Helping businesses cut marketing costs while still putting out good marketing collateral

Published: 21 October 2021

Our business environment has changed dramatically since the beginning of 2020. We have been either forced to start a business to survive or adapt. The first costs to go in most businesses are marketing; this is why this subscription service has been created.

Just about every business has PowerPoint but never use it.  It is a great program, it is user-friendly, and there are various formats that your documents can be saved in. Within our subscription service, there are a variety of templates to choose from, and new templates/graphics will be uploaded every month. Each category has a video explaining how to change colour and add text/logo. I have made use of Google fonts as everyone has access to them, and they are free.

Your thinking will be changed, and your creativity ignited without being distracted by too many technical details.  You will be learning a new skill that you can use for years to come, for both business and personal projects.

My hope is that this subscription service will add value for start-ups and small businesses.

Contact details:
Rebecca Potgieter, Owner
072 915 9350 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Clockwork’s Marketing Learnership Programme is now open to applicants

Published: 08 September 2021

Young marketing learners can jump on the right path with free education and work experience by applying for Clockwork’s annual Marketing Learnership Programme, which is now open to applicants. In partnership with Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, Clockwork has five slots available each year, offering students and aspiring marketers the chance to learn from the best with a comprehensive 12-month programme.

The learnership programme consists of six months of classroom training and six months of integrated work learning at the Clockwork offices in Johannesburg. Students receive a holistic look at the world of marketing by studying Communications, Strategy, Content, Digital and Design in the course.

This is the perfect way to get a foot in the door of marketing or advertising, and the Clockwork Marketing Learnership Programme is open to anyone with a matric, regardless of previous marketing experience or education.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their CV with a cover letter and a 30-second video explaining why they should be the next learner at Clockwork. Apply here: https://www.clockworkmedia.co.za/careers/marketing-learnership-program/

The CAD4ALL EGD Academy linking our graduates to our corporate clients

Published: 12 August 2019

The CAD4ALL EGD Academy linking our graduates to our corporate clients CAD4ALL is the leading provider of CAD design education and a significant provider of employees to industry. Cad4all Career and Design College is one of Cape Town’s first private accredited design institution within the AEC industry. Offering a unique, professional environment in lectures taught by working professionals who are experts in their specific fields.

The CAD4ALL curriculum offers subject matter experts in specialist areas bringing extensive industry experience thus providing an opportunity to bring your creative passion to life.With more accredited qualifications offered in 2020, CAD4ALL pioneered and set up the first EGD Academy for all Grade 12 learners creating a hub for them to access resources, information and design software within the AEC industry. CAD4ALL College focuses on teaching in single discipline specific areas only.

Organisations that offer a wide array of qualifications from IT to Business, and design only as an abstraction from their product offering usually achieve generic competencies for their learners because of the lack of technical specialization.

CAD4ALL is the leading provider of design education and a significant provider of potential employees to industry for thee past 11 years Through the CAD4ALL corporate database and as a single point of contact the learners from our academic institution may now seamlessly connect to a variety of business opportunities for possible employment.

CAD4ALL offers expertise in which AEC companies can access the talent pool of graduates at no cost.  Come and join a 11-year CAD4ALL AEC history where you gain design experience professionally from the ground up.

Work directly with qualified lecturers and career advisors to collaborate a design portfolio to develop employment goals and a path to get there.

CAD4ALL the home of AEC Education designed for you in the AEC industry, Study at CAD4ALL both inContact and online at the most competitive tuition fees in Cape town.Get social and visit us on our Open Day on the 31 August 2019 and register on our website www.cad4all.co.za

Design the Official Loeries T-Shirt and be a VIP at Creative Week

Published: 27 June 2019

You’ve got ideas. You’ve got talent. And as a young creative, you just need the world to see your amazing creativity, artwork and execution, right? 

Now here’s your opportunity: Submit your most impressive creation for the official Loeries T-Shirt, in partnership with Barron, and you and a partner could be VIPs at Loeries Creative Week in August. 

To enter the competition 

1. Give us your design of what you think the ideal Loeries T-shirt should be. No limits… 

2. Go to loeries.com and download the T-shirt template. Post your creative design to Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag: #LoeriesBarronDesign. Share your designs with the world and get your people liking and loving your posts. The 20 most liked designs will be shortlisted and the Loeries committee will select the winning design. The winning design will be used for the Official Loeries T-shirt at Creative Week.

