Xtra! #7 by French Institute of South Africa

#7 MAR 2011

The essential Supplement of the French Institute of South Africa

IFAS-Culture, Research & Dibuka The French Institute of South Africa Food-for-thought provider “à la française”, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) was established in the Newtown Cultural Precinct in 1995. Since then, the organization which consists of IFAS-Culture, Research & Dibuka has been a key player on the Johannesburg and Southern African artistic, cultural, academic and literary scenes.

IFAS-Research (Umifre 25, USR 3336 « Sub Saharan Africa), working hand in hand with IFAS-Culture, focuses on Human and Social Science in Southern Africa under the auspices of the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research). It has a thriving and diverse network of French, European and regional research institutions and organisations. It offers an academic base for students, interns and visiting researchers, and produces a bi-annual newsletter (Lesedi) as well as various publications and papers. Sophie Didier IFAS-Research Director Michel Lafon Linguist Researcher Laurent Chauvet Translator Werner Prinsloo Library and Website Christian Kabongo APORDE Administrator Marie-Eve Kayowa IFAS-Research Secretary Thibault Hatton Research & Communication Officer Soline Laplanche-Servigne Post Doctoral Student in Sociology (based at IFAS)

IFAS-Culture is the cultural agency of the French Embassy in South Africa and supports artistic events in various domains, throughout the year and around the country. Highly demanding in offering quality creations while favouring the exchange of ideas between communities, IFAS-Culture strives to introduce French and Francophone artists in South Africa, promote South African artists on the international artistic scene and support artistic residencies leading to original creations. As a promoter and diffuser of French language and Francophone culture, IFAS-Culture works in close collaboration with the Alliance Française network in South Africa. Since its inception, the organisation has established an important network of strong partnerships with various festivals, universities, artists, museums and galleries, as well as government institutions and businesses. The audiovisual department includes cinema, television, radio and journalism. It aims at initiating and developing exchanges and relationships between the different media and the professionals of the audiovisual industry in France and Southern Africa. This is achieved by providing support to the development of the audiovisual industry, keeping an eye on its evolution, as well as promoting and developing the presence of French audiovisual industry in Southern Africa. Laurent Clavel IFAS Director & Cultural Attaché Magalie Maillot Secretary General Christine Salgado Financial Director Ben Blanpain Cultural Officer Marie Didierlaurent Cultural Officer Jérôme Cosnard Cultural Officer Eléonore Godfroy-Briggs Communication Officer Nicolas Doyard Regional Attaché for Media Cooperation Yvette Kambale Financial assistant Agnès Ntumba-Mbombo IFAS-Culture Secretary Peter Thelele Reception Million Ben Khosa Driver

Dibuka is an information centre and multimedia library promoting French language and Francophone culture. Based at the Alliance Française of Johannesburg, it offers subscribers access to a large collection of CDs, DVDs, novels, newspapers and magazines, comic and children’s books. Dibuka also supports literary cafés as well as poetry and literary festivals. Jérôme Chevrier Book Policy Officer & Head Librarian Emilie Demon Assistant Librarian

IFAS-Culture & Research Temporary offices: Phenyo House, 73 Juta Street, Braamfontein Tel +27 (0)11 403 0458 Fax +27 (0)11 403 0465 Dibuka 17 Lower Park Drive, corner Kerry Road, Parkview Tel +27 (0)11 646 1115 www.ifas.org.za

extra! #7 PuBLISHER Laurent Clavel EDIToR Eléonore Godfroy-Briggs TRANSLAToR Laurent Chauvet CoPY-EDIToR Wordsmiths Publishing DESIGNER Bluprint Design PRINTER Sugodesigns

CovER collage by French artist François Sarhan (more information on ZooM | CulTuRe)

Editorial

LINE-UP “Poetry is both a hiding place and a loud-speaker.” Nadine Gordimer There are seven wonders, seven continents in the world, seven colours of the rainbow, seven days in a week and seven basic musical notes, so the seventh edition of Extra had to be something special. Throughout the first six issues, extra!, as the IFAS (French Institute in South Africa) magazine, has widely opened its columns to a rainbow of cultural and human sciences topics such as film-making, urban housing, rock art, poetry, photography, fashion, jazz, choreography... Now extra! opens its arms to all the sectors where links exist between France and South Africa, from the perspective of cooperation between our two nations, between Institutions, Universities, Research Foundations, Museums and Galleries, and between writers, painters, dancers, and philosophers. Creativity and research – ideas – lead the world, stimulate the mind, and soothe the soul. Moreover, the interaction between different fields of creation and research provoke unexpected insights for the comprehension of life. France is one South Africa’s three main collaborators in research and development, with strong partnerships in many different fields – medicine, HIV/AIDS, education, environment, energy, space, so extra! will point out where we stand now and where we are heading.

2012 is on its way, and the big French-South African rendezvous is around the corner: the second half of 2012 will be the “SEASON OF FRANCE IN SOUTH AFRICA”, a festival with an extensive programme of a hundred different events in the cultural, scientific, technological, economical, and gastronomical fields. There will be live shows, exhibitions, debates, dance, music, and films, all over South Africa: in Capetown, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Soweto, Mitchell’s Plain, and other cities, with many cocreations linking artists from both countries. extra! will keep you informed of the upcoming programme and, how to participate. This will be the perfect opportunity to learn more about French society, and more than that, to appreciate the multiple cultural aspects of France: a rare occasion to get closer. … and as André Malraux , writer and Minister of Culture said, « La culture, ce n’est pas seulement de connaître Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, Rembrandt ou Bach: c’est d’abord de les aimer ». (“Culture is not only to know Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, Rembrandt or Bach, it is above all to like them.”) Guy de la Chevalerie Cultural Counsellor, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of France in South Africa

2 Heard & Seen 3 Highlight: Festival du Film Français in South Africa 4 & 5 News 6 & 7 Focus | Culture: African Films… Looking for Screens 8 & 9 Focus | Research: From China to Johannesburg 10 Zoom | Sciences 11 Zoom | Development 12 & 13 Zoom | Culture: François Sarhan 14 Profile | Sciences & Education: CampusFrance 15 Profile | LITERATURE: Marguerite Abouet 16 & 17 Profile | Culture: NIROX Foundation 18 & 19 Portfolio: Borders Masterclass & What do we know about landscape? 20 & 21 Rendez-Vous: March to July 2011

HEard & SEEn

CoNNeXIoNS

HeARD & SeeN

With 2010 being the international year of Biodiversity, the conference Biodivercities was held in Paris from 6 to 8 September. It explored the issues of nature in the city with a particular focus on emerging countries (South Africa, Brazil, India, Kenya). The conference was a milestone in the creation of an international network aimed at fostering experience-sharing between researchers, urban protected areas, managers and local authorities.

Malian musician Aly Keita played his magical woody tunes on his favourite West African instrument, the balafon, at the Arts Alive Africa unites concert in Johannesburg on 3 September, after taking part in the Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition talk on 2 September. Photo © Mariola Biela.

Held at Constitution Hill on 28 and 29 October in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Independence in Africa, Constitutions and the Rule of Law in Africa since Independence: an African Dialogue focused on the history and the role of constitutions in the implementation of democracy and the rule of law. Through a comparative perspective between Western and Southern Africa, the conference sparked a pan-African dialogue between francophone and anglophone participants. Photo © IFAS. Organised from 6 to 9 December at the University of Witwatersrand, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies (SGAES), Geographic Information System (GIS) in Archaeology included lectures, discussions and practical sessions on GIS in archaeology, with the aim of assisting Southern African researchers to integrate GIS into their archaeological research and report-writing. South African producer James Tayler was invited to take part in the workshop Produire au Sud at the Festival des Trois Continents in Nantes from 23 to 29 November. Photo © JGA.

