Tutu Zondo brings creatives together in a dream project
JOBURG – "This will show how artists are reacting to their world and the social and political context in which they find themselves."
Tutu Zondo, a Wits honours student, has come up with an idea that will see artists from different walks of life come together and be a part of something very special. The project is called ‘The Ota Experiment’ and has been in the works for two years now.
“Ota is a Swahili word that means dream or hallucination. The Ota Experiment is exactly that, a dream, a real life hallucination, one that we, as a team, are hoping to make a reality. We believe that art should be a shared experience, that it is more beautiful when it’s shared, that there is more magic when the experience of art is a collective one. We think The Ota Experiment can do this – that we can create this magic,” explained Zondo.
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This project not only seeks to create new, interesting, innovative pieces of work but also wants to establish a database for young artists to collaborate, create and share work with each other. The project currently consists of more than 60 young creatives.
As creator and creative director of this project, Zondo is ready to take it to its next phase. This phase has four major parts to it. The first one will focus on the musicians and the collaborative album they are putting together. The goal is to create a new sonic experience – to have a jazz instrumentalist team up with a trap producer and an indie vocalist.
The second part will focus more on visual storytelling, through 10 documentary episodes. The goal for this docuseries is to capture the creative process of the art that the creatives are producing. “Throughout the series, we will be exploring and engaging with 7 themes and topics that we feel are affecting the youth of South Africa. This will show how artists are reacting to their world and the social and political context which they find themselves in,” said Zondo.
The third part of the project is going to be an art inspired short film based on the findings discovered through the series of interviews and explorations in the docuseries. “It is important that as young artists we don’t just talk about issues affecting us, it’s important that we create art that speaks to these issues, that reflects our society, responds to it – it is important that we have a position,” said Zondo. He added that the aim is to submit this short art film to various festivals as he and his team feel it will be the best of what they have to offer.
The fourth and final part of the project will be in the form of a creative website. The website will be a platform where people can engage with the work and also with the artists/creatives who created it.
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