The winner receives two VIP tickets to Loeries Creative Week, 19 to 25 August, 2019, in Durban (Travel and accommodation excluded). 

Barron has been creating unique corporate and promotional products for over 25 years and is also the proud sponsor of the Media Innovation Category at the Loeries this year. It is a category focused specifically on new methods and approaches to advertising, on any media platform.  

Loeries CEO Andrew Human explains that “the Loeries Africa Middle East celebrates creativity and brilliance in the advertising and marketing space. It rewards brand communications that make us feel something, question the status quo and rethink our way of doing things. We’re delighted that Barron is sponsoring this competition, and we fully expect some unique and interesting design entries.”  Loeries Creative Week takes place in Durban from 22 to 25 August. Go to loeries.com for more information and to book your tickets

The Loeries Shared Value Initiative: No-one stands alone

Published: 27 May 2019

If you love creative work that highlights a powerful, socially uplifting message, look at the Loeries Shared Value category, sponsored in 2019 by Vodacom. It’s a showcase of brilliant campaigns that are socially useful and commercially successful. Shared value takes corporate social responsibility much further.

“Rather than being charitable,” explains Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government Senior Fellow, Mark Kramer, “corporate shared value is a management strategy in which companies find business opportunities in social problems.” Vodacom’s Managing Executive: Brand & Comms Abey Mokgwatsane says the Loeries Shared Value category is in line with Vodacom’s values and a natural sponsorship fit.

“Our commitment is to bring a meaningful, sustainable economic transformation of South Africa and beyond,” he explains. “We laud all companies that are creating jobs, stimulating the economy and being innovative about the way they make money, while still tackling the social issues of our times.” Safaricom's “DigiFarm”, the Kenyan mobile solution for smallholder farmers – which took gold in the Loeries Shared Value category last year – is a good example of adding value to the community while helping to build the brand experience.

The app enables farmers to expand and improve their business activities by providing education, access to loans, easier purchases and eliminating the middleman when they sell their crops. It simply helps farmers to do better business while empowering their lives and their community. Perhaps a question to be posed is, if business can be socially uplifting, does that mean it should be?

Pepe Marais, CEO of Joe Public United, and #1 ranked Chief Creative Officer in the Loeries Official Rankings, offers this hypothesis: “Aspiring to be bigger than yourself isn’t just a nice ideal, it’s the driving force of successful businesses.” Marais says: “Any entrepreneur will tell you that there is something far greater that drives her or his business. Without that drive, most would not have made it past the first year – it is simply too tough. The challenge is that this drive is so deeply unconscious that the conscious answer often may be money.” But, in reality, Marais insists we need something greater to motivate us.

“That drive is at the heart of the greater purpose of the business.” Ultimately, doing business with a purpose helps you do better business. Considering that Joe Public United is rated the number one agency in the Loeries Official Rankings, Marais certainly knows a thing or two about operating a company on the philosophy of shared value. “We believe that the growth of our people is linked to the growth of our creative product, which impacts the growth of our clients, and which ultimately contributes to the growth of the country,” he says.

Mokgwatsane agrees: “Vodacom is in the business of connecting people for a better future. Technology gives us tremendous power, but ultimately, it’s what we do with it that counts. We remain committed to responding to the needs of millions of people that can benefit from the capacity of technology to democratise access to the life changing services of a connected future.

By sponsoring the Loeries Shared Value category, we support companies and creatives who are using the power of shared value to inspire.” P2/.... The Loeries extended deadline for entries is June 7, 2019. Details at loeries.com Major Partners:     DStv Media Sales, Gearhouse        Category Partners:    AB InBev, Barron, Brand South Africa, Facebook, Gagasi FM, Google, JCDecaux, Nando’s, Tsogo Sun, Vodacom, Woolworths 

Additional Partners and Official Suppliers:    AAA School of Advertising, Antalis South Africa, Aon South Africa, Backsberg, BEE Online, First     Source, Fresh RSVP Guest Logistics, Funk Productions, Gallo Images, Grid Worldwide, Hetzner,     Mama Creative, Newsclip, Paygate, Rocketseed, Shared Value Initiative, Shift Social Development,  Vega School, VQI Communications Nigeria