During the 3rd edition of EuNIC Studio, which took place from 22 to 26 November in Johannesburg, young international and South African architects took a closer look at the building Florence House, with a view to proposing a range of architectural solutions. Nigerian dancer and choreographer Qudus onikeku presented My Exile is in My Head on 26 and 27 February at the 23rd FNB Dance Umbrella in Johannesburg. The piece deals with personal questions of home, the concept of belonging, and forms of exile. Photo © Isabela Figueiredo. The Yeoville Studio presented an exhibition on 20 November showcasing some of the findings of the research project carried out in this peri-central neighbourhood of Johannesburg. The exhibited materials included stories and portraits of its inhabitants, photographs taken by residents, and various perceptions and representations of the neighbourhood by the youth. Photo © IFAS. For more information: www.ifas.org.za

BooKS, WoRDS, eTC... SCReeNINGS French-Senegalese wordsmith and performer, Souleymane Diamanka, was one of 20 poets invited to take part in the 14th edition of Poetry Africa from 4 to 9 October. Given a platform to share his talent with poetry aficionados, the poet expressed his vision in both words and music. Photo © CCA-Poetry Africa. Two award-winning francophone female writers, Ananda Devi (Mauritius) and Ken Bugul (Senegal), took part in a literary tour in Johannesburg, Pietermaritzburg and Cape Town from 17 to 23 September, where they discussed and answered questions about francophone literature in general, and issues and stories explored in their novels in particular. Photo of Ananda Devi (Top) © Time of the Writer / J Rajgopaul. Photo of Ken Bugul (Bottom) © Time of the Writer / P Ngcobo.

To celebrate the French Month of Documentaries, African documentaries directed and produced under the cooperation programme Africadoc were screened throughout November in the Alliances françaises network in South Africa, in the presence of Dominique Olier, coordinator of Africadoc. Jean-Luc Godard’s classic Breathless (aka A Bout de Souffle) was screened on 10 December at the Bioscope, Johannesburg, as part of the newly launched programme called 16mm, which aims at reviving the diffusion of films in 16mm format.

HiGHliGHt

Festival du Film Français in South Africa For its first national edition, the Festival du Film Français in South Africa proposed a new programme of contemporary and award-winning French films selected by guest curator, Oliver Hermanus. The talented South African film maker, who attended Cinéfondation in Cannes in 2009, was given “carte blanche” for the selection of films which reflect the dynamism and variety of contemporary French Cinema. Born out of a desire to develop and share with the South African public the incredible wealth of French cinema, the festival, which took place in South Africa’s five main cities, namely Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria, gathered cinema enthusiasts and francophiles eager to discover an internationally acclaimed genre rarely promoted in South Africa. The festival also offered two extra events besides the screenings. The first, a cinema masterclass, included a unique encounter with Oliver Hermanus, as well as the opportunity to share his vision of cinema in general, and of French contemporary cinema in particular. This exceptional masterclass was accompanied by the screening of his first feature film Shirley Adams (awarded Best South African Film, Best Actress, Best First Feature Film at the Durban Film Festival). The second was a workshop with Isabelle Servant, an exceptional French teacher who found an original way to teach French through cinema. Basing her purpose on Truffaut’s Les 400 Coups, she led an interactive workshop with French teachers and taught advanced students of the French Alliances in each participating city.

Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria 2 - 12 February 2011

Highlights of the festival: Tournée (On Tour) directed by Mathieu Amalric, screened in the presence of the festival curator oliver Hermanus. This road-trip movie, which won Best Screenplay at the Cannes International Film Festival 2010, follows Joachim, a former Parisian television producer, who has left everything behind to start a new life in America. He returns to France with a team of New Burlesque striptease performers to whom Joachim has fed fantasies of a tour through Paris! The director, Mathieu Amalric, is internationally known for his role in Steven Spielberg’s Munich, and in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly directed by Julian Schnabel. Des Hommes et des Dieux (Of Gods and Men) directed by Xavier Beauvois, screened in the presence of the French actor olivier Rabourdin. This moving film shows us the harmonious life of eight French Cistercian monks in a monastery in the Algerian wilderness. However, when a group of Croatian workers is murdered, the brothers are urged to close their doors and flee. The film is based on the true story of the Cistercian monks of Tibhirine in Algeria. Starring prominent French actors including Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale and Olivier Rabourdin, Of Gods and Men received the Grand Prix at the Cannes International Film Festival 2010 and the Best Film Cesar Award in 2011. Vénus Noire (Black Venus) directed by Abdellatif Kechiche screened in the presence of South African actor Andre Jacobs. The film portrays the dark story of Saartjie Baartman, who followed her boss Hendrick Caesar from Southern

On Tour Photo © Nicolas Guérin

Africa to Europe, in the hope of finding fame and fortune. Once in London, though, her master exhibits her as a freak in a humiliating carnival show. With a new friend, bear-tamer Réaux, she heads to Paris where she once again is forced to expose her body and finally ends up working in a brothel. Director Abdellatif Kechiche is one of the most acclaimed contemporary French directors and has received many awards for his previous works, Games of Love and Chance and The Secret of the Grain. Festival co-organised by the French Institute of South Africa, the network of Alliances françaises in South Africa and the Embassy of France in South Africa with the national support from uniFrance, Culturesfrance, Accor Group, Crédit Agricole, videovision, Région Ile de France, Dv8 Films and local support from Peugeot, Jameson, the Lobster Tree, Sure viva Travel, Adecco, Suncoast Casino, open Window, AFDA, Labia, Artscape, NMMu-Department School of language, Media and Culture and Auberge Michel for the cocktail in Johannesburg.

“As a major fan and admirer of French cinema, the selection process for this festival was focused primarily on bringing to a South African audience a variety of French films that explore complicated emotional journeys and political tensions that challenge the viewers’ opinions and beliefs. I hope this collection of films will offer up a host of questions and debates to inspire the audience, like any good piece of cinema should.” Oliver Hermanus

TOP: Of Gods and Men MIDDLE: Black Venus Photo © Mk2 BOTTOM: Opening Night of the Festival at the Alexander Theatre, Johannesburg. Photo © Amandine Beranger

nEwS

Schools Research XenAfPol ANR Bongumenzi 2011 onwards Programme in Ngobese africa 3 February – 27 April Sociolinguistics 1 January 2011 marked the beginning of a new 2011 – 2014 Gauteng & limpopo

A new research programme in sociolinguistics was launched this year with funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF). It focuses on the paradigms of language teaching in the Foundation Phase. The research will be carried out in township schools in Gauteng and rural schools in Limpopo, in which an African language is the majority home language and English is an additional language / subject. The project aims at assessing the language policy implemented in these schools to see how well learners’ linguistic skills have been developed in both their home language and English by Grade 3. The programme will run for three years and will be coordinated by Michel Lafon, residing researcher in linguistics at IFAS. organised and presented with the support of the university of Pretoria, university of Limpopo and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

research programme: the XenAfPol programme. Coordinated by Laurent Fourchard (CEAN, Centre for Black African Studies) and Aurelia Wa KabweSegatti (ACMS, African Centre For Migration and Society – Wits University), the programme focuses on the politics of xenophobic exclusion in Africa. Besides the production of scholarly knowledge that intends to fill out some of the existing gaps in the understanding of xenophobic exclusion in Africa, the project’s other objective is to produce policy-relevant research to inform decision-makers’ understanding of societal trends in contexts of increasing social, cultural, linguistic and economic heterogeneity. The research will be carried out in four African countries (South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, DRC) by an international and multidisciplinary team of researchers. Presented with the support of the French National Research Agency (ANR) in partnership with IFAS Research. www.ifas.org.za/research/pdf/xenafpol.pdf TOP: Cleveland Police Station – Xenophobic Riots 2008. Photo © Loren Landau.

paris

Durban visual artist Bongumenzi Ngobese is attending a three-month artistic residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts de Paris as part of the ABSA L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Prize, which he won last year for his mixed-media piece Kwa-Mamkhize. While in Paris, he will create a new work which will be presented in the network of Alliances françaises in Southern Africa in 2012. Ngobese’s award-winning work deals with migration and identity. He explores and questions political issues surrounding migration and identity, particularly in the informal settlements. Through his investigation, he looks at social activities shaped by people who move from one location to another. He explores how social activities impact space, and in turn, how space impacts people. Supported by the French Institute of South Africa in collaboration with ABSA, SANAvA, the Embassy of France in South Africa and the French cultural network of Alliances Françaises in Southern Africa. www.ifas.org.za/culture TOP: Bongumenzi Ngobese with his Kwa-Mamkhize.

