Independent Cultural Production in South Africa: Perspective
Print version
Monday 22 March 2010
18h00 – 19h30
K6.29, Kings Building, Strand Campus
What is it that motivates creative people to ignore the global culture industries and manifest their work on their own terms and in their own way? How and why do cultural workers choose to “do it themselves”, rather than break into an established creative industry? Arguably, independent creative expression has been on the rise since the turn of the millennium, with more online and offline zines/artworks and new plays/films/creative forums produced than ever before. This has certainly been the case in South Africa. This research seminar brings together three South African independent cultural producers, working in very different areas yet united by their choice to “DIY”. Each will show and/or discuss their work and reflect on their motivations for taking an independent approach to creating culture, as well as the challenges and opportunities that they have experienced along the way.
CHAIR:
Mehita Iqani (CMCI, ITCH Magazine). Mehita will discuss the ethic of ‘expressive cultural production’ as an antithesis to the ‘industrial cultural production’ favoured by the commercial culture industries. She will also briefly show and talk about her ‘creative expressions’ online/offline magazine: Itch.co.za, which was established in 2003.
PANEL:
Elan Gamaker (Filmmaker, Author);
Writer/filmmaker Elan Gamaker was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1974. Following bachelor degrees in English, Linguistics and Drama & Film, he worked in the film industry in Cape Town and London between 1998 and 2003, before forming And Nu?, a creative collective specialising in scriptwriting, copywriting, video art, lens-based homage and post-production propaganda. He completed his first feature film, Visa/Vie, in 2007 and twice attended the prestigious Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam, where he is now based. His recently completed first novel, Wayward Nature, was shortlisted for the 2008/9 European Union Literary Award.
Maciek Strychalski (Freestyle Pixel Artist)
Maciek is an artist who specialises in the digital medium. His work is rooted in Cape Town’s youth subcultures and is concerned with self-expression and social engagement. He is the co-creator of innovative interactive online artworkBoyBlack.co.za, co-founder of Su8urban and is currently working on a creative social networking platform, Pijin.net.
Nadia Davids (Writer, Theatre director)
Nadia Davids is an award winning South African playwright, director and scholar whose work has been produced, published and studied in Africa, Europe and North America. Nadia has written five plays, among them At Her Feet(2002) and Cissie (2008). At Her Feet was won two 2003 Fleur de Cap Theatre Awards (Best Actress and Best New Director) and was nominated for the 2008 Noma Award for best book published in Africa. Cissie was nominated for three 2008 Fleur de Cap Awards (including Best New South African Play).
18h00 – 19h30
K6.29, Kings Building, Strand Campus
What is it that motivates creative people to ignore the global culture industries and manifest their work on their own terms and in their own way? How and why do cultural workers choose to “do it themselves”, rather than break into an established creative industry? Arguably, independent creative expression has been on the rise since the turn of the millennium, with more online and offline zines/artworks and new plays/films/creative forums produced than ever before. This has certainly been the case in South Africa. This research seminar brings together three South African independent cultural producers, working in very different areas yet united by their choice to “DIY”. Each will show and/or discuss their work and reflect on their motivations for taking an independent approach to creating culture, as well as the challenges and opportunities that they have experienced along the way.
CHAIR:
Mehita Iqani (CMCI, ITCH Magazine). Mehita will discuss the ethic of ‘expressive cultural production’ as an antithesis to the ‘industrial cultural production’ favoured by the commercial culture industries. She will also briefly show and talk about her ‘creative expressions’ online/offline magazine: Itch.co.za, which was established in 2003.
PANEL:
Elan Gamaker (Filmmaker, Author);
Writer/filmmaker Elan Gamaker was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1974. Following bachelor degrees in English, Linguistics and Drama & Film, he worked in the film industry in Cape Town and London between 1998 and 2003, before forming And Nu?, a creative collective specialising in scriptwriting, copywriting, video art, lens-based homage and post-production propaganda. He completed his first feature film, Visa/Vie, in 2007 and twice attended the prestigious Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam, where he is now based. His recently completed first novel, Wayward Nature, was shortlisted for the 2008/9 European Union Literary Award.
Maciek Strychalski (Freestyle Pixel Artist)
Maciek is an artist who specialises in the digital medium. His work is rooted in Cape Town’s youth subcultures and is concerned with self-expression and social engagement. He is the co-creator of innovative interactive online artworkBoyBlack.co.za, co-founder of Su8urban and is currently working on a creative social networking platform, Pijin.net.
Nadia Davids (Writer, Theatre director)
Nadia Davids is an award winning South African playwright, director and scholar whose work has been produced, published and studied in Africa, Europe and North America. Nadia has written five plays, among them At Her Feet(2002) and Cissie (2008). At Her Feet was won two 2003 Fleur de Cap Theatre Awards (Best Actress and Best New Director) and was nominated for the 2008 Noma Award for best book published in Africa. Cissie was nominated for three 2008 Fleur de Cap Awards (including Best New South African Play).