshana for Best Newcomer/Breakthrough. ‘We are truly proud that Naledi holds a shining mirror to excellence in SA theatre and that the nominations for productions staged in 2015 reflect the diversity of our industry and showcase the sort of productions that attract our burgeoning audiences who buy tickets, come to the theatre and applaud your work,’ says Lindberg. ‘In contrast to the recent controversy raging over the “All White Oscars” this year, we are proud that Naledi includes nominees from every culture, colour, gender and creed. ‘Without cow towing to quotas or affirmative anything, Naledi embraces ALL our people and celebrates our unique and very special stories through dance, song, music, acting and the spoken word.’ CF For the full list of nominations, visit http://creativefeel. co.za/2016/03/naledi-theatre-awards-2016-nominees/


DEMOLITION DIRECTOR: Jean-Marc VallÊe STARRING: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal), a successful investment banker, struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash. Despite pressure from his father-in-law, Phil (Chris Cooper), to pull it together, Davis continues to unravel. What starts as a complaint letter to a vending machine company turns into a series of letters revealing startling personal admissions. Davis’ letters catch the attention of customer service rep, Karen Mareno (Naomi Watts) and amidst emotional and financial burdens of her own, the two form an unlikely connection. With the help of Karen and her son, Chris (Judah Lewis), Davis starts to rebuild, beginning with the demolition of the life he once knew.


AT CINEMAS 22 APRIL



Adapted from Stephen Elliott’s true crime memoir of the same name, The Adderall Diaries tells the unflinchingly honest story of Elliott – a once-successful novelist paralyzed by writer’s block and in the thrall of an Adderall addiction – who becomes fascinated by a high-profile murder case as a way to escape his personal struggles. As Elliott delves into the twisted case and it’s motley crew of suspects, he is haunted by the memories of his own tortured childhood and his cruel, estranged father. When his father mysteriously resurfaces and claims that his son’s nightmarish memories were fabricated, Elliott’s past is further thrust under the microscope. He embarks on a journey to separate fact from fiction, amidst a backdrop of self-medication and false confessions.

The Adderall Diaries releases at select cinemas on 15 April 2016 and is distributed by Times Media Films.

To book: Times Media Films

Times Media Films


JANE GOT A GUN JOEL EDGERTON NOAH EMMERICH RODRIGO SANTORIO BOYD HOLBROOK AND EWAN MCGREGOR A FILM BY GAVIN O’CONNOR BOIES/SCHILLER FILMS PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH EXCLUSIVE MEDIA A BOIES/SCHILLER FILM GROUP/1821 MEDIA/HANDSOMECHARLIE FILMS/STONE VILLAGE PICTURES PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH STRAIGHT UP FILMS A FILM BY GAVIN O’CONNOR "JANE GOT A GUN" NATALIE PORTMAN JOEL EDGERTON NOAH EMMERICH RODRIGO SANTORO BOYD HOLBROOK ET EWAN MCGREGOR CASTING BY BILLY HOPKINS MUSIC BY LISA GERRARD AND MARCIELLO DE FRANCISCI COSTUME DESIGNERS CATHERINE GEORGE AND TERRY ANDERSON PRODUCTION DESIGNERS TIM GRIMES AND JIM OBERLANDER EDITOR ALAN CODY,ACE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY MANDY WALKER,ASC,ACS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER DAVID BOIES EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS DYLAN RUSSELL CHRIS COEN PARIS LATSIS JASON ROSE STORY BY BRIAN DUFFIELD SCREENPLAY BY BRIAN DUFFIELD AND ANTHONY TAMBAKIS & JOEL EDGERTON PRODUCED BY NATALIE PORTMAN ALEEN KESHISHIAN PRODUCED BY ZACK SCHILLER MARY REGENCY BOIES PRODUCED BY SCOTT STEINDORFF SCOTT LASTAITI TERRY DOUGAS DIRECTED BY GAVIN O’CONNOR © 2015 SP JGAG, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