Endorsed by:    Association of Communication and Design, Brand Council South Africa, Commercial Producers     Association, Creative Circle, EXCA, IAB, South African Institute of Architects, IID        Official Media Partners    Bizcommunity.com, Book of Swag, Brand Communicator Nigeria, Business Insider by Pulse, Campaign Middle East, Film & Event Media, Modern Marketing,The Redzone.        Twitter: @loeries    Instagram: Loerieawards    Facebook: The Loeries

Distributed on behalf of the  Loeries  by:    Riana Greenblo Communications Date: May 27, 2019   For more information,interview requests or high-res images, please contact:    Riana Greenblo on 011 3256006; 0825675159 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Gina McLoughlin on 0113256006 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (mornings only) IMAGES INCLUDED:    Abey Mokgwatsane Digi Farm 2018 Gold Shared Value Joe Public agency of the year 2018 Joe Public Craft Gold CAPTIONS Caption 1: Abey Mokgwatsane, Vodacom’s Managing Executive: Brand & Comms Caption 2: Digi Farm took Gold for the 2018 Shared Value category Caption 3: Joe Public won agency of the year at the Loeries 2018. Caption 4: Joe Public won Campaign Craft Golf in 2018 for their A Little Hungry - Mine, Temple, Bank for Chicken Licken

Loeries 2019: Nando's fires up the design category

Published: 16 May 2019

Nando’s joins the Loeries to celebrate design Design from Africa and the Middle East finally gets the recognition it deserves with the expanded Nando’s Design category at the Loeries in 2019. This year’s category has been extended to recognise design from a much broader range of creative professionals. “We’ve expanded the design category beyond only brand communication to include areas of design such as retail furniture and product design, fabric, wallpaper, lighting, architecture and interior design, and even the design of signage programmes,” says Loeries CEO Andrew Human. He adds that the Loeries has long been recognised as the highest accolade in advertising and brand communication.

“A strong design award has been lacking for our region and this is a great opportunity for all designers to showcase their work and achieve recognition.” Design is woven into the Nando’s DNA, making Nando’s a natural partner for the Design category. “Design and creativity have been an intrinsic part of the Nando’s way of doing business.

Nando’s is the first local brand to collaborate with local designers at the scale it does,” says Deirdre King, Nando’s Brand Experience GM. She adds: “Putting our support behind the design community is important to doing business well. Our PERi-PERi power has charted new paths and careers for many local artists and their art. Putting that same fire behind the extended Design category for the 2019 Loeries gives us a chance to spice things up for the wonderful designers who will imprint their names onto this exciting category. According to Gaby de Abreu, Loeries board member and creative head of Switch Design, the awards are invaluable because they offer a chance for designers to showcase their work to a far greater audience.

“The Nando’s Design category at the Loeries is an opportunity to showcase excellence across disciplines in countries throughout Africa and the Middle East. For independent designers, it’s a unique chance to achieve recognition across the industry, reaching creatives internationally,” says de Abreu. “For a furniture designer working in an independent workshop or a graphic designer outside of the agency network, this year’s Loeries offers a chance to show the world what you’ve achieved,” he adds. The Nando’s Design category at the Loeries is open to designers across all the main disciplines. The entry deadline is 15 May and more information can be found on loeries.com.

About Nando's: While proudly South African, Nando’s is an international flame-grilling, PERi-PERi chicken restaurant group. We offer a twist of Afro-Portuguese with an upmarket and comfortable dining experience. Two friends, Robert Brozin and Fernando Duarte, opened the first Nando’s in 1987 in Johannesburg, South Africa. All Nando's PERi-PERi chicken is marinated for 24 hours, locally sourced and never frozen, ensuring our customers only get the finest flavours.

Our unique PERi-PERi recipe includes herbs, spices, garlic, lemon juice and bird’s eye chilli. Nando's authentic PERi -PERi has captivated its customers all over the world, making it the largest South African restaurant group to expand internationally. DEADLINE FOR 2019 LOERIES ENTRIES EXTENDED TO MAY 31 About Loeries Africa Middle East: The Loeries, a non-profit company, is Africa and the Middle East’s premiere initiative that recognises, rewards, inspires and fosters creative excellence in the brand communication industry.