APORDE 5 – 19 May Johannesburg

Intofrench From now on, the new website Intofrench will give you a vision of France in Southern Africa. Check it out on www.intofrench.org

The African Programme on Rethinking Development Economics (APORDE) is a high-level training programme in development economics aimed at building capacity in the South, particularly in Africa. The 5th edition of APORDE will afford talented academics, policy makers and trade unionists access to alternatives to mainstream thinking on development issues, in order to foster original thinking. Participants will receive intensive highlevel training, and interact with some of the best development economists in the world (Ha-Joon Chang, Alice Amsden, Jomo KS) as well as other

Time of the Writer International Writers Festival 14 – 19 March durban The written word will envelop Durban as writers from around South Africa and the continent arrive in the city for a stimulating week of books, ideas and talks at the 14th Time of the Writer International Writers Festival. The festival will feature a diverse gathering of literary luminaries including novelists, short story writers, humour writers, political commentators and more. Participants include acclaimed French novelist Marie Darrieussecq and Senegalese novelist, journalist and screenwriter Boubacar Boris Diop. The festival delivers a dynamic literary platform for dialogue and exchange on wide-ranging themes, and offers a rare opportunity to gain insight into the many facets that inform the art of writing. organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (university of KwaZulu-Natal), and with principal support from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund. www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/Time_of_the_writer.htm TOP: Marie Darrieussecq 2007. Photo © Bamberger.

participants from Southern Africa and beyond. APORDE seeks to build public sector, civil society and research capacity in economics and economic policy-making in Africa. This year, the APORDE team received 345 applications, more than twice our previous record! A joint initiative of the South African Department of Trade and Industry (dti), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Embassy of France in South Africa and the French Institute of South Africa. www.aporde.org.za LEFT: APORDE meeting.

Mandla Langa at Francophonie the Paris Book Fair 27 March 17 – 21 March Johannesburg During his visit at the fair, South African writer, scriptwriter and journalist Mandla Langa will participate in several events; namely the launch of the book “L’Afrique du Sud : une traversée littéraire” taking place on the stand of L’Institut Français on 18 March in presence of South African poet Robert Berold, and a round table gathering other talented African writers. The book, written by Joan Metelerkamp, Denise Coussy and Denis Hirson and edited by South African Denis Hirson, presents an historical overview on the South African literatures since 1994 in the plurality of its languages, its diversity in the creative process and transmission. Interested readers will get the opportunity to get acquainted with the book during two public readings at the Village Voice Bookstore in Saint Germain des Prés and in a theatre in the 11th arrondissement, Paris. Invited by L’Institut Français with the support of the Embassy of France in South Africa. www.salondulivreparis.com

Johannesburg

Every year in March, as part of the International Day of Francophonie, the French Embassy and its cooperation and cultural network invite all francophiles to celebrate the francophone culture and the French language. Joburgers are invited to celebrate in music and rhythm with the Congolese rap band Lexxus Legal, the African musical trio Guitafrika and the Ivorian Trio Jumbee, South African choreographer Fana Tshabalala who will present his work Lost and Found, performances of the Giant Match puppets and the screening of the enchanting French animated movie The Illusionist, amongst others. Be one of ten lucky winners to win a fabulous trip to France, as part of the Francophonie 2011 competitions! Presented with the support of the Embassy of France in South Africa, the French Institute of South Africa, the Alliance française in Johannesburg and Accor Group. www.alliance.org.za TOP: Lexxus Legal. Photo © Luc Mayitoukou.

Nyaniso Lindi May to November South africa South African visual artist Nyaniso Lindi spent three months in Paris from January to March 2010 as part of the 2009 ABSA L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Prize. The work created during his artistic residency in Paris will be showcased as part of a tour this year within the network of Alliances françaises and French Cultural Centres in Southern Africa. The concept of the work is around fictitious reality and focuses on the paradox between what is real and what is fictional. In the various

Théâtre Taliipot March to August South africa Following an acclaimed South African tour of their poignant piece Mâ Ravan’ in 2009, Théâtre Taliipot is back in South Africa to present their latest creation !Kia. After a stay at NIROX Foundation in November last year, Théâtre Taliipot’s team will attend a series of artistic residencies in NIROX in March and in Cape Town in June in the run-up to the performances of their new creation at Artscape Theatre in August. Theatre Taliipot’s main focus revolves around the memory of the ancestors and their heritage. The company’s creations interrogate the notion of identity of the “mixed race” by mixing physical theatre with dance, music and traditional tales from the Indian Ocean. Theatre Taliipot shares with the audience the complexity of the history of one of the richest cultures in the world. Supported by NIRoX, Artscape and the French Institute of South Africa. www.theatretaliipot.com

Arts and Culture in Development 12 April Johannesburg EUNIC, the European Union network of Institutes for Culture, will hold an open discussion on the topic “Arts and culture in development” with key stakeholders in South Africa at the Goethe-Institut. This conference is held in the context of a three day meeting between the representatives of EUNIC head organisations and branches in Sub Saharan Africa who will discuss the future and discuss ways to form partnerships and to respond to African priorities. EUNIC network seeks to facilitate cultural co-operation, create lasting partnerships between professionals, encourage greater understanding and awareness of the diverse European cultures and to encourage greater language learning. organised and presented by EuNIC SA. www.eunic-online.eu

TOP: Mâ Ravan’. Photo © Valerie Koch.

works exhibited, Lindi portrays hybrids using functional objects like lamps and stoves fused with human forms. Supported by the French Institute of South Africa in collaboration with ABSA, SANAvA, the Embassy of France in South Africa and the French cultural network of Alliances françaises in Southern Africa. www.ifas.org.za/culture LEFT: Nyaniso Lindi’s work.

We have moved! After 15 years in Newtown, the French Institute of South Africa is moving to its own offices in Braamfontein in June / July. In the meantime you can find us in our temporary offices: Phenyo House, 73 Juta Street, Braamfontein P.O. Box 542, Newtown 2113 Tel +27 (0)11 403 0458 Fax +27 (0)11 403 0465

African Films... looking for Screens

Forty percent of Africans live in cities and, like most urbanites around the world, they love watching movies! Yet, with the exception of Ethiopia and a few anglophone countries, movie houses are closing down all over the continent. In Dakar (Senegal), there were 80 movie theatres in 1960; today there is not a single one left. In Abidjan and Kinshasa, most of the cinemas have been converted into Evangelistic churches. As a result, most Africans end up watching TV and DVDs or VCDs (usually pirated copies) at home. A European Union study found that a staggering 98% of movies purchased in Mali are counterfeit. This percentage is estimated at 70% in Nigeria by the producers of “Nollywood”, the struggling Nigerian film industry. Although audiovisual production in Sub-Saharan Africa is flourishing, the African film industry is in deep crisis due to a lack of structured distribution. Most professionals (except for South Africans) who are deprived of revenues, are condemned to producing cheap and technically poor films that cannot be exported, despite the growing interest in African culture worldwide. But the situation is not completely hopeless. In the USA and France, for example, there has been an increase in the number of movie-goers in parallel with

Distribution is the weak link in the cinematic industry in Africa, and is further jeopardised by endemic piracy. As a result, film professionals throughout the continent are exploring new avenues through which to reach audiences and develop their industry.

The Soudan Ciné, Bamako, Mali.

mass-pirating. This has been explained by sociologists as to do with the extended number of hours in front of a computer screen, and people’s increased need for social interaction, such as going to the movies together. Africa is also working on ways to re-conquer her public through initiatives such as the following:

FoCuS | CulturE MulTI SCReeNS. South Africa is, of course, a different story with its multiplexes (i.e. NuMetro and Ster Kinekor), as in the USA or Europe. These are ultra-modern movie houses with five to ten cinemas each, located inside malls and intended for a well-off public. But this represents an investment which is often difficult to make profitable, and is ultimately the reason why the movies shown here are generally risk-free commercial films or American blockbusters, which cost movie-goers 5 USD and more for a ticket, and exclude the majority of the population.

ART SCReeNS. The Bioscope is the first cinema in Sub-Saharan Africa to be a member of the two art-house cinema networks, CICAE and Europa Cinemas. The Bioscope was opened in June 2010 on the ground floor of Main Street Life (286 Fox Street, Johannesburg) by film director Darryl Els, whose programming combines Indian and European classics, Bollywood films, documentaries and special screenings, among others, at a reasonable price. Whether modern, cult or fun, The Bioscope is always inventive; take

the NoodleBox evenings where movie-goers are able to eat Chinese noodles while watching Asian films (www.thebioscope.co.za).

oNe-DollAR SCReeNS. With most of the “real” movie houses closed down, “video-booths” are springing up all over the continent. These project pirated DVDs on 20’’ TV screens, targeting a predominantly male adult audience (action, kung fu, X-rated movies, etc). While video-booths don’t always attract the “right” kind of customer, they often represent the only option for working-class movie-goers, and a dead loss for film producers. In reaction, Nigerian group Cinemart announced the construction of 100 legal cinemas at 150 Naira a ticket (1 USD). This low-end pricing is made possible through cutting costs (screens of 5m instead of 10m, plastic chairs, ceiling fans instead of airconditioning) and a partnership with Nollywood producers (in which films are screened before the DVD release), along with the broadcast of live sporting events. South African investors are preparing a similar model for townships, but the project is still a closely guarded secret...