AT SELECT CINEMAS 27 APRIL


JANE GOT A GUN

Jane Hammond (Natalie Portman) has built a life on the rugged western plains with her husband Bill “Ham” Hammond (Noah Emmerich) and young daughter. When Ham stumbles home riddled with bullets after a run-in with the relentless John Bishop (Ewan McGregor) and his gang, she knows they will not stop until her family is dead. In desperation, Jane turns to Dan Frost (Joel Edgerton), a man from her past, for help. Haunted by old memories, Jane’s past meets the present in a heartstopping battle for survival. The epic love story told amidst the sprawling expanse of the American west, Jane Got a Gun stars Academy Award® -winning actress Natalie Portman (Black Swan, V for Vendetta), Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby, Warrior), Noah Emmerich (The Truman Show, “The Americans”), Rodrigo Santoro (300, Rio), Boyd Holbrook, and Ewan McGregor (The Impossible, Star Wars: Episode III). Jane Got A Gun releases at select cinemas on 27 April 2016 and is distributed by Times Media Films.

Times Media Films

To book:

Times Media Films


Book Reviews Recently published

BODY OF ART | Foreword by Jennifer Blessing Publisher: PHAIDON | ISBN: 9780714869667 BODY OF ART is the first book to focus exclusively on the body in art. Providing not only a complete history of how the human form has been represented in visual culture over time, but also how it has become – literally and metaphorically – the canvas on and through which we talk about human experience. BODY OF ART examines art through that most accessible and relatable lens: the human body. There are no directly comparable titles in the market; this is the only book to examine the subject in such depth and scope. Diverse and multicultural, it explores the manifestations of the body through time, cultures and media. Visually arresting, this book will surprise, inspire and inform art lovers everywhere. With over 400 artists featured, works range from 11 000 BC hand stencils in Argentine caves to videos and performances by contemporary artists such as Marina Abramovic, Joan Jonas and Bruce Nauman.

Carrying Albert Home | By Homes Hickam

Landfalls | By Naomi J. Williams

30 000 YEARS OF ART | By Various

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publisher: Little Brown

Publisher: PHAIDON

ISBN: 978000815422

ISBN: 978408705773

ISBN: 9780714847894

Elsie Lavender and Homer Hickam Sr

Landfalls is a fictionalised reimagining

30 000 Years of Art presents

were high school classmates in the West

of the ill-fated Lapérouse expedition

1 000 great works of art from all

Virginia coalfields, graduating just as the

(1785-1788), a voyage of exploration that

periods and regions in the world,

Great Depression began. When Homer

attempted to circumnavigate the globe

arranged in chronological order

asked for her hand, Elsie instead headed

for science and the glory of France. Each

for a general readership. Breaking

to Orlando where she sparked with a

chapter of Landfalls is told from a different

through the usual geographical

dancing actor named Buddy Ebsen. But

point of view, including those of the French

and cultural boundaries of art

when Buddy headed for New York, Elsie’s

captains; their officers; scientist; onboard

history, it celebrates the vast range

dreams of a life with him were crushed

rank-and-file crew members; natives and

of human artistry across time and

and eventually she found herself back in

other Europeans they encountered; and

space. Each work is accompanied

the coalfields, married to Homer. Albert,

loved ones waiting at home. Landfalls

by key caption information (date;

her pet alligator, an unusual wedding gift

marks the launch of a brilliant new writer

title; place of origin; style or

from Buddy reminds her of her carefree

who creates an unforgettable narrative

culture; medium; dimensions etc.),

time with him. When Homer ‘bumps

told by a web of voices, a story of specific

and a short text providing more

heads’ with Albert, he proposes an

exploration, human tragedy and the world

information and explaining the art

ultimatum: ‘Me or that alligator!’

on the cusp of the modern era.

historical context.

64 / Creative Feel / April 2016


CDs & DVDs The latest releases to suit all tastes

Johann Strauss: Eine Nacht in Venedig De Ridder | Geszty | Migenes | Piso | Kunz | Schmidt Deutsche Grammophon 734435 After the great success in 1881 of his eighth operetta Der lustige Krieg (The Merry War), Strauss wanted a new libretto set in Italy with a finale in St Mark’s Square in Venice. The librettists Camillo Walzel (pseudonym: F. Zell) and Richard Genée presented Strauss with a story entitled Venetian Nights, set in the mid-18th century. The story appealed to the composer’s fondness for practical jokes. The message behind the plot was that men might try to dupe women, but the women will prove to be too sharp in the end. Strauss began to compose the operetta at once and it became one of his four greatest successes.