As the highest accolade for creativity and innovation across our region, the Loeries promotes and supports creativity by helping marketers, agencies and consumers appreciate the value of ideas and fresh thinking.

Culminating in the biggest creative gathering in Africa and the Middle East, Loeries Creative Week Durban brings together the best innovative minds from our industry for a festival of networking, inspiring minds and recognising great work. Our region's creative economy is world-class and has great potential to grow and to offer employment both to our talented youth. The growth occurring throughout Africa and the Middle East is very exciting, and a major focus of the Loeries is to increase the standard of brand communication in the region.

Major Partners of the Loeries: DStv Media Sales, Gearhouse Category Partners: AB InBev, Barron, Brand South Africa, Facebook, Gagasi FM, Google, JCDecaux, Nando’s, Tsogo Sun, Woolworths Additional Partners and Official Suppliers: AAA School of Advertising, Antalis South Africa, Aon South Africa, Backsberg, BEE Online, First Source, Fresh RSVP Guest Logistics, Funk Productions, Gallo Images, Grid Worldwide, Hetzner, Mama Creative, Newsclip, Paygate, Rocketseed, Shared Value Initiative, Shift Social Development, Vega School, VQI Communications Nigeria Endorsed by: Association of Communication and Design, Brand Council South Africa, Commercial Producers Association, Creative Circle, EXCA, IAB, South African Institute of Architects, IID Official Media Partners Between 10and5, Bizcommunity.com, Book of Swag, Brand Communicator Nigeria, Business Insider by Pulse, Campaign Middle East, Film & Event Media, Modern Marketing The Redzone. Twitter: @loeries Instagram: Loerieawards Facebook: The Loeries

Distributed on behalf of the Loeries by: Riana Greenblo Communications: 011 3256006

For more information, interview requests or high-res images please contact: Gina McLoughlin: 0113256006 (mornings only)or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Riana Greenblo: +27 82 5675159 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Carrol Boyes designs Sanlam CT Marathon 2018 Trophy

Published: 19 September 2018

The annual Sanlam Cape Town Marathon (42.2km), taking place on 23 September 2018, is a prestigious city race open to a range of running enthusiasts from elite athletes to social runners. With over 20 000 runners participating last year from all over the world, this marathon has grown to be one of the most popular road running events both locally and internationally. Carrol Boyes Functional Art, one of South Africa’s most luxurious home-wear brands was bestowed with the honour of designing the winner’s trophy for this prestigious event which will be presented by South African long distance runner, Elana Meyer.

Meyer says, “The uniquely designed Carrol Boyes Cape Town Marathon trophy symbolises more than the celebration of victory - winners take home a piece of Cape Town that has been incorporated in the tough, water-wise leaves of the ‘Suurvy’ as part of the laurel wreath that circle the bowl to celebrate an exceptional experience winning Africa’s only Gold Label marathon!”

Carrol Boyes says, “It was a great honour as a Capetonian and artist for my company to be asked to design the trophy for The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.”

About Madeleine Morgan, the designer of the trophy:

Madeleine Morgan is a prototype and restoration artist as well as a designer, with an array of talents that include design, sketching and sculpting. She is happiest when getting her hands dirty and working on new designs, and finds it extremely satisfying to see her work through from its production stages to being put on display in a world-renowned store. After qualifying in Industrial Design at CPUT in 2004, Madi joined the company and soon made her mark. She now has several of her own designs.

Madeleine says 'Suurvy - or sour fig - is a plant familiar to all Capetonians. You will find it thriving along wild open roads, cultivated suburban pavements and the like. It is known to be tough, water wise and tenacious, qualities which marathoners share. On this trophy, its bold leaves are a local take on the laurel wreath, circling and raising the bowl to celebrate the winners of the Cape Town Marathon. The trophy which is +- 28 cm wide and 22cm high has a Carrol Boyes’ signature look and feel and boasts a solid cast pewter lid with an aluminum bowl and wooden base.'

Carrol Boyes Functional Art and its staff would like to wish all the runners good luck and to thank Sanlam for the opportunity of being involved in such a prestigious event. 