MoVING SCReeNS.

HoMe SCReeNS.

In African megalopolises, transport is a real problem: it is slow, costly and dangerous at night. mobiCINE intends to organise screenings in the heart of West African neighbourhoods and schools, using mobile units that include a 2,5m high screen and a power generator. This project is supported by ACP Films (the ACP-EU cooperation programme for the African-Caribbean-Pacific film sector) and Dutch Foundation DOEN. Its aim is to create a sustainable system for African film screenings. It relies on highquality equipment, low costs (free venues provided by communities), same ticket-price as video-booths (0.5 USD) and a ground-breaking business model to tackle piracy. The film files loaded on the hard disks of the mobiCINE units are encrypted and need a digital key in order to be played; the digital key is prepaid by the projectionist and integrally paid back to the film right owner. As of Spring 2011, seven mobiCINE mopeds (see picture below right) will start cruising in Dakar (Senegal), with seven others in Bamako (Mali). The project will screen mainly African movies and documentaries, and forecasts 500 000 viewers per year.

Video-on-demand opens huge libraries of titles to every household connected to the internet. VOD is not yet a reality for Africa but accounts for up to 10% of the film market in many Western and Asian countries, with a double-digit annual growth. The first player to start a fully African VOD platform was South African giant Naspers, with its offering AfricanFilmLibrary.com which markets online hundreds of African cinema features owned by M-net.

PoCKeT SCReeNS! Only 2% of Africans own a PC, yet 33% have a cell phone, according to the World Bank. Experts estimate that by 2012/13, the IT megacorps’ massive investments will be providing 30 USD smart-tablets and cheap broadband internet across urban Africa, allowing individual film-streaming for all. The potential audience for dematerialised African platforms will thus rise from the current 50 million people worldwide (made up of the diaspora and “world culture” fans) to nearly half a billion people on the continent alone. A modern screen in every African pocket might well be the vital opportunity for African filmmakers.

TOP: mobiCINE screening of «Le Ballon D’Or» by Cheik Doukouré in Dakar, Senegal, on 18 February 2011.

AFRICAFIlMS.TV

eNRICo CHIeSA

Through an independent ACP Films-funded initiative driven from Dakar, Africans living abroad will soon be able to download their favourite cinema films, documentaries, soap operas or filmed shows and concerts for 2 to 5 USD. AfricaFilms.tv is designed as a tool for African filmmakers willing to sell their wares abroad, receiving up to 65% of the sales revenue, and giving them the opportunity to set up their own VOD-store as a section embedded in their personal website. Coming Spring 2011.

… was invited by IFAS to give a lecture on VOD during Rehad Desai’s Tricontinental Human Rights Film Festival. Chiesa is about to launch AfricaFilms.tv and mobiCINE, two film initiatives mentioned above. Formerly Head of Majestic Cinemas in France (with ten art-screens and five multiplexes), he has also served as the Director of CICAE (Art Cinemas Confederation), a network of 3 000 independent screens. He has trained over 400 young professionals in theatrical management from Europe, the Middle East as well as West and North Africa. enrico.chiesa@idmage.fr

From China to Johannesburg 8

FoCuS | rESEarCH

SEttlEmEnt prinCiplES and CommErCial aCtivity.

shopkeepers – most of whom came from Fujian – began to settle in Cyrildene and opened restaurants and shops along Derrick Avenue. The evolution of these two separate suburbs reflects the segregation between the various Chinese communities in Johannesburg.

A Complex and Fragmented Presence.

Wholesale Trade is at the Centre of Chinese Dynamic.

While estimating the number of Chinese people in South Africa turns out to be a difficult or even impossible task, the figure which is most often put forward fluctuates between 300 000 and 350 000. The majority of Chinese in South Africa live in Johannesburg, the economic capital of the country, where they are highly visible. The distinctive characteristic of Chinese presence in South Africa, apart from numbers, is due to the fact that the Chinese community has been in the country for over two centuries and arrived in several successive migration waves. There are clear differences between the first Chinese settlers, who came mainly from Guangdong at the end of the 19th century, and those from more recent and varied migrations1. Spatially, this dualism is reflected in the fact that there are two Chinatowns in Johannesburg. The first, located at the Western end of Commissioner Street near the city centre, testifies to the long presence of the Chinese community in South Africa. Also known as South African-Born Chinese or SABCs, these South Africans are the descendants of the first wave of free migrants who came to settle in the country during the 1920s and 1930s. This old area of Johannesburg, which consists of a few restaurants and shops, remains very limited in size and never benefited from the expansion experienced in the rest of the world. Faced with the decline of the first Chinatown, another Chinese suburb subsequently developed in Johannesburg East. During the 1990s, Chinese

South Africa has recently become a preferred destination for Chinese investment, while South African exports towards the Middle Country are on the increase. In parallel, the presence of Chinese companies in the energy, mining and telecommunication fields have intensified, followed by the mass arrival of Chinese traders. In recent years, Johannesburg has experienced an increase in the number of distribution and wholesale centres managed by Chinese people. The first of these centres, China City, situated close to the city centre across from Ellis Park, was opened in 1995. After slow beginnings, the centre slowly started experiencing an increase in both customers and profits. The advantage of this type of centre is that hundreds of shops are gathered in a secured perimeter. As a result, traders can make the most of economies of scale and organise themselves more effectively within what is perceived as a dangerous environment. With the success of the first centre, other initiatives followed. The latest wholesale centres are located on the Southern outskirts of the city centre in Crown Mines, in a vast area which was once a mine dump, and which today is dedicated to wholesale trading. The area is well serviced by the road and highway network. Altogether, Johannesburg has around 15 such centres (China Mart, China Mall and Dragon City being among the most dynamic), which are now part of the urban landscape.

Although most of the shops sell mainly clothing, over time the range of goods has been expanding, and wholesalers and retailers are now selling electronic equipment (TVs, hi-fi systems, etc.), furniture and more. Generally, depending on the centres and the day of the week, customers vary considerably. China City attracts mostly black customers (nationals and non-nationals alike) with limited means, which is probably linked to the fact that the centre is central and near various means of public transport. The fact that the newer centres opened on the outskirts of town often makes the use of a car necessary (all the more so since taxis seldom frequent these areas), thereby influencing the type of customers. Weekends are an occasion for Afrikaners and Indians to shop predominantly for pleasure, particularly at the China Mart and the China Mall, respectively. By supplying hawkers, other local wholesalers (Ethiopians in particular), Chinese tradesmen operating in small and medium South African towns, as well as traders from neighbouring countries, Chinese wholesalers are at the top of a complex and multiform trading system, facilitated by a dualistic post-apartheid economic reality. South Africa was and still is marked by the low buying-power of the majority of its population. The large-scale sale of Chinese products at affordable prices has helped to reduce the gap between an inadequate supply and demand. While the success of Chinese wholesale trading in South Africa is founded in this opening, not all Chinese traders are happy to see their profit margins reduced. Since the late 1990s, competition has been intensifying through the emergence and densification of different types of trading. With an increase in more creditworthy as well as demanding customers, consumer franchises such as Edgars and Ackermans often supplant Chinese businesses associated with the informal sector. Nonetheless, to date, the development of new Chinese trade centres or extensions is still high.

