PEOPLE I PLACES I NEWS  I OPPORTUNITIES I UPDATES

TAG is a professional visual artists’ newsletter providing a global platform to the artists in residency at Greatmore Studios, Cape Town and also to art practitioners within the network of Triangle Art Trust. As an a compliment to a regularly updated web site, www.greatmoreart.org TAG provides artists with relevant updates about the studios, artists work and opportunities in the arts arena both locally in Cape Town, on the continent and abroad. 

editor’s notes 

·         Tambu about town TAG editor sheds light on new opportunities available to artists following a brief visit to Gauteng … (read more)

our news

·         Greatmore Studios hosts a mini Triangle Arts Trust conference … (read more)

·         Emerging artists spread their wings Greatmore Studios introduces six new artists enrolled in a month long mentoring workshop … (read more)

·         In Conversation with Mandla Vanyaza TAG gets direct interface with a resident artist about his art practice … (read more)

in the loop 

• Tulipamwe Art Workshops awaken TAG has a look at the rebirth of a meaningful artists’ network … (read more)
• Gasworks International Residency Programme launches the Africa beyond initiative … (read more)
• Reflections Shatana, International Artist Workshop Jordan … (read more)
• Convenor of the Artreach fund at the AVA, talks to artists about seeking funding for art projects … (read more)
• Ceramic SA hosts a winter workshop … (read more)
• RE/Action: An Evening of Performance Art  Greatmore intern Mishkaah Roberts participates in a performance workshop at the Bag Factory … (read more)
• Preparations to launch Cape Town first Community Television station … (read more)
• Business Acumen of artists encouraged through UCT Graduate School of Business … (read more)
• Former Haitian visiting artist Kate Tarratt Cross exhibits at the AVA … (read more)

• Greatmore Studios’ revolving Visiting Artists Programme calls for applications … (read more)
• Bag Factory invites artists to apply for International Residency in Johannesburg … (read more)
• The Development Bank of Southern Africa invites artists to exhibit work at the “Soul of Africa” exhibition … (read more)
• The National Arts Festival welcomes applications to exhibit work at the 2008 Festival … (read more)
• Call for entries to PPC’s 2007 Young Concrete Sculptor Awards … (read more)
• AfriCa/afrik [H] invites submissions by artists from the continent … (read more)
• Art teachers and educators invited to participate in a 2-week residency in Ghana  … (read more)
• International Media And Light Arts (AMALA) Workshop 2007 Alexandria, Egypt … (read more)
• Call for applications for residency at Schloss Bleckede Germany … (read more)
• Queen Street Digital Art Studios (DAS) hosts an international digital residency … (read more)
  

• ArtRemains … (read more)

editor’s notes 

Tambu about town

With funding for ongoing projects running desperately thin, this July saw me take a brief solo visit to Gauteng in a marketing and public relations capacity, to draw new partners in support of projects at Greatmore Studios. One can never enter the game with a naivety that it is an easy terrain to navigate- although the  private sector has an advantage of being a largely untapped resource in terms of sourcing funding for the visual arts, it  still remains  a real challenge to crack. Armed with some thoroughly researched proposals, a couple of promotional DVDs and a bag full of hope, vulnerable and somewhat desperate, we gave it our best shot. We were not looking for hand-outs, but rather looked to enter into mutually beneficial partnerships that are meaningful for both parties.

My trip was full with visits to the Royal Netherlands Embassy, a serendipitous tea date with the cultural attaché for the Indonesian Embassy in Pretoria and finally a warm welcome at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). Greatmore Studios was delighted to hear that DBSA have agreed to sponsor one emerging artist to enroll in our newly launched mentoring workshop next year. This comes as an extension of a recent campaign by DBSA to draw in professional black artists in the “Soul of Africa” exhibition, a project that provides historically disadvantaged artists from the continent a platform to exhibit their work in Johannesburg later this year. With few organisations truly awakening to the value the arts play in contributing to sustainable development in this nation, DBSA’ s approach and timely support is truly  refreshing.  