Spectre: Original Motion Picture

Greatest Hits Tracey Chapman Elekra Entertainment CDESP 445

Soundtrack is the soundtrack

It’s been 27 years since Tracy

Ten Top Tenors Pavarotti | Carreras | Bocelli | Domingo | Alagna | Kaufmann | Wunderlich | Flóez | Villazón | Calleja Decca 4824025

album to the 24th James Bond

Chapman released her debut

This two-CD album brings together

film of the same name. Released

album and it seems like it was

ten of the most famous tenors,

by Universal Music Classics,

just yesterday. She is celebrating

performing nearly 50 of the greatest

the music was composed by

a nearly three-decade career

arias of all time. It also features a

Thomas Newman, who previously

with this greatest-hits

16-page booklet with everything

composed the soundtrack of 23rd

compilation through Elektra/

you need to know about each tenor

Bond’film Skyfall, making him

Rhino Records. The album charts

– nationality, short biography, best

the third composer after John

the history of Tracy Chapman’s

recording, trivia and more – in an

Barry and David Arnold (and

most popular songs, all released

appealing and witty design. Disc

the first non-British composer)

as a single (but ‘Save Us All’

One contains 24 operatic arias,

to score more than one film in

and the vibrant interpretation

opening with the all-time tenor of

the series. Singer Sam Smith has

of ‘Stand By Me’ that she gave

tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, singing

made a huge name for himself in

at the David Letterman Show in

‘Nessun Dorma’.

a very short time, winning four

April 2015). She has received

GRAMMY Awards with his 2014

tremendous reviews from the

Neopolitan songs, Sicilian songs,

debut album, In the Lonely Hour.

press and her fans for it.

sacred music and others.

SPECTRE Newman | Smith Decca 4759509

Disc Two contains film themes,

Creative Feel / April 2016 / 65


encore Brett Rubin is a South African photographer based in Johannesburg. Over the past few years he has

exhibited his work in a variety of different exhibitions

including the Edinburgh Fashion and Art Festival, The Nirox Winter Sculpture show, the Design Indaba and currently as part of the Everard Read Sculpture show at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town.

Name three artworks that you love and why.

How have the arts industries in South Africa changed

• I have always loved the music and cover design on the

over the last ten years?

band Joy Division’s first album Unknown Pleasures.

The role of the internet has certainly escalated in terms of

The cover image designed by Peter Saville, is a stacked

its influence and ability to reach a wide audience.

plot of radio signals from the first discovered Pulsar / Neutron Star (CP1919) that appeared in the Cambridge

Name one thing you think would improve the arts and

Encyclopaedia of Astronomy.

culture industry in South Africa.

• Man Ray The Indestructable Object (Or Object To Be

Better funding for artists and foundations.

Destroyed) I think this simple idea of incorporating a photograph of the eye of an ex-lover and muse to an

What is your most treasured possession?

existing object, in this instance a metronome, was so

My bass guitar.

wonderfully Dadaist and ahead of its time. When it was destroyed in 1957 by a group of protesting students,

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Man Ray used the insurance money to make another and

Seeking the approval of others.

changed the name to The Indestructable Object. • I love the films of Jean-Luc Godard, in one film titled Bandé A Part (Band of Outsiders) there is a particularly great scene

What is it that makes you happy? Reading.

of the three main characters running through the Louvre trying to beat the record.

Describe a defining moment in your life. Waking up to Bob Dylan endorsing (on social media) the

Name one artist you would love to meet.

music video I helped create for Hugh Masekela’s version of

Ai Wei Wei.

the song ‘Its All Over Now, Baby Blue’, which we made as a tribute to Masekela’s close friend, the late legendary South

What are you reading at the moment?

African photographer Alf Kumalo.

The Plague by Albert Camus. Selected Short Stories by Nadine Gordimer.

What projects will you be busy with during 2016 and into 2017?

What is in your car’s CD player?

I am hoping to release a book on my ongoing photographic

David Bowie. The Durutti Column. Miles Davis.

series titled: Saccades and Other Surfaces.

Motel Mari. Givan Lötz. Name one goal you would like to achieve in the next If you could change one thing about yourself, what

twelve months.

would it be?

I would like to complete an artist residency in a place I have

I’d find waking up before sunrise much easier.

never been before.CF

66 / Creative Feel / April 2016


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