Diversified Spatial Dynamics in the Face of local Realities. Not only is Johannesburg suitable for the purpose of analysing the impact of Chinese trading on the local economy, it is also suitable for studying Chinese settlement and integration principles. In this regard, forms of mobility and spatial usage are influenced by several factors. On the one hand, crime, whether perceived or real, plays a role in the way the Chinese organise themselves, work, live and move around. Moreover, Johannesburg, being decentralised and fragmented, reinforces the use of vehicles and changes in relation to space. Contrary to other examples of Chinese communities, the residential and professional functions in Johannesburg are not automatically grouped together in the same area. Even though Johannesburg has two Chinatowns, the number of Chinese living there, in comparison with the total volume, is still limited. The suburb of Cyrildene seems to act as an enclave, facilitating the absorption of Chinese newcomers. Newly arrived Chinese workers take up lodgings in the suburb, which acts as a first step and springboard for those without connections in South Africa. Although the suburbs of Bedfordview and Kensington are preferred residential areas among the Chinese, they are still found taking up residence throughout the city. Finally, economic status rather than the year of settlement plays an important role in the evolution of dynamics and spatial practices. The progressive familiarisation of Chinese migrants with their host environment results in the adaptation and increasing complexity of Chinese commercial and residential principles in Johannesburg. While the majority of migrants come from Fujian, the provinces of origin of the Chinese living in South Africa are still very diverse. In addition, many migrants also come from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

All Photos © Romain Dittgen

RoMAIN DITTGeN …is a doctoral student and junior lecturer in Geography at the University of Paris. He has been working since 2007 on the integration strategies of public and private Chinese actors in Sub-Saharan Africa. Opting for a comparative study, Romain made many research trips to both Africa and China. He concluded two research trips of three months each in Johannesburg, with the support of IFAS, focusing on the settlement and organisation of Chinese wholesalers in and around the city.

Zoom | SCiEnCES

A New European Approach to Collaborating with Africa

January 2011 saw the launch of a new EU project aimed at promoting a unified European approach to collaborating with Africa in the field of science and technology. Named ERAfrica, the project forms part of the FP7 suite of European research initiatives and boasts as primary objective the creation of a “European Research Area Network” for the African continent. Funded by the European Commission for an amount of almost 2 million Euros, ERAfrica unites seven EU countries (France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Finland and Austria), plus Switzerland and Turkey, with three

African partners (South Africa, Kenya and Egypt) around recognition of the value of unifying efforts to strengthen intercontinental research collaboration and promotion. Structurally ERAfrica consists of five work packages, each led by a different consortium member and aimed at moving the collaborative effort from its theoretical inception through the stages of conceptualisation and policy formulation to practical implementation via the funding of actual research projects. Playing a vital role in this

ICEMASA is closely related to ACCESS, the Applied Centre for Climate and Earth System Science,

a centre of excellence of the South African Department of Science and Technology initiated in 2009, as they both develop research and education programmes focusing on the impacts of global change on the African climate and marine systems ICEMASA comprises three deeply interconnected components: (i) Research, (ii) Education and Training, and (iii) Application. Research provides a framework for students during their Master’s programme and PhD. The education and training component, an essential one within ICEMASA, will be achieved through the development of Master’s courses in Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences and Climatology between UCT and UBO, the

ERAfrica is coordinated by the French Institute of Research for Development For more information: Dr Yves Savidan | yves.savidan@ird.fr Tel +27 (0)12 844 0117 Photo © IRD

private sector.

participation of ICEMASA scientists in lectures and seminars in South Africa, and, finally, by training African students and junior scientists in quantitative methods. The Application component is aimed at developing operational capabilities and products to inform managers and stakeholders of the marine environment. This will be undertaken through close collaboration with the Nansen-Tutu centre which was launched in 2010 between Norway and South Africa (UCT).

A new joint French-South African Research and Training Initiative in Atmospheric and Marine Sciences The International Centre for Education, Marine and Atmospheric Sciences over Africa (ICEMASA) is devoted to the promotion and support of local teams of researchers, engineers and students with a high scientific level of expertise in sciences of the marine environment. This joint initiative involves five major partners, namely, the University of Cape Town (MARE Institute), DEA (Oceans and Coasts Branch) and DAFF (Fisheries Branch) for South Africa, Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD) and Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) for France.

process is the South African Department of Science and Technology, which is taking the lead on the work package dealing with the communication and marketing of the initiative, an important task since the nature and number of research activities to be funded will depend to a large extent on the number of potential funding agencies that can be recruited into the steering consortium. In this regard it is hoped not only to attract interest from European and African governments but also from continental organisations and the

This Application module will cover domains such as oil spill threats through high-resolution modelling of the ocean circulation, optimisation of shipping routes, technical guidelines for the implementation of an ecosystem approach to fisheries, and state/trend indicators of the marine ecosystem. ICEMASA implements a multi-disciplinary approach across three major topics: climate variability, ocean circulation, and the effects of global change on marine ecosystems and fisheries in the Southern Ocean, African margins and tropical Indian Ocean. ICEMASA is developing physical and ecosystem models to understand and assess the impact of climate change scenarios. Eight visiting French scientists are currently posted at UCT for a four-year period, which is the duration of the first phase of ICEMASA. They are supervising one Master’s and four PhD students who are being

financially supported by ICEMASA. Other financial opportunities may arise for additional PhD bursaries. Developed in South Africa, ICEMASA has a strong potential for regional impact in research and education in marine sciences. ICEMASA is already well integrated, with ongoing international research initiatives where South Africa and France are key stakeholders. Those include European (MEECE, Indiseas) and regional projects funded by the World Bank (SWIOFP), the UNDP (ASCLME) and other donors (CLIVAR Good Hope, SAMOC). Therefore, ICEMASA has access to the larger scientific community, not limited to Southern Africa, but also reaching the shores of the West Indian Ocean island states. ICEMASA was officially launched on 11 January 2011 in the DEA offices at the Waterfront, Cape Town, by Professor Michel Laurent, President of the IRD, Professor Danie Visser, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of UCT and representatives of the other partners. For more information: www.icemasa.org Co-directors: Dr Francis Marsac | francis.marsac@ird.fr Tel +27 (0)21 650 3279 Tel +27 (0)78 786 1861 Prof. John Field | jgfielduct@gmail.com Photo © IRD

Zoom | dEvElopmEnt

Rhodes University Law Clinic

‘Access to Justice’ is a phrase bandied about by many. At the Rhodes University Law Clinic (RULAC) it is a daily goal: the clinic provides free legal services to indigent people in Grahamstown, with the assistance of law students as part of their compulsory legal practice module, and in Queenstown through the Queenstown Rural Legal Centre, a branch of RULAC. That is the tip of the iceberg however in order to facilitate access to justice to impoverished people in rural areas even further, RULAC works with paralegal advice offices throughout the Eastern Cape Province. By providing legal and administrative support and training, RULAC seeks to strengthen the capacity of community based paralegals to offer quality paralegal services and to develop an awareness of

human rights within their communities. Access to justice remains academic unless people are aware of their rights and have appropriate resources available to them to make them a reality. In many communities paralegal advice offices are the sole accessible resource available to many people. During 2010 the Embassy of France co-funded RULAC’s advice office program. RULAC visited and supported advice offices in the North Eastern Cape, and selected offices received a monthly grant. Over and above this, the French Embassy funds were used to support the Eastern Cape Advice Office Forum, an elected representative forum. This forum works closely with a national body, the National Alliance for the Development of

Community Advice Offices (NADCAO), for the structuring, development and formal recognition of advice offices throughout South Africa. The forum acts as a conduit of information between the individual advice offices, the province as a whole, and relevant national entities. The vision is to strengthen the national network of paralegal advice offices; to enable them to confidently and sustainably offer quality paralegal services to their local communities; and to assist them to secure the necessary funding and other resources to do so. Although the process is slow, the progress is steady. For more information: www.ru.ac.za/lawclinic

The Civil Society Development Fund, run by the Embassy of France in South Africa, support the participation of South African Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) in local governance. our Partners 2010-2011 are: Planact (Gauteng), Rhodes University Legal Aid Clinic (Eastern Cape), The Mvula Trust (KZN), Built Environment Support group (KZN) and the Alliance for Children’s Entitlement to Social Security (KZN). For more information: www.ambafrance-rsa.org Tel +27(0)12 425 1710 LEFT: LUSIKISIKI Paralegal Advice Centre. RIGHT: RULAC training, June 2010.

Enabling Documents for All

Experience and research have consistently shown that significant numbers of poor children and their families, especially those living in marginalised rural areas, encounter great difficulty in obtaining enabling documents from the Department of Home Affairs offices. A research study commissioned by Acess (Alliance for Children’s Entitlement to Social Security) identified the extent and causes of such difficulties. The research further confirmed that poverty levels, HIV/AIDS, maternal illness, death and increased

child mobility leave many children without the supporting documents enabling them to access social grants. The primary objective of the Enabling Documents Campaign is to ensure that poor and vulnerable children and their caregivers acquire documents that will enable them to access social security in order to improve the quality of their lives. Secondly, it seeks to encourage the cooperation and integration of government services in our communities that improve service delivery.

