A chance for audiences, artists to connect
THIS winter, Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia’s would like to test the boundaries of your imagination. They’re hoping that you’ll keep the encroaching chill at bay by warming to a rich selection of influential artists from Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa and Switzerland. Their Winter Programme features a selection of jazz, dance, contemporary art and installations, a dynamic artistic journey that opens the path for exploration and discovery.
This year’s Winter Programme takes the artists on a tour spanning six cities and three countries over two months. The range of performances and exhibitions on offer will focus on generating dialogue and interchange,with a series of insightful workshops and panel discussions that blend to achieve greater creative development among communities.
“We are thrilled to work with a powerful line-up of artists this year, all of whom are among the finest practitioners in their field,” said Pro Helvetia Head, Joseph Gaylard. “We believe in the potential of cultural exchange to develop relationships, strengthen human ties and to provide a vital platform for exploration and experimentation. Each performance and exhibition in our Winter Programme generates opportunities for new experiences and new encounters.
“The tours across Southern Africa offer audiences and artists a chance to connect with each other and explore familiar and uncharted cultural landscapes. These intimate experiences can serve to reinforce strong cultural ties across the SADC region. We encourage audiences to join us in celebrating this rich diversity and exploration of inter-cultural partnerships.”
Tomorrow, at Uncle Tom’s Hall in Soweto, Swiss artist Phillipe Saire will join the likes of Sello Pesa, Soweto-born choreographer and founder of the Ntsoana Contemporary Dance Theatre and Madagascar’s Gaby Saranouffi for a special programme of dance and film.
Pesa will present his new work Bag Beating, while Saranouffi will showcase her critically acclaimed piece MOI.
Entrance is free and the performances start at 3pm.
Meanwhile, at the Market Photo 1969 Gallery in Newtown, you can see 21 Joburg – Memories of Growing Up, an audio-visual collaboration between Swiss artist Mats Staub and South African artists Nomonde Mbusi and Maia Marie.
This work is billed as a “profound meditation on memory and storytelling (that) delves into the recollection of coming of age and asks participants to explore their experience of the year in which they turned