Greatmore Studios was also thrilled to learn that a history of diverse artists passing through our doors has lent us credibility as a rich resource from which the Indonesian government would like to draw deserving candidates for the Darmasiswa Art and Cultural Scholarship Programme. This recently launched initiative invites professional visual artists working in South Africa a unique opportunity to further their art practice in Indonesia for up to a year. During the seventeenth century people of the Indonesian archipelago were transported as human cargo to the Cape to serve as slaves during Dutch imperialism; it is with this backdrop that South African artists are encouraged to connect meaningfully with the very roots of the Cape’s social development with a brief visit to the islands. For further details concerning the call for applications for this programme please keep posted to future issues of TAG.

My trip would not have been complete without a visit to the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) to get a squint at the Africa Remix show. I decided to coincide this with my attendance at a panel discussion on digital art, Digital Africa facilitated by Trinity Session at the same venue. With new waves being made in technology daily,  discussions sought to draw in visual artists into fresh debate around new approaches artists should or are already  taking towards technology, demystifying the notion of a not so new ‘new media’ phenomenon. It was an engaging forum, with a diversity of personalities from various fields of the visual world represented and a plethora of pertinent subjects addressed. It was however somewhat complicated by a use of vocabulary that was later deemed too elitist for most of the audience represented. Was it yet another fluffy intellectual conference with no real agenda? I cannot tell, I slipped out a little early- I can confidently say however, that I did emerge from the discussions with a definite sense of the need for artists to deliberately open ourselves up to available technology to leverage our own practices, be it marketing one’s self or using ‘new’ technology more effectively in the art making process to communicate new things. We can bemoan the lack of real digital infrastructure and connectivity in the continent as a whole, or mine what is currently available, jump into our local internet cafés, and get better informed about the creative options that even the ubiquitous mobile phone afford us daily.

Greatmore Studios’ new strategic partnerships have given our artists a new platform from which to imagine future creative projects. I am very grateful to our partners for carving out time in their schedules to meet with me and be introduced to ongoing initiatives at the studio.  I look forward to nurturing and strengthening our relationships and taking the time to map the way forward. To Robyn Field, creative director at Unity Gallery thank you for your insight into the artist milieu of a young pool of artists working in Johannesburg –your commitment to see emerging visual artists from FUBA and Artists Proof Studio established and encouraged to take their practice professionally has inspired me. It is a real challenge to inspire experimental art making amongst ‘emerging artists’ working in Cape Town’s alternative art making circles. What is a ‘young’ artist anyway? Is he/she merely any individual who has recently picked up pen and paint in the last few years and is bold enough to demand they be called an “artist”? These are some of the fundamental questions we continually attempt to raise through our newly launched mentoring workshops hosted at the studios. As friend and former resident artist Polly Alakija commented about work emerging from our August mentoring workshop, there is a desperate need for young artists to move away from the tight confines of making “pretty” art that will sell and just “shake things up a little”, completely debunking all previous ways of doing things and giving themselves the freedom to make ‘mistakes’ and enjoy the play.

Towards the end of my trip I was privileged to spend three rich hours in conversation with a gritty yet gracious grandmother and self assured artist, Helen Sebidi at her studios in Johannesburg. In our September offering, TAG gets an in-depth look at the tenacity of one woman to carve a place for herself in the contemporary art arena in South Africa- narrating her journey from being a ‘young’ artist to her present achievements to date. Don’t be deceived this seemingly simple woman holds a sophisticated mind, carries her own attitude and activism that permeates her work. I am confident that her commitment to working will inspire a new attitude towards our own individual projects.

So from the desk, there we have it- I am wishing you an exciting entry into an African spring. May we forget the former things; press on, keeping our minds and hearts open to new possibilities and taking the time to embrace the elements that characterise our unique journeys in an ever dynamic art industry.