With the support of the French Civil Society Development Fund, ACESS was able to bring 310 partners together in the Umkhanyakude District (KwaZulu-Natal) to work to identify and assist people to get the necessary documents. The project successfully created a network of community-based organisations and, working with government, a 60% increase in birth registrations and 30% increase in the Child Support Grant uptake was achieved in 2010.

ACESS will continue to roll out this project in 2011 and hopes to impact on many more lives. For more information: www.acess.org.za LEFT: Princess Hlabisa with her Community Development Workers. RIGHT: The participants during one of the many training sessions discussing / filling in the Advocacy Board. LOGO © Mzwandile Buthelezi.

Franรงois Sarhan

This unexpectedly versatile French artist will be in South Africa throughout the year to present a series of creations, from music to books via performances!

Zoom | CulturE

LEFT: Drumming. MIDDLE: William Kentridge working with François Sarhan on Telegrams from the Nose. RIGHT: Lectures of Professor Glaçon.

Regarded as one of the most renowned and creative composers in today’s classical music field, French musician François Sarhan is difficult to classify: an extremely skilled classical cello player whose work includes also other mediums (such as collage, video, electronics, and even theatrical stage performances); he constantly creates with no boundaries, with a strong sense of modernity and hints of the charm of “old-fashioned” chamber music. Hosted at the private foundation NIROX for a creative residency between 26 February and 8 March, Sarhan will return to Johannesburg towards the end of April with a series of ingenious and creative projects. Sarhan is no stranger to a South African audience. Indeed following several stays in South Africa, he came back in 2009 for a creative residency to prepare an experimental music tour which took place in May the same year. During the tour, he inaugurated Arts on Main with his Lectures of Professor Glaçon. An exhibition will offer audiences the unique opportunity to enjoy collages, artefacts, videos and plates from the Encyclopedia created by Sarhan’s imaginary alter-ego Professor Glaçon. This Encyclopedia is meant to be a didactic piece of work dedicated to general human knowledge. The artists, instruments and other traditions of musical practices appearing in the Sarhan’s supposed Encyclopedia, propose other almost inexistent or barely existing conceptions of music. Every time though, a number of realistic elements leave us on the path to rationality and probability. Sarhan and world-renowned Portuguese percussion band, Drumming, will present two brand new episodes (Hagiography and La Vie des Bêtes – Wild Life) of Sarhan’s famous multimedia series

The Lectures of Professor Glaçon. “History might not be what it is said to be, or at least one can suppose that the many episodes which happened, or were close to happen, are not reported.

The same happens with music: many musical traditions, instruments and phenomena are unexpectedly hidden, ignored or carefully stolen from the attention of the innocent reader in the traditional music histories and encyclopaedia, and as we could expect, they are forgotten also by today’s musicians THEMSELVES. Would it be because they never existed? Very unlikely. (…)” Prof. Henri-Jacques Glaçon, Dr Honoris Causa of the New Southampton Royal Music Academy of Science. Finally, South Africa will get a chance to see and hear for the first time the result of the collaboration between François Sarhan and William Kentridge which took place in 2008: Telegrams from the Nose, a multimedia project mixing Sarhan’s original score with Kentridge’s videos. The backdrop is a large canvas painted by Kentridge on which are screened Telegrams from the Nose, a video consisting of a stylish combination of anamorphosed human shadows, small black animated silhouettes in cut-out paper, geometrical shapes evoking Russian constructivism, letters in movement and text. In phase with Kentridge’s images, the music of “Telegrams” scrolls through a series of hurried, scratched out, dislocated “Shostakovian vignettes”. It is a work of memory and allusion, without any direct quotations. As always with Sarhan, it is the text (the spoken voice) that carries him away: here the composer pursues his quest for a modern melodrama. An a-lyrical narration, like a voice sample imported directly from everyday life (or an archive or old film), is used as the guiding thread, harvesting instrumental events. Presented with the support of the Embassy of Spain in South Africa, the Embassy of Portugal in South Africa, the French Institute of South Africa and L’Institut Français. www.fsarhan.net

ABouT DRuMMING Drumming Grupo de Percussão or Drumming Percussion Group was founded in Porto (Portugal) in 1999, under the artistic direction of Spanish artist Miquel Bernat, and soon after that won worldwide acclaim thanks to the group’s unique “percussive” interpretation of the diverse scores played and the originality of its cross-over creations (acclaimed by both critics and the public). The group contributed to promote great contemporary plays and created its own repertoire, exploring diversified and imaginative forms of expressive percussions. Celebrated as one of the most active and innovative European music ensembles, Drumming has been playing in famous concert halls, as well as in various festivals and renowned venues around Europe.

eVeNTS From 19 april: exhibition at NIROXprojects, Arts on Main (Johannesburg)

ABouT FRANçoIS SARHAN Since 1995, the year he created his first piece for French composer Pierre Boulez’ 70th birthday, François Sarhan has never stopped enriching and diversifying his art: music for orchestra, chamber music, opera, electronic music as well as creative residencies (Asernal de Metz-France, Royal School of Music-Manchester). Not only does he compose but also stages his music through a theatrical structure he created and named crWTH, (Sarhan multiplies artistic collaborations with dance and theatre). His unique views on music are available in his Introduc-

tion to Music History, published in 2004, and also in his Encyclopaedia (written by Professor Glaçon, Sarhan’s imaginary alterego). In 2008, Sarhan and Kentridge joined forces to create Telegrams from the Nose, a music and video spin-off from the famous opera The Nose by Russian composer Chostakovic.

19 april: Lectures of Professor Glaçon, Arts on Main (Johannesburg) 21 april: Lectures of Professor Glaçon, Alliance française (Pretoria) 28 april: Lectures of Professor Glaçon, Main Street Life (Johannesburg) 1 may: The King Lear, NIROX (Cradle of Humankind) July: Telegrams from the Nose at the National Arts Festival (Grahamstown) September: Telegrams from the Nose at the Market Theatre (Johannesburg) (tbc) more events to come, for updates: www.ifas.org.za/culture

MAIN IMAGE: Lectures of Professor Glaçon featuring Miquel Bernat.

proFilE | SCiEnCES & EduCation

ABouT CampusFrance

CampusFrance

CampusFrance, previously named EduFrance, was established in 1998. It is an agency which strives to promote academic exchange through initiating and facilitating cooperation between French tertiary institutions and those based abroad. Dedicated to international academic and scientific mobility, with the aim of increasing the human capital of the countries involved, CampusFrance operates under the

CampusFrance, an agency dedicated to academic and scientific mobility, is opening its doors in South Africa. extra! talks to Elzette Mathys, the newly appointed CampusFrance representative based at the French Embassy and various Alliance françaises, concerning the agency’s projects.

effect, allow the country to become globally com-

participated in the NRF post-doctoral forum which

petitive. The fostering of scientific-technological

was held in Somerset-West in the Western Cape,

collaborations or networks with developed and

and was represented in Paris for the meeting with

emerging countries is furthermore required to

a wide range of French universities and écoles in

enhance the country’s competitiveness.

order to discuss the possibilities for increased stu-

What is the current situation in terms of

French higher education institutions. Concretely

academic exchanges in the field of sci-

this means primarily working in close coopera-

ence and technology in South Africa?

tion with universities and their students: liaising

In a bid to exponentially increase the growth of

dent mobility between the two countries.

oversight and authority of the foreign and European affairs and higher education and research French government departments. The agency has 24 (soon to be 27) branches based across the globe. In addition to the services described above, these centres also present to local students (wanting to operate outside of

its knowledge, the government is aiming at de-

What do you hope to achieve in

exchange programmes) who wish to com-

veloping international cooperation in order to

South Africa?

mence or continue their studies in France, as-

exploit the opportunities to move forward in advanced technologies areas, in order to create the kind of expertise that will provide the country with much needed socio-economic resolutions.

