Ant Funding Recipients
Successful applicants for the second Ant funding call were also announced. These are projects whose focus is on regional networking and collaboration between Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa in the first instance. The distribution grant supports the mobility of existing professional work within Southern Africa.
The successful projects were:
Biko's Quest from Jazzart
This production is the beginning of a growing relationship between Mozambican and South African dance, stimulating the distribution of dance across the two countries. The partners plan to exchange dance techniques and skills through capacity building workshops on improvisation with dancers in both countries. In addition Jazzart would like to offer open classes to the public on its future visits to Maputo. Through Biko’s Quest and working in collaboration with The Steve Biko Centre, Jazzart will display a quality work through their unique and innovative combination of African contemporary dance.
Ippyfuze at Mozambique Jazz Festival
Ippyfuze is a crossover project that seams musical influences such as rock, drum and bass, hip-hop, African grooves and electronic music to create a fresh and new contemporary sound. The band is aiming at using the Mozambican festival appearance as the foundation to a more concrete long-term creative process that will culminate in more live performances in South Africa, the surrounding Southern African countries and, eventually, take on a more global approach. The band includes Siya Makuzeni (vocals), Rob Nel (bass), Gorm Helfjord (guitar) and Andre Swartz (drums).
Mishech Masamvu and Blank Projects
This project will transpose artworks by Zimbabwean artist, Misheck Masamvu, to South Africa in order to be presented to a South African audience. Masamvu’s travel to South Africa will strengthen existing ties and potentially facilitate new relationships that could lead to a South African artist presenting work in Zimbabwe, or introductions to other Zimbabwean artists who could present work in South Africa. Blank projects will promote the exhibition, host the opening event and facilitate a discussion workshop with the artist.
Musho! Theatre Festival
Two productions from Zimbabwe have been identified to participate in the Durban based Musho! Theatre Festival 2013. These productions will have the opportunity to perform once at the Musho! Theatre Festival and again in a well known community arts centre in Durban. The festival will be a celebration of one and two-hander plays designed to showcase the creativity and unique skill of the performers within this intimate genre. The festival programme will include a total of fifteen productions – with eleven professional productions and four development productions.
The Ogreling
The play is a compelling example of work that speaks to a young audience in fresh and challenging ways. Its purpose is to build audiences for the future by captivating children and young people with a powerful theatrical experience. Touring the project within the Southern African region, and in this case, specifically to Zimbabwe, will allow for a broader audience to be cultivated and for stronger networks to be built between artists in South Africa and Zimbabwe. ASSITEJ centres in South Africa and Zimbabwe will have a stronger platform for exchange.
Through Positive Eyes
Through Positive Eyes premiered as part of the Drama for Life Sex Actually Festival 2012 and is an international photography project that gives people living with HIV and AIDS the opportunity to pick up their own cameras, tell their own stories, and document the reality of their lives. Drama for Life aims to tour this professional theatre production around the SADC region, initially touring Botswana, MAITISONG CULTURAL CENTRE as part of the Botswana Clinical HIV/Aids Conference, Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC). Through Positive Eyes has now engaged with more than seventy photographers in five major cities—Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.
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