THUPELO CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP
GOEDGEDACHT CENTRE MALMESBURY - 29 OCTOBER 9 NOVEMBER 2001
EXHIBITION SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL GALLERY ANNEX - 11 18 NOVEMBER
2001
Thupelo Cape Town held an intensive 12-day workshop for 20 artists
from South Africa, Africa and abroad at Goedgedacht Conference Centre
near Malmesbury from 29 October 9 November 2001.
The workshop was attended by:
Alice Mc Cartney Northern Ireland | Ann Marie Curran Ireland | Baba
Jakeh Zambia | Charles Kamangwana Zimbabwe
| Buyisile Billy Mandindi W-Cape | Gabisile Ngcobo Kwa Zulu Natal
| Mmakgabo Mmapula Sibidi Gauteng | Helena Wikstrom Sweden | KekeTop Finland | Lallitha Jawahirilal Kwa Zulu Natal | Lundi
Mduba W-Cape | Magnus Bartas Sweden | Mongezi Gum W-Cape | Nomzi
Kumalo E-Cape | Rene Korten Holland | Stephen
Kasumba Uganda | Tamsin Relly W-Cape | Thando Mama Kwa Zulu
Natal | Thembeka Qangule W-Cape | Wonder W-Cape.
The aim of the Workshop was to bring together artists from different
regions of South Africa as well as artists from Africa and abroad,
to work side-by-side without distraction for 12 full days of concentrated
energy and creativity underscored by experimentation that is hardly
present in conventional artists studios.
Largely because of the strong emphasis on process and experimentation,
there were no intimidating hierarchies among artist and this created
a non-judgemental working environment. The exchange of ideas among
artists provided the basis of the workshop creating wider networks
for artists to pursue into the future. Artists resided at Goedgedacht
for the duration of the Workshop, sharing a communal studio space
on the premises or working outdoors and interacting with the environment.
Communal meals were provided by Goedgedacht staff and evenings
were spent watching slides presented by participants, and in deep
discussions and debate relating to the artists and their various
countries. These evenings were very much part of the process of
getting to know each other and the building up of intense bonds/relationships
within a very short period of time.
On Friday 2 November the Press was invited to meet the artists.
Representatives from the Cape Times, Die Burger and Association
for Visual Arts attended. On Sunday 4 November there was a walkabout
where artists could discuss their works in progress with the entire
group of participants.
After returning to Cape Town where all the participants from out
of Cape Town were booked to stay at the Lighthouse Guest Farm in
Oude Molen Village, the exhibition was hung on Saturday 10 November
at the South African National Gallery Annex.
The exhibition was opened on 11 November by Garth Erasmus and was
a huge success visited by over 200 people. Many of the artists sold
works. We had groups of schoolchildren visit from Masibambisane
Secondary School as well as Kleinvlei High School. Participants
of the workshop spoke to the students explaining the workshop and
their individual works, techniques, materials used and life experiences,
the children thus becoming in a way, part of the process. A questionnaire
was handed out with place for drawing some of their impressions
of the show.
The Workshop was made possible through funding and support from
the National Arts Council, Triangle Arts Trust, Arts and Culture
Trust of the President, Association for Visual Arts, and International
Artists Program in Sweden (IASPIS), Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust,
Swedish Institute, Noord Braabands Fond voor Beeldende Kunstenaars,
KC Nord, EV+A, Bell Roberts, South African National Gallery as well
as an anonymous Donation.
The Workshop has been fully documented and we are in the process
of putting together a catalogue. An intensive, creative environment
was provided in which artists developed not only within their art
but also within themselves as a whole. The workshop took on an energy
completely unique to the group of artists attending. It was a very
hard and intensive learning experience for all involved, especially
within the organization and committee structures where we had placed
very young and enthusiastic individuals into serious positions of
responsibility within the workshop. We are committed at Thupelo
to growing our youth into carrying the Triangle workshops into the
future.
Thanks to all involved for contributing in many and varied ways
for the success of THUPELO
Alex Mamacos artmore@mweb.co.za
Administrator Thupelo Cape Town 22 November 2001
Stephen Kasumba; Thupelo workshop report
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"my imagination about the north"
Baba Jakeh
Mmakgabo Mmapula Sibidi
Jill Trappler
Lallitha Jawahirilal
Lundi Mduba
Mongezi Gum
Tamsin Relly
Thando Mama
Wonder
I was one of the participants in Thupelo workshop. I come from
Finland, from the northern part of the World. I asked my southafrican
colleaques to make a little artwork to me, something like "my
imagination about the north". Somebody asked me about who's
north I mean? It's up to you, I sayed. Well, after some days we
got some fine artpieces "about the north" in the south.
Have a look!
KekeTop
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