In terms of statistics, for the year 2009/2010, 135 South African students studied in France and 132 French students studied in South Africa. These

sistance with enrolling at a French tertiary institution, applying for visas and bursaries, and other practical advice.

numbers are relatively low when compared with

CampusFrance South Africa, in association

What can we expect from the newly

the mobility of South African students toward

with the French Embassy and the Alliance

launched CampusFrance?

anglophone countries or French students toward

Française will be hosting 3 official launches at

other European institutions. The aim is to create a

the Alliances Françaises of Pretoria, Johannes-

space in which new contacts can be developed in

burg and Cape Town, on 9, 17 and 30 March

order to link universities from South Africa and

respectively. These launches are open to the

France academically, scientifically and in terms of

public and will include a presentation of Cam-

CampusFrance in South Africa presents unprecedented opportunities for the advancement of academic exchanges between South African and

with those in the International Offices as well as

innovation. CampusFrance affirms that countries

pusFrance, a visit of the espace as well as a light

(represented by individuals) can increase their

cocktail buffet.

own knowledge resources and be enriched through a continuous effort to share their wealth

For more information: www.campusfrance.org

The South African government is increasingly fo-

those involved in research and development, as

cused on the building of human capital for a

well as presenting to students more information

knowledge-based economy that would allow it

on the advantages of studying in France. It also

The agency therefore presents itself as a vehicle

Elzette Mathys

to become more effective in moving towards its

means bringing together the resources of other

in establishing active inter-university partner-

pretoria@campusfrance.org

goals of economic growth and development. The

agencies and networks who share the same vi-

ships leading to the long- or short-term exchange

Tel +27 (0)12 425 1721

transformation that South Africa envisions in the

sion of promoting exchange for development. To

of students from tertiary establishments, collabo-

Tel +27 (0)84 209 0309

years to come can only be made possible by in-

this end, the agency will be present at various

ration in research projects, joint degrees and

creasing the resources that the country has in

forums (one being the NRF forum for doctoral

various other educational exchanges that would

terms of knowledge workers – those that hold a

candidates taking place in May 2011), confer-

benefit the participating institutions and even

tertiary degree as well as those who are commit-

ences and informative sessions. To give two

more so, their respective countries as a whole, in

ted to continual lifelong learning and would, in

examples, CampusFrance South Africa recently

terms of socio-economic development.

in knowledge with other countries.

proFilE | litEraturE

Marguerite Abouet Hailing from Abidjan, Marguerite Abouet will take part in several literary events in South Africa. extra! takes a closer look at the life and literary journey of this original author, the diversity of her work and her plans while in South Africa.

Aya de Yopougon, she dedicates her time to writ-

Marguerite Abouet

and a collaborative effort with her husband who

… was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in 1971

novels. Abouet depicts Africa with a unique voice

where she grew up with her family in the vibrant

and humour, far from any clichés, e.g. war and

area of Yopougon until the age of 12. Upon her

famine. The story has been adapted into an ani-

arrival in Paris, she discovered the wealth of li-

mated film to be released in 2011.

braries and developed a passion for books. Soon, she started writing novels she would not let anyone read, then became in turn punk, super nanny for triplets and grannies and waitress among others. After a career as a legal assistant, she decided to dedicate herself solely to writing and, with the complicity of Clément Oubrerie, created the character of Aya which saw the publication of her, , in 2005. Highly acclaimed amongst readers (350 000 copies sold) and by the critics (prize winner at the Festival d’Angoulême in 2006 and prize winner of the Point in 2007), the series was translated into 15 languages. Since the success of

ing as well as running the association she found-

Her visit in South Africa

ed, Des livres pour tous (Books for all), which

Her visit in South Africa includes her participation

aims at making books accessible to children of Af-

in the Franschhoek Literary Festival 2011 and in a

rica, and creating home-libraries in neighbour-

series of events in Johannesburg. In Franschhoek,

hoods. Marguerite Abouet now lives near Paris.

Marguerite Abouet will take part in three literary events: Serious vs Hilarious on Friday 13 May fea-

Her work

turing two serious women (Marguerite Abouet

Abouet’s first comic strip, Aya de Yopougon, tells the

with an axe to grind Leonora van Staden) and

story of a 19-year old heroine, the studious and

two funny men bestselling crime writer and in-

clear-sighted Aya, and of her easy-going friends Ad-

veterate comics blogger Colin Cotterill, and mav-

joua and Bintou and their meddling relatives and

erick enfant terrible of the South African cartoon

neighbours. After this, she published another five

world Jeremy Nell) who will be discussing con-

volumes of Aya’s adventures.

temporary comic art, facilitated by Andy Mason

It was also her first venture into graphic novels, used Aya as his first illustrating job in graphic

herself, and South African cartoonist and feminist

(What’s so Funny?); Young, Black and Reading on Saturday 14 May with Phakama Mbonambi, editor of the literary magazine Wordsetc, and Nollybooks Publisher Moky Makura, to be chaired by one of South Africa’s leading book personalities, broadcaster Karabo Kgoleng of SAFM, and Secret

Women’s Business (Council Chamber) on Sunday 15 May where Edyth Bulbring will use the Aus-

One of her latest releases Akissi: Attaque de Chats

tralian Aboriginal concept of a place where wom-

relates the story of a young, intrepid and stubborn

en go to discuss their affairs to delve into the

girl who lives in Yopougon, just like Aya. Directly

writing lives of Doreen Baingana (Tropical Fish),

targeted at readers of six years old and older, the

Marguerite Abouet, and poet and short story writ-

story is made up of seven mini-stories for which

er Arja Salafranca (The Thin Line). Joburgers will

she taps into various subject matters with humour.

also have the opportunity to meet with her dur-

Marguerite Abouet found inspiration in her child-

ing literary events organised by Dibuka in collabora-

hood in Ivory Coast to imagine the tender, yet ma-

tion with the Alliance Française of Johannesburg.

licious and spicy adventures of Akissi: Attaque de

For more information: www.ifas.org.za

chats, which is the first volume in a new series for

The Franschhoek literary Festival 2011 … celebrates the magic of words from 13 to 15 May with a gathering of over 100 authors, poets, editors, illustrators and chairpeople taking part in 70 events. With a continuing focus on good accessible writing and diversity, the many Southern African writers range from renowned to little-known and the topics from biography, history and politics to poetry, literary fiction and love stories. For more information: www.flf.co.za

“We were particularly keen to invite Marguerite because her Aya series celebrates Africa – and also because we are trying to draw in and excite young readers who relate strongly to graphic novels and new ways of writing like blogs, speculative and cellphone fiction. We feel that as a bestselling author she will be an inspiration to the local graphic community. The Festival opens in Franschhoek on Friday 13 May at 11.30am with the event Serious vs Hilarious.” Jenny Hobbs, Franschhoek literary Director of the Festival

children. MAIN IMAGE: Marguerite Abouet. TOP RIGHT: Marguerite Abouet’s Aya series.

proFilE | CulturE

NIRoX

Located near the Cradle of Humankind,

But most of all, we want artists to regard NIROX

NIROX is a peaceful and enlightening

as a place where they can work without restric-

place which hosts artists in residency

tions, enjoy the incredibly beautiful and intrigu-

and presents sculpture exhibitions. Tell

ing landscape, and have very little concern for the

us more about your vision of NIROX.

demands of everyday domestic and commercial

NIROX is a young and constantly changing insti-

extra! talks to Benji Liebmann about NIROX, a private foundation commiatted to advancing Africa’s place in the global contemporary arts.

tution, bound to as little preconception as possi-

You have hosted the likes of South African

ble. Our vision for the residency is to create a

artists Willem Boshoff, Kendell Geers,

place of refuge where artists from all disciplines

Marlene Dumas, Johannes Phokella and

and cultural backgrounds can explore their prac-

international artists like Richard Long.

tice freely and interact with each other as they

Could you tell us more about your artis-

please – feeding off and adding to the local so-

tic policy when inviting artists in resi-

cial and physical environment.

dency?

The Sculpture Park aims to give this particular

Our process is very informal. I am not sure there

discipline a public platform for showing large-

is a policy, as such. Mainly, selections are made

scale work, which is not otherwise available in

from referrals by previous residents, other artists,

South Africa. We are open to both local and inter-

gallery owners, curators and so on. We base our

national sculptors.

decisions on the artist’s reasons for wanting the

We hope that over time, our efforts will contribute towards breaking down the artificial and restrictive boundaries which arise from the separation of nations, cultures and religions.

life, which can so often inhibit their work.

residency, or our particular engagement with the work or the project. We have no panel or judging process, but we do consult our growing sphere of influencers…

Our target is to attract artists who have an estab-

for his show in the NIROX projects space

Also this year: Geoffrey Hendricks the New York

lished international practice. But we have also

at Arts on Main, and Willem Boshoff’s

Fluxist artist will collaborate with Anthea Moys

welcomed less-established artists, either as a foil

series of monumental granite sculptures

and Wits students to produce a performance art-

for another resident or because we think there is

Children of the Stars — a result of his first

work addressing issues around the destigmatisa-

a good reason, having regard to the particular

residency… What can we expect this year?

tion of AIDS; celebrated German artist Jurgen

circumstances. Some artists have approached us because of their particular interest in the Cradle of Humankind as a source of research; others because they want to investigate and work broadly within the dynamic South African context; yet others just because they are attracted by the landscape or the freedom of working without a predetermined programme. We are open to all these possibilities and more.

