Visual arts stakeholders share information
Kwatsaduza - The City of Ekurhuleni in partnership with the Visual Arts Network of South Africa hosted a visual arts stakeholders engagement session on Saturday.
The event was hosted at the Springs Community Hall and the purpose of the session was aimed at bringing transformation and development within the visual art sector, by assisting artists to be self-sufficient in managing their own businesses, through equipping them with skills on how to draft business proposals, how to apply for grants or funds and business administration skills.
Artists were also taught more about the current developments and opportunities that exist at national and international art fairs.
In addition, there was a revival of the Ekurhuleni Visual Arts Forum, which is a support network through which visual artists and other creative people can meet and exchange ideas, skills, knowledge and information.
“This initiative is not about the government but about bringing artists together, letting them share their work, knowledge and information because we normally find that some artists want to exhibit, but have a problem with funding or a lack of information on what is happening in the industry.
“Therefore, we need to create more platforms where we can communicate better as the arts industry, since we want to find ways to work better together as things are there and are happening.
“But the challenge is that some of our artists sit alone and they don’t share their work or ideas,” says curator of the Springs Gallery, Thabo Sekoaila.
He adds that it is imperative for all visual arts stakeholders to get organised and that artists should make sure they form groups where they can meet to share information and ideas as poets, visual artists, actors or singers.
Kamogelo Masemola, an artist from KwaThema, says the session was very informative and necessary for them as artists.
“This is just what we needed as we have a lot of artists in the township who need exposure, so such sessions can help us share information that will help us grow and show off our work.
“A lot of us are in the dark regarding the sector and how we can become professional artists, so we need more events like this and not just once but more often,” he says.
