Im4Arts Winter School
The fledgling organisation Im4the Arts which was started in January 2020 by renowned performer Sibongile Mngoma in response to the need for accountability, transparency and engagement from government and other organisations within the creative industries hosted their very first pilot event, the Im4theArts Winter School, from 22 – 24 June, with 957 separate attendances of sessions.
Says founder of Im4theArts, Sibongile Mngoma “ The sessions were very informative, interactive and refreshing, we had excellent presenters who kindly gave of their time at no cost and for that we cannot thank them enough. Hosted by members of the interim steering committee of Im4theArts, the collaborative work of industry practitioners joining is easy, with a form to be filled out that can be found on the Im4therts face book page, meant that our first offering of where Im4theArts wants to play a role was a success and we can only grow from this. There are so many more issues we need to look at; initiatives like this are vital to keep the sector informed and engaged. “
The Im4theArts team and members saw a need for collaboration, education and capacity building and the call was heeded. While the COVID-19 pandemic has seen many practioners out of work and in dire straits, this was an opportunity to engage and hone their skills. The Winter School ran over a 3-day period with online sessions on zoom from the morning right through to early evening, presented by well-respected people within the industry. Each presenter gave freely of their time and expertise to share their knowledge and experiences with the broader arts community.
The session curators included amongst others, Mike van Graan, Beth Arendse, Gregory Maqoma, Unathi Malunga, Karabo Kgokong, Martin Myers, Mirjam Asmal, Yvette Hardie, Blythe Stuart Linger, Ismail Mahomed.
Their guests and co-hosts on the sessions included, amongst others, Avril Joffee, Prof Jen Snowball (SA Cultural Observatory), Andre le Roux (IKS Consulting), Francina Ntsimane (GDED Creative Industries), Ilse Karg (4IR, Dept of Trade and Industry), Eddie Mbalo; Lala Tuku, Yolanda Ncokotwana, Jerry Mofokeng, Kamscilla Naidoo, Pascal Schmitz, Mmabatho Kau, Thandi Davids, Romy Nomis, Donovan Roberts-Baxter, Zenobia Simelane, Tunde Ogundipe, Ayanda Masisi,Johnny Lawrence Nkgapele, Nick Cloete, Mxolisi Masilela, Hayley Evans, Kirsten Harris, RJ Benjamin; Andrew Lamprecht, Mary Corrigall, Refilwe Nkomo, Storm Janse van Rensburg, Maurice Mbikayi, Ronald Muchatuta, Jill Trappler, Lebogang Ngwatle, Margot Wood, Tsholofelo Shounyane, Darlington Sibanda, Mdu Kweyama, Sudonia Kouter, Gladys Aghulhas, Shabnam Palesa Mohamed, Dan Baron-Cohen, Sanja Krsmanovic Tasic, Christian Nyampeta,David Andrew, Sibongile Bhebhe, Steven Sack, Stefan Erasmus. Shadrack Bokaba, Monica Newton, and Firdoze Bulbulia
Across the 29 sessions there were 957 attendees, showing the importance for such initiatives to happen regularly. The sessions were broken down into the following disciplines: Dance, Film, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts from 9h00 – 10h30, and then there were a series of sessions looking at Arts and Culture policy, Arts education, Creative and Cultural Industries, Social Media and Fundraising.
Yvette Hardie, President of ASSITEJ, gave an overview of the Arts Education landscape from 1994 to the present, and the various shifts and challenges that exist across the sector. Day Two saw panellists Margot Wood, Tsholofelo Shounyane, Darlington Sibanda, Mdu Kweyama, Sudonia Kouter, Gladys Aghulhas and Shabnam Palesa Mohamed explore the various ages and stages in which arts education takes place in South Africa. Conversations ranged around ideas for concrete ways to support the sector. On day three, the UNESCO Road Map for Arts Education was reflected on, and the panel explored tools for advocacy and the need for decolonisation in arts education practices. Guests included an international grouping that included Dan Baron-Cohen (Brazil), Sanja Krsmanovic Tasic (Serbia), Christian Nyampeta (Rwanda/Netherlands/USA), David Andrew (SA) and Sibongile Bhebhe (SA/Zimbabwe).
Says Hardie “ Some of the key ideas to emerge was the need for support to teachers, to new curriculua and alternative pedagogies, the need for arts education to be embedded in a recognition of learners’ contexts and strengths, and for arts education to provide an “ecology of the soul”. Overall it was felt that the need for collaboration across the sector was paramount”.
Im4theArts has in its short time gathered just under 18000 followers on the facebook group. The call to industry practioners now is to join the movement as a formal member of Im4theArts, these forms can be found on the face book page as can the online Constitution which was released yesterday by the interim steering committee. Members are also invited to serve in Working Groups around themes like: Arts and Culture Policy, Advocacy and Lobbying, Arts Education, Capacity Building, Sustainability, as well as in provincial working groups.