For further information on Carrol Boyes Functional Art, please visit www. carrolboyes.com 

Riverbed's Evolution Inspires Agency Rebrand

Published: 11 September 2018

Riverbed is a bold and contemporary through-the-line creative agency. It is a black, female owned company that has throughout its ten plus years, navigated and adapted to industry changes to remain relevant and competitive. And now in this month of new beginnings, Riverbed announces its rebrand, revealing a modern look that’s more closely aligned to its renewed vision. 

Earlier this year, the agency’s founder and CEO Monalisa Sibongile Zwambila refocused the agency to place ‘brand experience’ at the heart of its creative thinking. “In the age of CX, Riverbed is fervent about developing creativity that people want to spend time with and so we’re always thinking about how we can build emotional attachments between the brands we represent and their consumers. Even through our brand assets such as our website refresh, we’re aspiring to build a brand and an agency that our customers will want to spend time with too,” shared Zwambila. 

Riverbed’s new identity is bold, contemporary, striking and simple. The imagery used with the icon is ever-changing, boasting a versatility that never tires. The creative team behind the redesign added that the predominant black and white colour palette is timeless, but through the application of colour, can be expressed differently to suit specific needs, again keeping it current. 

Zwambila commented, “Our team is aligned to our new ambition to become a leading independent agency and we felt that while over time Riverbed had evolved, our brand hadn’t. We wanted a strong, attractive brand statement that supported this ambition.” 

Awarded designer, Catherine Blomkamp developed the new CI, while Muguette Crozier created the website internally, fortifying the agency’s growing digital competency.                                            

TapOff: informing, motivating, and gamifying water saving

Published: 28 March 2018

Released by AUX Studio in January, TapOff is a free mobile app that not only provides Capetonians with real-time updates on the city’s water consumption, but inspires them to make positive changes that will have a lasting impact.

While Cape Town’s ongoing drought will certainly break at some point – and with it, the current watercrisis – it’s equally certain that the amount of water available will decrease over the long term. This means residents must permanently change their water-saving behaviour.

“Information alone doesn’t drive behavioural change,” says Trevor Swart of AUX. “The key is to summarise and frame it in a way that’s meaningful for the individual.” Besides displaying the city’s overall consumption for the week, TapOff enables residents to log their own water usage and compare it with the maximum amount prescribed by city authorities. In this way, individuals see how their efforts can make areal difference to a community-wide issue.

The app goes even further to encourage participation, gamifying water-saving with suburb leaderboards where residents can ​display their consumption figures. “The response has been great so far,” says Trevor, “with growing numbers of users posting their water usage to neighbourhood leaderboards on a monthly basis.”

AUX has also produced a public API that delivers Cape Town’s latest water statistics. This has opened up opportunities to drive awareness beyond the mobile app. “In partnership with Tractor Outdoor, we’ve created digital billboards to make a clear emotional connection with the viewer about Cape Town’s overall water consumption, putting the city’s progress quite literally front and centre. It’s also a friendly reminder to keep up water-saving efforts – whether you’ve downloaded TapOff or not.”

TapOff has featured in both the Play Store and the App Store as a top app in the Free Education category. AUX is currently looking for more partners and sponsors so that they can offer real rewards to water savers and engage hundreds of thousands of residents.

Download the TapOff app at http://www.tapoff.co.za

Contact AUX Studio at www.aux.co.za

TapOff has been featured on the following websites:

MEMEBURN: https://memeburn.com/2018/01/tapoff-cape-town-water-app/

FINANCIAL MAIL: https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/fm-fox/gimme/2018-03-01-gimme-every-single-drop/

WHAT’S ON IN CT: https://www.whatsonincapetown.com/post/waterwise-initiatives-capetonians/

ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE:

https://www.pressportal.co.za/it-new-media-and-software/story/14326/tapoff-app-summarizes-the-latest-water-crisis-stats-for-cape-town-it-also-invites-residents-to-post-their-water-usage-leaderboard.html

 

UJ Arts & Culture’s #METAMORPHOSIS

Published: 05 March 2018

#METAMORPHOSIS is UJ Arts & Culture’s 2018 programme of change.

