You are invited to the Arts and Culture Indaba by the African Arts Institute to be held from 19-21 June 2013 at the City Hall, Cape Town, South Africa.

This 3-day live and interactive research event organized by the Arts and Culture Department of the City of Cape Town, will seek to engage significant decision-makers and experts in various arts and culture-related fields to share their expertise and develop strategies to influence the arts and culture arena in Cape Town.

The African Arts Institute (AFAI) was launched in February 2009 with a grant from Spier to establish an entity that would work in the creative sector across the continent. It was also launched to house the secretariat of the Arterial Network, a continent-wide body dedicated to advancing the African creative sector. Africa has a wealth of creative talent and abundant natural and human resources. It is also a continent that faces numerous developmental and political challenges, many of which interface with culture. Artists and cultural workers play significant roles in addressing these challenges but conditions on the continent are not always conducive to the rights and the status that artists should enjoy.

Mindful of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, the African Charter on Human Rights and its protocols and UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the African Union’s Nairobi Plan of Action on Cultural Industries (PDF) and the Belgrade Recommendation on the Status of the Artist among other international cultural instruments – the African Arts Institute locates itself firmly within the challenges and the abundant possibilities of the African continent.

A key aim of the event is to develop strategies and solutions which build on the opportunities offered by the World Design Capital *. This workshop features individual sessions on an array of topics including:

1. The Creative Economy in Cape Town
2. Cultural Events and the Cape Town Events environment
3. Cultural Infrastructure
4. Fostering Inter-culturalism and social cohesion
5. The Museums of Cape Town Initiative
6. Memorialisation
7. Public Art
8. Marketing and Promoting Cape Town’s Arts and Culture Offerings
9. Cultural Entrepreneurship
10. Research and Indicators of Success
Please note: the event is free, however each session can accommodate a maximum of 50 guests, so booking is essential.
Contact Malaika Toyo info@afai.org.za, to secure your seat (indicate Day and Session attending).

Also note workshop times are subject to change. The African Arts Indaba is fast approaching and they need volunteers and rapporteurs. If you are interested in either position, kindly send your CV and a cover letter to info@afai.org.za

* What is World Design Capital 2014?
Cape Town’s World Design Capital 2014 bid theme – Live Design. Transform Life – focuses on the transformative power of design. 2014 is a particularly auspicious year for South Africa in that it marks the anniversary of 20 years of democracy. As World Design Capital, Cape Town will place particular emphasis on the role of design in this journey – past, present and future.