Tambudzai La Verne Sibanda, Editor in Chief 

We always welcome your contributions to the content of this newsletter. Please e-mail us your comments at tagnews@gmail.com

p.s. This August TAG is delighted to invite you to view a video of a mural project initiated by former resident artist Polly Alakija who worked alongside two artists enrolled in our August mentoring month on www.onlinevideonow.co.za/OVC/greatmore.html .The mural along St James Street in Woodstock was kindly sponsored by the British Council. For more information on our outreach projects to the community please visit www.greatmoreart.org/outreach.htm

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our news

Greatmore Studios hosts the regional Triangle Arts Trust conference 

From 12 to 14 September 2007, Greatmore Studios plays host to a mini-strategic conference for the artists and coordinators in the Triangle Art Network. The conference brings together delegates from nine projects from the African continent and Europe to map the way forward for various future initiatives. For more information on the Triangle Art Trust please visit www.trianglearts.org

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Emerging artists spread their wings

The second of its kind this year, the month long mentoring workshop hosted at Greatmore Studios this August, offers inspiring spaces to six emerging artists to interact with each other, tap the expertise of seasoned artists while exploring the possibilities of producing meaningful work.

Despite displaying realistic expectations of what can be produced technically in a short time it has been exciting none the less, to see the young artists get serious about their art. There is a definite raw energy and determination that the new artists have invested into their working process that is commendable. TAG takes time to find out a little more about the passions of these six artists.

Name: Neil Nieuwoudt

Why we like him: Committed to his art practice, working in an industry where many cookie cutter artists are emerging from formal art institutions, Neil’s background as a self-taught artist provides a refreshing approach to art making that has a strong decorative edge. Although primarily a painter working largely in acrylics and occasionally introducing new elements onto the canvas be it textiles or wax, Neil also has a growing passion for digital art.

His journey: Carving a place for himself in the industry as a self-taught visual artist, Neil started focusing seriously on his art practice five years ago. Displaying a strong understanding of form and shape from his exposure to art at high school, Neil has used his creative process to bring in greater emotional and spiritual stability in his life

His thoughts on the Cape Town art scene: With few young artists working in George professionally, Neil has found his experience at Greatmore Studios surrounded by like minded artists particularly enriching. He comments how Cape Town’s hybrid of cultures has forced him to move beyond his own upbringing and embrace other people’s cultures both professionally and on a personal level.

What’s next: Neil is looking to exhibit some of his most recent work in an exhibition in Hamburg, Germany later this year. Following that he looks to develop his art practice striving to stay as authentic and sincere as he can to his own identity and artistic signature.

Neil Finds inspiration in: The conceptual boldness of Marcel Duchamp and childlike naivety and sincerity of expressions by Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The Sound bite: I work intuitively with unorthodox methods. My work is emotional, musical and has a definite rhythm about it. My love for nature also comes through strongly in my work… One cannot always control the creative process, often the medium forces its own way through the canvas and that is exciting.

neil_nieuwoudt@hotmail.com                                                        www.nieuwoudt.artremains.com

Name: Lungiswa Mkwasi

Her background: Mkwasi recently completed a 2D animation skills programme at Cape College. The artist has also previously studied at the Art and Media Access Centre (AMAC) in Cape Town during which she was invited to exhibit in a group show in Stockholm, entitled 'Women's Spaces/kvinnliga rum/imiba yethu. Sensitively curated by Gabi Ngcobo, the exhibition drew inspiration from a series of workshops that engaged students on issues emerging from their daily personal struggles as well as the construction of male and female cultural identities. Mkwasi’s origins are in the Eastern Cape where at a young age she became intrigued by fashion and design.