“Looking at our creative programme through this thematic lens is the ideal stimulus for alignment with the University’s drive to participate meaningfully in decolonisation and transformation,” says Pieter Jacobs, Head of Arts & Culture (a division of the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture) at the University of Johannesburg.

Drawing inspiration from the theme of #METAMORPHOSIS has seen UJ Arts & Culture plan to change more than its content. The 2018 programme features two brand new festivals as well as new partnerships that will increase opportunities for the university community, creative industries and the public to experience and participate in the arts. The programme is diverse, ranging from jazz, poetry and youth arts festivals to a music concert series, stand-up comedy shows, drama and dance seasons and an exhibitions programme.

"It is a great responsibility to play a role in shaping leaders of the future. And what better tool than the arts to develop the emotional and cultural intelligence to harness the knowledge and skills we acquire as we go through life,” says Jacobs. To this end, UJ Arts & Culture offers students and staff a robust programme to participate in the arts. Through the UJ Arts Academy, students, alumni and staff have access to a range of free dance and acting classes, poetry and drumming sessions or they could audition for theatre productions, the UJ Choir, UniJoh Chorale, jazz band, wind band or orchestra. Its student offering would not be complete without the hugely popular student talent competition presented annually and group tours to festivals and celebrations.

A key component of UJ Arts & Culture’s activities is its annual interdisciplinary collaborative FADA programme, launched in 2017 by the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Federico Freschi. Once again, this programme will see more than 300 students from departments across the faculty get involved in different design aspects of a UJ Arts & Culture-produced play as part of their course work.

“UJ Arts & Culture’s #METAMORPHOSIS programme is designed to advance the University’s vision of an international institution of choice, anchored in Africa, dynamically shaping the future. Bolstered by PhD residencies, local and international performing arts residencies, lectures, workshops and conferences, the Division strives to offer world-class opportunities to experience, participate in, and for empowerment through the arts,” concludes Jacobs.

#METAMORPHOSIS promises to appeal to art lovers with diverse interests:

VISUAL ART

Exhibitions Programme
For the fourth year in a row UJ Arts & Culture’s exhibitions programme will feature the PPC Imaginarium Awards. These awards, established by PPC Ltd, offer emerging designers and artists a platform to showcase their talent and creativity through the use of cement as a primary medium.

In May, the 300 Art Ornaments exhibition will showcase over 250 pieces collected by the UJ Jewellery Design and Manufacture Department over the past 10 years.
UJ Art Gallery in partnership with the Bag Factory will play host to Brazillian curator Daniella Géo, who delves into the Bag Factory’s alumni archives. TRANS will showcase the impact Bag Factory’s alumni have had on the art scene and the role it played in connecting the Johannesburg with the rest of Africa and the world.
UJ Arts & Culture, in collaboration with the MTN Foundation SA, presents Continuing Conversations, following the 2017 collaborative Shifting Conversations exhibition. The conversations continue in 2018, with works derived from both the MTN and UJ art collections as well as emerging artists with an addition of a mentorship and educational programme.
The 2018 UJ Arts Gallery calendar is set to close on a high with the celebration of 21 Years of The Ampersand Foundation, which rewards excellence in the visual arts by granting fellowships to young professional South African contemporary visual artists. Curator Gordon Froud brings works completed by such fellows together in this exhibition.

MUSIC

UJ Concert Series
Kicking off the UJ Concert Series is the re-launch of the University’s Steinway Concert Grand with Steinway artists Christopher Duigan, Charl du Plessis and Jill Richards featuring the rising star, Sulayman Human, in concert.

Presented in partnership with Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, Swiss group Hildegard Lernt Fliegen (Hildegard Learns to Fly) is a Swiss formation of avant-garde jazz, headlined by singer Andreas Schaerer. In 2014, the band received the BMW Welt Jazz Award, and subsequently toured Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Luxembourg, China, Italy, Finland, UK and France.

The programme will culminate in FADA’s major fundraising drive in support of the Dean’s Bursary Fund. Presented annually on the first Saturday of November, A Grand Night for Singing will feature familiar and new voices, the UJ Choir and the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra.

UJ Choir

In addition to performing at more than 20 graduation ceremonies and special events, the UJ Choir will perform alongside Hope College (USA) at the Rosebank Catholic Church and with Akustika Chamber Singers at SABC's M1 Studio in May. The highlight for UJ Choir's 2018 calendar includes, competing in the much-anticipated World Choir Games in early July.

