The V&A Waterfront’s dedication to creating a space for creatives to connect, share knowledge, and explore their artistic perspectives has garnered them a reputation for being allies of Cape Town’s creative industries.
The Artist Alliance program has become a magnet to those in search of creative synergy. Since its inception in 2021, the platform has collaborated with mentors and other organisations who share a similar vision of amplifying the careers of those who work across art, design, music, film, photography, illustration, and food. The cornerstone of the collaborations is to support young creatives by offering them shared learning experiences and a network that will help them navigate the industry.
Their steady commitment to providing guidance, knowledge sharing, and mentor support has helped talent turn their passions into marketable and sustainable careers.
For this year’s program, AA has partnered with Creative Nestling, an esteemed creative platform that helps foster collaborations to drive innovation and mutual success. Creative Nestling’s mission is to empower upcoming creatives by sharing knowledge through talks, conferences, interviews, podcasts, books, and other creative spaces. They have provided opportunities for learning, growth, and financial success to thousands of creatives across the country for over a decade.
This creative convergence sparked a fire of inspiration within the two organisations resulting in them creating events aimed at showcasing artists’ creative prowess as well as facilitating talks for those who want to learn more about South Africa’s creative landscape.
There will be four events hosted each month at iStore Dock Road Junction. These impactful talks will give attendees a chance to engage with accomplished creative entrepreneurs. The first one kicks off on July 1st, 2023 and the panel will consist of Ishaarah Abrahams, Kay Faith, Richard Average, and KB/Fuata Moyo.
The successful cohort of young talent will get the opportunity to be mentored by industry veterans such as Dirk Durnez (fine arts) Zunaid Green (videography ) Nadia Darries (Animation) Russell “Yay Abe” Abrahams ( Illustration) and Kay Faith ( Music Producing).
Three Artist Alliance alumni, namely Mbhali Manzini, Richard Average, and Nqaba Shakes Mbolekwana will also form part of this year’s programme as AA Ambassadors.
Mbhali Manzini is an illustrator, art director, and founder of ForMeByMe – a brand that specialises in making bespoke graphic phone covers, t-shirts, pictures, and laptop stickers. She graduated from Open Window Institute with a degree in Arts and Visual Communications in 2015, since then, she has gone to work on the visual identities of esteemed institutions like FNB, Samsung, Standard Bank, and ABSA.
Richard Average is a Cape Town-born illustrator whose work features portraits of people, sneakers, product concepts, and fashion items. He draws inspiration from street culture and the youth of Cape Town. He wants to use his art as a means of service to his community by creating awareness around mental health.
Nqaba Shakes Mbolekwana is a photographer, independent curator, and cultural producer originally from the Eastern Cape. He uses his photography to learn about himself as a man and artist.
He also forms part of a curatorial collective called ‘Studio Location Practice’. His photography essay ‘The Hangover’ is currently on view at the Traffic Plaza in The Waterfront.
All The Details
WHO CAN APPLY? Anyone based in Cape Town and aged between 18 and 30.
WHEN SHOULD YOU APPLY? Submissions for the programme are open until 31 July 2021, and successful candidates will be selected by end of September 2023.
WHERE TO APPLY Visit waterfront.co.za to access the application form – or, if you do not have internet access at home, pop into the e-hub computer centre at the V&A Waterfront’s offices in Dock Road. (Booking essential)
HOW TO APPLY Anyone who wants to apply will be required to submit a portfolio of their work, include a motivational letter or video in their application. The submission should include a short biography or description of the applicant, as well as a few images of the applicant and their work and career pursuits. All submitted proposals will be assessed by a curator panel.