Why we like her: Mkwasi’s has a strong sensitivity and authenticity that she brings to her work. A woman whose refusal to play the game is admirable, the artist insists on experimenting with a   range of media from acrylic ,spray paint and her signature use of mirrors,

The sound bite: My work deals with the inner emotions and workings of the mind. I look at what is inside a person, and not the outward appearance or material possessions. I am a hard worker and proud of myself. I want my work to be positive to inspire my audience with hope and life. I want people to move from being ashamed of themselves and seeing inner wealth.

lungilungilungi@yahoo.com

Name: Sidwell Rihlamvu

His journey: Born in Shoshanguve in Pretoria, following his matric, Rihlamvu enrolled at FUNDA Community Center in Soweto, Gauteng where he received his first formal art training. He was later sponsored by Nobel laureate Nadine Godimer to study at WITS University where he was challenged conceptually to break away from previous clichés that stifled his earlier work

Why we like him: Rihlamvu strong work ethic and mature, effective networking skills make him a likeable personality. He has a strong interest in architecture and his love for line and fine technical skill is evident in his most recent body of work, leaving many viewers intrigued. Rihlamvu was selected among several young artists to participate in a unique year long residency in Switzerland in 2005 an experience he continues to mine from for the content of his work.

What’s next: Rihlamvu is currently trying to secure an exhibition of his most work in Cape Town for early next year. Following that, he hopes to work towards his dream to see his art selling and living securely as a professional visual artist.

The sound bite: A great painter for me is someone who can confidently manipulate colour, has great technical skill , and displays a strong use of line and texture…it was important for me to go through formal art training because although you may have your talent and creativity, you need the next person to add another layer to your work, to help you expand your vision…My current work was inspired by my time in Switzerland when I observed that people live in caravans battling with places to stay similar to many of blacks  in South Africa, who are forced to stay in informal settlements. My work provides an interesting comparison and critical commentary about these similar yet different living spaces .With a continual influx of people into Jo’burg desiring to live and work, there is a serious lack of living space. My current work reflects these uncomfortable, confined spaces as viewed through my window.

sidwell_rihlamvu@yahoo.co.uk

Name: Bianca McCallum

Her journey: Bianca emerged on the art scene in her youth as a graffiti artist tagging walls as a way of subverting authority. Her methods of expression have since matured from her counterculture activities; as the artist has taught herself to use oil and acrylics to tell her story through organic shapes that she claims often have no deeper underlying meaning. It is art for arts sake.

What we like about her: Bianca is passionate about trying to turn her art into a career and is interested in allowing other artists around her to act as sounding boards, helping her refine her skills to develop her own independent style.

The sound bite: For me art is beauty in motion, stemming from the malleable and agile soliloquies of my heart. The work is raw, fluid and pure in expression…

bianca_mccallum@hotmail.com

Name: Ishgaan Adams

His journey: Born in Bonteweul, Cape Town Ishgaan has always shown a strong creative aspect to his personality that he attributes to come from a creative family with a father who always drew during his childhood and aunts who would us their own skills to decorate his surroundings as a child. Ishgaan spend two years at Cape College developing his art practice.

Why we like him: Isghaan served as a volunteer working with former Nigerian resident artist Polly Alakija on a mural along St James Street earlier this year. He since returns to the space to focus on his own body of work. Displaying a mature understanding of colour, Ishgaan’s larger than life portraits are immediate and confrontational, drawing the viewer into the artists own internal tensions with his identity.

The sound bite: My work is very personal and deals with my struggles to find balance between my masculine and feminine sides. I use my portraits to expose something of myself …There is a sinister side to my personality that finds expression through my work.

shaan82@webmail.co.za

Name: Keith Zenda

His journey: Keith began his art career at a very tender age, sketching with crayons and assisting his teachers with class charts and biology drawings. In 2001 after receiving some tubes of paint from a friend, Keith began exploring his skill at painting wildlife on the back of card board boxes. Inspired by a more mature artist in his home town, Keith was encouraged to visit galleries in Zimbabwe and began reading about the old masters and subsequently developed his skill.

Why we like him: At such a young age, this self taught Zimbabwean artist has developed his artistic muscle working mainly in acrylics as a young impressionist. Peppered with social commentary, Keith’s work seeks to depict the landscape of his birth, depicting characters from the underclass, busy with their daily chores. Despite economic hardships in his home country, armed with determination, the young artist has been successful in meeting a buying market in the art world. Keith however looks to find ways in which he can be challenged further in his practice through exposure to various opportunities for experimentation.