UJ Choir, Tuks Camerata, and Puk-Koor will be performing in Koorkaleidoscope at the University of Pretoria's Musaion in August. UJ Choir's annual programme wraps up with its customary end year Celebration Concert at the end of October.

FESTIVALS

UJ Weekend of Jazz
Presented in celebration of Africa Day, the inaugural UJ Weekend of Jazz, is scheduled to take place at the UJ Art Centre from 24-26 May. This urban jazz experience, is set to cast a spotlight on exceptionally skilled emerging jazz musicians who are not afraid to experiment or disrupt the notion of jazz.

National Arts Festival
Keeping up the tradition, UJ Arts & Culture will present a substantive programme at the National Arts Festival with the translation of Reza de Wet’s iconic African Gothic (translation of Diepe Grond) headlining the UJ programme, which includes Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney, a music concert and STAGED, a new play development showcase.
UJ Youth Arts Festival
The new festival will cast a spotlight on some of the best new creative voices with students from other institutions, colleges and youth groups joining UJ Arts & Culture students in a showcase of acting, singing, dancing and making music. The festival will be hosted at the UJ Art Centre as well as at the Con Cowan Theatre in August.

Izimbongi Poetry Festival
UJ Arts & Culture’s grand finale after a year-long slam poetry programme with students, school learners and the public will take shape in the form of a week-long poetry festival featuring performances by professional and amateur spoken word artists, book launches, lectures, forum discussions and workshops.

THEATRE

Out the Box Comedy
Back by popular demand, UJ Arts & Culture will again team up with POPArt and Goliath & Goliath to present the Out the Box Comedy shows, culminating in a marathon of 20 comedians performing 5-minute sets each.

Choir Boy
Comprising a combination of student and professional actors, the play tells the story of a young man who wants nothing more than to take his rightful place as leader of the school's legendary gospel choir. Can he find his way inside the hallowed halls of this institution if he sings in his own key? After its premiere at the National Arts Festival, Choir Boy will be performed at the UJ Youth Arts Festival in August.

African Gothic
Set against the backdrop of a farm in desolate ruin, Reza de Wet’s, African Gothic (translation of Diepe Grond), tells the story of the complicated, passionate, and troubled relationship between two siblings. Presented in partnership with Joburg Theatres, the play will be presented at The Fringe following its run at the National Arts Festival in July.

Metamorphosis
As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. The staging of the play will be the culmination of a year-long process that involves more than 300 students and lecturers from different departments in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) working on various design and development aspects of the work as part of their course work. Kafka’s Metamorphosis, adapted by Steven Berkoff will be tested in October with a view of undertaking full runs in 2019.

DANCE
MIDM’s 40th Anniversary Celebration Season proudly hosted by UJ Arts & Culture at the UJ Art Centre will comprise two programmes – the first will run from 14 to 16 September 2018 and the second in the following week from 20 to 22 September 2018.

SWAN, inspired by the famous ballet, Swan Lake, and the Japanese social phenomenon Hikikomori, the dance piece was built by Hannah Ma and Kesuke Mihara on Tchaikovsky’s music. SWAN will perform at the Con Cowan Theatre from 21 to 23 September 2018.

For more information visit UJ Arts & Culture’s new user-friendly website and booking system at www.uj.ac.za/arts

About UJ Arts & Culture

UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA) produces and presents world-class student and professional arts programmes aligned to the UJ vision of an international university of choice, anchored in Africa, dynamically shaping the future. A robust range of arts platforms are offered on all four UJ campuses for students, staff, alumni and the general public to experience and engage with emerging and established Pan-African and international artists drawn from the full spectrum of the arts.

In addition to UJ Arts & Culture, FADA (www.uj.ac.za/fada) offers programmes in eight creative disciplines, in Art, Design and Architecture, as well as playing home to the NRF SARChI Chair in South African Art & Visual Culture, and the Visual Identities in Art & Design Research Centre. The Faculty has a strong focus on sustainability and relevance, and engages actively with the dynamism, creativity and diversity of Johannesburg in imagining new approaches to art and design education. 

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