“Creatives in Conversation is a series of free public engagements with creative experts, which have been curated as one of the ways that creative industries practitioners and stakeholders can take the conversations of the 2015 ACT | UJ Arts & Culture Conference forward,” says ACT CEO, Pieter Jacobs.

UJ Producer, Grace Meadows adds that the series forms part of UJ Arts & Culture Evolution X performing arts programme for 2015. “We presented 5 conversations themed around theatre, music, visual arts and the creative industries leading up to the Conference. Brett Pyper facilitated a fantastic open conversation after the Conference and these next four conversations bring our tally to a neat total of ten conversations presented as part of the UJ tenth anniversary celebrations,” Meadows explains.

The series now continues for on Thursdays at 17:30 from 23 April through to 21 May in the Upstairs Studio of the UJ Arts Centre as follows (note that there is no session on 30 April):

The session is set to address issues around the sustainability and role of member-based organisations. The conversation is structured to also unpack the major challenges these organisations and networks face in bringing a gap between rural and urban communities and to facilitate access to information, resources, training and development opportunities. Director of the Visual Arts Network of South Africa, Molemo Moiloa, will facilitate the conversation between Neftaly Malatjie, CEO of the Southern Africa Youth Project and Thea Aboud, of the Writers Guild South Africa. The session will conclude with an open-floor discussion.

The session is designed to offer those interested in policy and advocacy to engage around major changes on the landscape as well as reflect on some of the outcomes of an independent White Paper workshop initiated by Arts for Socio-Political Activism (on Facebook) and hosted by Wits Theatre. The Arts & Culture Trust’s Karabo Legoabe will be joined by policy and advocacy guru, Avril Joffe, and WITS Theatre Director, Gita Pather. The session will conclude with an open-floor discussion.

Presented by the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT), the session is designed to provide an overview of the local formal funding structures and to share information and knowledge regarding fundraising and sponsorship.

ACT Trustee, Jayesperi Moopen, engages the National Arts Council’s Coordinator, Rosie Katz from the NEPAD arts education conference and Levinia Jones, Head of Arts British Council and Content Director for the 2015 ACT | UJ Conference, around major observations, outcomes and ways forward with a focus on how practitioners can mobilise the knowledge and information shared at the conferences.

Entrance to the conversation is free but space is limited. To secure your place, please email your contact details to precious@uj.ac.zaindicating which of the conversations you would like to attend and how many people you would like to book for.