The sound bite: I paint what I have experienced as a young boy in rural Zimbabwe. I am currently trying to find my own personal touch as a painter. I want people to look at my brush strokes, and choice of colour and say that is Keith’s.

divineart@webmail.co.za

Keith Zenda’s brief residency at Greatmore Studios has been kindly sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development

On Tuesday 28^th August 2007 the artists enrolled in our mentoring workshop hosted an open studio exhibition at Greatmore Studios. It was a relaxed and easy evening allowing artists and art lovers in the community an opportunity to sample new and experimental work by six emerging artists originating from Zimbabwe, Namibia, George, Johannesburg, Khayletisha and Bonteweul.

Prior to the exhibition gallery manager at Joao Ferreira, Chantal Louw in an informal discussion equipped the artists with invaluable kills in the protocol to observe when approaching galleries, skills in self promotion as  artists, the horrors of  hanging own’s work and opening nights. Commenting on what he learnt from the talk Igshaan Adams said,

 “I learned about the process of selection and why loyalty, ethics and professionalism is so important. It’s all about give and take and it is important to always be true to my vision as an artist.”

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In Conversation with Mandla Vanyaza

This month TAG gets direct interface with resident artist Mandla Vanyaza in his studio and talks honestly about his journey in art making as well as his memorable visit with Gerard Sekoto in Paris

TAG: Mandla you have been resident at the studios for some four years now. Talk us through the journey that led you to the studios.

Mandla Vanyaza: Well, previously from 2000 until 2002 I taught students at Sivuyile college drawing and three-dimensional sculptural work. I learnt a lot while teaching. I used the time in-between classes to upgrade my skills. From 1986 until 1986 I had studied at CAP (Community Art Project), previously I had no real qualification in art.

TAG: What previous training did you have? How did you find the shift to the visual arts?

M.V.: I trained as a carpenter although I knew I always wanted to draw and paint. Working as a technician I realised that it was not what I wanted to do. So I changed my course to architectural studies. Due to some financial constraints I stopped this course and worked as a carpentry instructor for a year. During this time I met a man working at CAP who introduced me to the space. I began to visit him to see what was going on and then I eventually joined the classes.

TAG: What do you find in painting that carpentry could never allow you?

M.V: Carpentry helps someone create original forms-there is no limit to what you can make; one can interpret structures as one wants. I do however like working in colour. It is my fascination to manipulate colour. As I have worked and grown through the years as an artist I have focused a lot on my subjects, exploring limitless themes through my work. Painting allows me this.

TAG: Your work has in the past looked at depicting interior spaces. Why this obsession with painting living spaces?

M.V.: I am fascinated by how people arrange their spaces. You can read a lot about someone from how they chose to set themselves up in a room. I want to share these personal stories with others. When I started I was influenced a lot by impressionists and German expressionists.

TAG: Mandla you had a unique opportunity in 1992 to travel to Paris for a five month residency, during which time you introduced yourself to then exiled Gerard Sekoto. Tell us about that experience. How did your visit to see Sekoto feed your creativity?

M.V.: Peter Clark was in Paris at the time and helped me to get Sekoto’s address. They knew each other when Sekoto was living in Cape Town, in District Six for two to three years. I decided to visit him at his studio because he was a well know black artist whom I admired. His paintings resonated with the conditions that were going on in the townships. I wanted to talk to him about is work.
TAG: As a result of a series of visits you made to see the artist while in Paris, a collection of work evolved that you eventually exhibited called Sekoto- my memory. Why did you feel you needed to makes these portraits of the artist?

M.V.: In my reasoning I thought I wanted to make portraits of Sekoto, as I found that he did not have any portraits of himself in his studio. I took several photographs of him on my visits and used them as a reference. I soon got into a good rhythm of working.

