THE FIRST TWELVE

The V&A Waterfront announces its first cohort for the ARTIST ALLIANCE INCUBATOR PROGRAMME.

In celebrating and championing the richness of talent, projects and people that embody the creativity and resilience of South Africa, the V&A Waterfront developed the Artist Alliance incubator programme, aimed at co-creating spaces and opportunities for young artists to explore their perspectives. Through guidance, knowledge sharing and mentor support, they will be helped to turn their talents into marketable skills and sustainable careers.

Initially, 10 people were to be selected as part of the first cohort – but after receiving an overwhelming number of applications of an excellent standard, the judges decided to settle on 12 creatives. The 12 were chosen in fields such as fine art, photography and film-making, illustration, design and fashion to take part in a two-month training programme. “The aim is to provide a new platform for young artists, creators and creatives to find community, share insights and get support,” says Tinyiko Mageza, marketing executive at the V&A Waterfront. “We have reached an important milestone in the Artist Alliance journey, and we want to thank all those who expressed an interest in being part of the initiative. The fantastic response to our call for entries confirms the importance of this programme – we can’t wait to work with the selected artists as they reach new heights in their creative pursuits.”