Yes. Although a defined project or “production outcome” isn’t a prerequisite, many residencies have resulted in the birth or the production of something unique. Boshoff’s Children of the Stars is inspired by the geo-physical history of the area. The project is still ongoing as we are working towards an artist’s book exploring the process, the experience and the concepts around the work. Francois Sarhan’s residencies have resulted in the

Many original projects were created dur-

creation of his alter-ego Professor Glaçon, who

ing or following residencies at NIROX. To

will perform this year at several public and pri-

name few recent ones: French walking

vate venues in Johannesburg and Europe. This

photographer Eric Bourret’s exhibition

will expand the conversion of this composer/cel-

What do we really know about land-

list into the performance, film and visual artist

scape? Toon Verhoef, the Dutch meta-

that he has become since he was first in resi-

physical abstract painter’s vast canvasses

dence at NIROX.

Partenheimer will collaborate with local composer Kevin Vollans to extend their cross-disciplinary work, coupled with a student-exchange programme between the Muthesias School of Fine Art and the Wits School of Arts; and Lorenzo Fussi, curator of the Liverpool Biennial, will explore curatorial possibilities for South African artists in the UK and vice versa. www.niroxarts.com Selection of photographs taken at the NIROX Sculpture Park. Photos © Benji Liebmann.

portFolio

Borders Masterclass The Borders Masterclass, held at the Market Photo Workshop from 28 October to 10 November 2010, was informed by the 8 Bamako Encounters, toured South Africa. The African photography Biennale is

TOP LEFT AND RIGHT: Mark Shoul.

a platform for African photography, critical discourse and training. The Masterclass sought to extend its influence through an extensive photography programme open to photographers of the continent. Facilitated by South African photographer Jo Ractliffe, the Masterclass gathered photographers looking to grow their critical and conceptual practice through the guidance of experienced and respected master photographers as well as in conjunction with other emerging contemporaries with whom ideas can be exchanged and developed. www.marketphotoworkshop.co.za

BOTTOM FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Mark Shoul, Down Town. Thabiso Sekgala, Untitled from the series Homeland. Thabiso Sekgala, Untitled from the series Homeland. Thabiso Sekgala, Untitled from the series Homeland.

portFolio

What do we know about landscape? French walking photographer Eric Bourret surveyed the Cradle of Humankind during a six-week residency at the NIROX Foundation, Gauteng, in 2009. During this period of introspection, he contemplated the presence of 21st century clues on a ground of 4 million years’ worth of human activities. For Bourret, this was not about considering an objective documentary bearing some relation to the territory, but rather about contemplating the presence of a metaphorical inventory of “archaeological

TOP LEFT: Photos © Eric Bourret. TOP RIGHT: Eric Bourret’s What do we know about Landscape? at Arts on Main. Photo © Francki Burger. BOTTOM: Photos © Eric Bourret.

hearths”. His meditative experience resulted in a series of photographic installations. The exhibition was on show at NIROXprojects, Johannesburg, from 16 October to 7 November 2010. www.ericbourret.com

rEndEZ-vouS | marCH to July 2011

maurice mbikayi lise Garnier exhibition live Music

Eric Gauss exhibition

damien.meyrignac@alliance.org.za

marie@ifas.org.za

damien.meyrignac@alliance.org.za

This visual artist and cultural activist originally from DRC explores various aspects of visual art and public performance, as a way of engaging the public and interrogating socio-political boundaries.

Fast and fresh, wild and witty, Lise Garnier’s cabaret is an energetic cocktail of song, trombone and recital.

French photographer will present his exhibition “En Attendant”, a collection of photographic interpretation of the impact of human beings on the environment

From 14 March: Pretoria From 28 March: Durban From 9 May: Mbabane, Swaziland From 6 June: Maputo, Mozambique From 11 July: Johannesburg TOP: Work by Maurice Mbikayi.

13 March: Pretoria 16 March: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe 18 March: Cape Town 19 March: Port elizabeth 21 & 22 March: Maputo, Mozambique 24 March: Mbabane, Swaziland TOP: Lise Garnier at one of her performances.

From 14 March: Johannesburg From 11 April: Cape Town From 9 May: Durban From 13 June: Port elizabeth From 11 July: Pretoria From 5 September: Maseru, lesotho From 26 September: Mbabane, Swaziland From 24 October: Maputo, Mozambique

time of the writer international writers Festival literature jerome.chevrier@alliance.org.za Acclaimed French novelist Marie Darrieussecq and Senegalese novelist, journalist and screenwriter Boubacar Boris Diop will take part in the 14th edition of the literary festival. 14 – 19 March: Durban TOP: Marie Darrieussecq 2007. Photo © Bamberger.

marguerite abouet literature

nancy Ginindza live Music

jerome.chevrier@alliance.org.za

Young multi-talented musician originally from Swaziland offers a unique and universal sound, which crosses the bound...

Hailing from Abidjan, original Marguerite Abouet (author of Aya, the award-winning graphic novels set in Ivory Coast) will take part in several literary events in South Africa where aficionados will be able to interact with her. 13, 14 & 15 May: Franschhoek literary Festival May: Johannesburg LEFT: Marguerite Abouet.

damien.meyrignac@alliance.org.za

4 June: Gaborone, Botswana 12 June: Mbabane, Swaziland 14 & 15 June: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe 17 June: Port elizabeth 18 June: Cape Town 19 June: Johannesburg 22 June: Durban 25 June: Maseru, lesotho 30 June & 1 July: Windhoek, Namibia LEFT: Nancy Ginindza.

GEt in tHE loop!

Francophonie event damien.meyrignac@alliance.org.za As part of the International Day of Francophonie, the Alliance française of Johannesburg presents a full day in music, dance, exhibition and performances by Congolese rapper Lexxus Legal, South African dancer Fana Tshabalala and The Giant Match puppets, amongst others. 27 March: Alliance Française of Johannesburg TOP: Lexxus Legal. Photo © Luc Mayitoukou.

Email To receive information on our events, send an email to ifas@ifas.org.za with “subscribe” in the subject of the email for both cultural and research events, “subscribe culture” for cultural events only and “subscribe research” for research events only. Facebook Add “Ifas Culture” as a friend

François Sarhan maboneng live Music & Street party exhibition event

nyaniso lindi exhibition

ben@ifas.org.za

giantmatch@gmail.com

This unexpectedly versatile French artist will present a series of creations, from exhibition, music to books via performances with world-renowned Portuguese percussion band, Drumming!

This exclusive street party will associate a weekly established food gourmet market, the Market on Main, movie screening for kids, musical events throughout the day, a street party, featuring the giant puppets from The Giant Match, and a sunset concert to end the weekend on a high note.

South African visual artist presents his new exhibition inspired by his trip to Paris last year in which he features works which portrays hybrids using functional objects like lamps and stoves fused with human forms.

From 19 April: NIRoXprojects, Arts on Main, Johannesburg 19 April: Arts on Main, Johannesburg 21 April: Alliance française, Pretoria 28 April: Main Street life, Johannesburg 1 May: NIRoX, Cradle of Humankind 9 & 10 July: National Arts Festival, Grahamstown

damien.meyrignac@alliance.org.za

From 9 May: Pretoria From 13 June: Durban From 18 July: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe From 29 August: Cape Town From 3 October: Port elizabeth From 31 October: Johannesburg From 21 November: Maseru, lesotho TOP: Work by Nyaniso Lindi.

TOP: Miquel Bernat performing.

loustal literature jerome.chevrier@alliance.org.za French illustrator Loustal is one of the most popular French contemporary artists. Having spent a fair time of his life in Africa, he will be back to join in the yearly anticipated arts festival. 2 & 3 July: National Arts Festival, Grahamstown LEFT: Loustal’s Carnet de Voyages, 2003 – 2005.

Crossings Dance, Music & lighting Design marie@ifas.org.za Following last year’s successful first edition, Crossings #2 will offer a series of cultural events running in the evenings alongside the international artistic workshop with the aim to investigate the connection between dance, music and lighting design in the creative process. 23 July – 7 August: Johannesburg LEFT: Crossings. Photo © John Hogg.