TAG: What was the most memorable conversation you remember having with the esteemed artist?

M.V.: I remember asking him if he wanted to return to South Africa and he replied to me that given the political situation as it had been, he would rather stay in Paris in self imposed exile. I admired the sacrifice he had made for his personal and artistic freedom .In my eyes he was prepared to die for his ideal.

TAG: With a background in carpentry and having taught three dimensional sculptural works you are clearly adept with your hands. Have you ever ventured into sculpting?

M.V.: I primarily work in oils as a painter, but I have made some ceramic sculptures. I used to work in Barbra Jackson’s studio at some stage. I might make some sculptures sometime in the near future. I always want new challenges, I am not easily satisfied doing one thing. My earlier work was in oil, I then moved to chalk pastel and I have since resumed to painting in oils again.

TAG: You are currently exploring movement of people, you work could be described as social commentary. Do you see yourself as a ‘township artist’?

M.V.: I am interested in exploring the relationship between people and their immediate surroundings. I have moved from working from my sketches as a reference to using my photographs and video clips, which I would like to see develop to be a work of art in themselves. I am still developing my skills and need to learn so much more in this field. In terms of being a ‘township artist’, I am personally not comfortable with this term as it has negative connotations and I do not like to be put into a box. I often do not like to describe my work, I just make it. It is for other people, my viewer to try and explain my work. I refuse to be limited to a particular genre of art making.

TAG: Where to from now Mandla, what can we expect in your most recent works? Looking back at all the years in residency at Greatmore what can you say about the community of artists here.

M.V.: My work is always changing. I am moving towards making bigger work, using larger canvases. I have introduced some texture to my canvases before I paint on them to add greater depth and movement to my figures.

As a resident artist at the studios I have seen and learnt a lot over the years from some of the other artists visiting from America and Europe’s have allowed myself to learn new techniques.

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in the loop

Tulipamwe Art Workshops awaken

TAG follows committee member Jill Trappler on the road in Namibia and learns about the logistics around growing an effective art network.

“The intention of my visit to Namibia was to discuss the development of the Tulipamwe Art workshops. I arrived at sunset and the following night I was met by the new committee for dinner at a restaurant in Windhoek. Tulipamwe has been dormant for a few years now, but developments have been put in place to see a small administrative hub established at The University of Namibia, with a computer that can be used by one of the committee members working there part time. There is an existing website address www.artshost.org/tulipamwe/  and efforts are being made to grow the project’s sponsors. There is a very positive feeling in the committee and there is a general agreement that this network of artists should continue and participate in the existing Triangle Art network. We have agreed that the first move forward  would be to launch a newsletter that would feature recent information on the network and opportunities which will be gathered from the existing newsletters and also include news of local events in around Windhoek. There is an aim to have a Tulipamwe Art workshop next year. Following up to this we have encouraged the development of a data base of local artists and art and craft organizations as well as potential funders in Namibia from which to draw from in the future.

I was particularly interested in what was happening in the visual art world in Namibia and I see a need for the artists there to be connected to a greater network of artists. Overall it was a worth while trip and I will keep in touch and assist where possible...”

For more details on this initiative please visit or contact Professor Hercules Viljoen on hviljoen@unam.na  

Jill Trappler is a professional artist working in Cape Town, a trustee and coordinator of the Thupelo Workshops hosted in South Africa. For an updated look at her website please visit www.jilltrappler.co.za

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Gasworks International Residency Programme launches the Africa beyond initiative 

Africa Beyond aims to keep African culture in a central position within the UK visual art landscape, by offering three residencies in the Gasworks International Residency Programme to artists from the African continent from April-June 2008.This unique residency focuses on professional development, artistic exchange and the development of the artistic process of mid-career contemporary African visual artists who have not previously worked extensively in Europe. The residency will provide artists with the means to research and experiment with new work, taking an important step in an international context. The opportunity provides artists with accommodation and living expenses in London, a private studio at Gasworks, a materials budget and an Open Studio exhibition at Gasworks with possibilities to speak about one’s work. Interested artists are asked to submit an artist's statement (300 words max), a motivational letter stating which partner organisation you would ideally like to work with and a minimum of 10 images of recent work, in the form of reproductions, slides, CD or DVD, an updated curriculum vitae, a letter of reference and any other relevant documentation (e.g. articles about past work or exhibitions, etc.). Applications can be email to  Mia Jankowicz , the Residency Curator at mia@gasworks.org.uk and should be marked 'Africa Beyond' .For more information on partner organisations you would like to work with in this initiative or for any further details visit www.gasworks.org.uk/residencies/detail.php?id=316 .Gas Works is a sister organisation of Greatmore Studios based in London. Applications are being accepted until 1 October 2007.

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Reflections Shatana, International Artist Workshop Jordan

Officially a part of the Triangle Arts network,theShatana International Artists’ Workshop 2007 held in the village of Shatana, north of Jordan is a first of its kind in the region, bringing together artists from a diversity of countries to exchange and engage in dialogue around contemporary art practice. New ideas were envisaged and work developed, many of which was very context-based and site-related.

Invited into the homes of locals for the duration of the workshop, artists were encouraged to share meals, assimilate into the culture and introduce members of the community to their work. The workshop resulted in 32 projects, mostly work in progress, of art made by 23 participating artists working in video, paint, mixed media and sculpture. Please visit www.trianglearts.org/detail.php?id=62 for more information.

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Convenor of the Artreach fund at the AVA, Paul Birchall talks to artists about seeking funding for various art projects

In his capacity as convenor of the Artreach fund at the Association of Visual Arts (AVA), Paul Birchell who himself is an artist known for the versatility of his abstract creations, was invited this month to Greatmore Studios to address a pool of emerging artists with regards to applying for assistance from the Artreach fund. In a candid, honest chat with the artists, Birchall spoke about the challenges artists often face in their practice, be it the need for money for materials or support to see a community art project sponsored. Birchall spoke about how a limited fund administered by the AVA seeks to assist artists to some degree to get a heads up. As a charitable fund, the amount of money artists can apply for is greatly limited, but in the same breath Birchall encouraged the artists to be confident and submit simple and direct applications. Artists are required to submit a budget with their proposal that can be collected at the AVA in Church Street. Birchall emphasized the fact that the fund seeks to help South African artists cultivate a professional attitude to their practice , a process that has in the past seen some artists so empowered that they no longer seek funds providing other younger artists with opportunities to source funding.Birchall highlighted that artists should not consider money received as a mere handout. “It is important than when one wants to receive you have also to give.” Artists were encouraged to think creatively about sourcing money from various institutions that forms creative partnerships that are mutually beneficial.

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Ceramic SA hosts a winter workshop

This August saw Ceramic SA host a winter workshop held in Durbanville were art practitioners and crafters were invited to attend demonstrations in ceramic art and  participate in panel discussions with a pool of seasoned ceramic artists that included the likes of David Walters, Clive Sithole and Besty Nield. Participants were motivated to adopt new techniques and ideas of ceramic making, while surrounding themselves with likeminded people in a social atmosphere. The artists at Greatmore Studios would like to extend their thanks to the team at Ceramic SA for initiating the workshop and inviting them to attend such a valuable series of talks .For more information about Ceramic Sa please contact Hylett or Ingrid on  021 9764691 or alternatively forward your enquires to  info@ceramics-sa-cape.co.za

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RE/Action: An Evening of Performance Art  

Greatmore’s newest intern Mishkaah Roberts speaks to TAG about a recent visit to Johannesburg’s Bag Factory, a sister organisation of Greatmore Studios, and her work with artist Johan Thom in a two week performance workshop entitled the Theory of Flight.

The workshops I attended at the Bag Factory in Johannesburg opened   my eyes to see art from a very different perspective.  With a   back ground in performance - dance  and theatre from AMAC, this  workshop  taught  me that  artwork can  be  turned into a performance by the way the art makes you feel  . During the workshop we were invited to go to the Johannesburg Art Galley (JAG) where we were asked to choose a particular painting that we connected with at the Africa Remix exhibition, using it as a stimulus for an impromptu movement or jester. I learnt that simple moment made in silence or accompanied by sound, can have enormous impact on people. 

To seal the workshop, participants presented an evening of original performative pieces in RE/Action on 8 August 2007. Please visit www.bagfactoryart.org.za/   for more details.

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Preparations to launch Cape Town first Community Television station

With access to information and the ability to communicate fundamental human rights in the information age December 2007 looks to be the launch of Cape Town’s first non-profit community based TV station aimed at the greater Cape Town metropolitan area. With support from over 200 non-profit community media and cultural organizations in 2006( including AMAC and Bush Radio), CTCTV is committed to providing community access to programmes around human rights, social justice and the cultural development of the community of which the visual arts will be given a platform.

A newly elected board, working alongside a small group of dedicated and passionate volunteers, with the support of various stakeholders, has developed a business plan that is currently being pitched to various corporate organisations to source funding. Currently of top priority is sourcing a license to prepare for broadcasting. Individuals or private organizations in the media field who are interested in community development are encouraged to step forward and offer their skills, expertise and possible resources to see the project grow muscle.

Positioning itself as a powerful tool in community cultural development, CTCTV is committed to engaging a wide range of community perspectives. It is hoped that NGOs and CBOs will begin submitting material to be considered to be broadcast (past footage) that highlight important social issues and promote dialogue around social change. Those members in the community interested in broadcasting with no previous training will receive training and production facilities. For more information on to how to partner up with this initiative please call 021 4472727.

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Business Acumen of artists encouraged through UCT Graduate School of Business  

This August the UCT Graduate School of Business launches a course to develop the business acumen of visual artists working professionally in the field. Elain Rumboll the director of the programme noted in the July issue of Art Times that such an initiative is well over due, with artists displaying a desperate need to learn how to negotiate healthy returns on their artist practice. The thirteen week course will focus on equipping a diversity of artists with skills to manage their finances, market themselves effectively while not compromising on their own artistic integrity. It is hoped that by the end of the course artists would have finalised a personal creative business plan.

Coordinators of the programme have commented online how “...there are alot of “soft-skills” necessary in producing excellent art, that are increasingly desirable in business today. Creativity, intuition, collaboration, remix, commentary, cultural sensitivity...” It stands to reason that a collaboration of artistic skills and business is very important at this time. The highly subsidised course, calculated at R2500 for the full duration of the programme is being hosted by the Observatory Community Center to whom the proceeds of the programme will benefit. The course draws from the expertise of various leaders in both the artistic and business community who serve as lecturers and mentors to the participants on a voluntary basis. To encourage critical reflection of their working process participants have been asked to journal their thirteen week journey.

For more information contact Lisa Maddison on 021 406-1380 or alternatively drop your enquiries to maddison@gsb.uct.ac.za

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Former Haitian visiting artist Kate Tarratt Cross exhibits at the AVA 

Former visiting artist to Gtreatmore Studios, Kate Tarratt Cross exhibits recent work in a solo exhibition entitled Shadows from Haiti. The South African born artist now living in Haiti, currently coordinates an artists’ run initiative called the Foundation Sant D’A Jakmel (FOSAJ) that has been dedicated to empowering the Haitian people through art and culture. Due to difficulties with funding Kate is strongly considering moving to South Africa to concentrate on her art practice. This month Cross exhibits her work in the main gallery alongside solo exhibitions by   Timothy Zantsi and Joe Dolby. The exhibition at the Association of Visual Arts is due to close on 7 September 2007. Kate's work explores the search for self   as she moves through space and time. For more information on this and other exhibitions hosted at the AVA please forward your enquires to e-mail: avaart@iafrica.com   or alternatively visit www.ava.co.za/ or call 021 424 7436.

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