DUT ready for Arts, Design Digi Fest
DUT's DigiFest is all set for a technological explosion this week when the University’s City Campus open its doors to the public for a series of live art activations, innovations and inspirations, exhibitions, panel discussions, workshops, music, theatre, poetry, comedy, dance, food and more.
THE Durban University of Technology’s third annual DigiFest this Friday, 9 and Saturday, 10 September is set to open the University’s City Campus doors to the public for a series of live art activations, exhibitions, innovations, panel discussions, workshops, music, theatre, poetry, comedy, dance and food.
The opening night, this Friday, 9 September, begins with a DUT Alumni fundraising event for the Missing Middle campaign, a funding support initiative for students. It also features live performance by the award-winning a-capella trio The Soil, and includes the launch of the 24th International Symposium on Electronic Art, (#ISEA2018), which takes place in Durban in 2018 – the first time on African soil.
Glenwood tech guru, Steve Jones the festival manager told Berea Mail while putting the festival together has been hard work, there is a long line up of exciting events which he has specially curated for an explosion of all things digital and fun.
“My approach this year has been to build a programme of consecutive events which offer ongoing entertainment and engagement for attendees. Each exhibition is getting its own launch, so exhibitors can present their projects, explain the process and draw special focus to the works. A range of presentations, discussions and workshops will serve to enlighten and educate. Film screenings will take place in the historic Arthur Smith Hall, and this is all balanced out with live art installations and some high quality live entertainment from The Soil, Felix Laband, Raheem Kemet to name a few,” Jones explained.
Speaking about the digital age in our communities, Jones said: “As a Glenwod resident, I often do internet banking while walking my dog in Bulwer Park, it is kind of a personal undertaking though. I try to embrace technology to better my life, but I think we all have a long way to go. I feel we often get sidetracked and let technology dictate the pace of our lives… So sometimes I leave my phone at home. Also, technology is a relative term, because the things we now consider low-tech, were once high-tech, and as we become more advanced, low-tech becomes all that has come before, and high-tech the things we do now and in the future,” he explained.
Several DUT academic programmes will participate in this year’s Digifest, alongside external partners and organisations working with digital technologies.
Digital artist and DUT Fashion Lecturer Nirma Madoo-Chipps presents her latest work Labtayt Sulci. This series shot partially in Iceland is inspired by the NASA exploration of Enceladus.
Highlights include live art from Resoborg, Sketch Wars and others who will adorn the campus walls and live performances by some top South African artists, including The Soil, Felix Laband, Raheem Kemet, Easy Freak, DJ Lag, DJ Merlon, Strage and Nkululeko Dlamini.
Jones was excited to partner with Zapper to integrate a digital payment portal for the festival. “Attendees will be encouraged to use the app to make purchases; be it art, fashion, food, refreshments or even to pledge funds for the Missing Middle Campaign,” he added.
DigiFest is on at the DUT City Campus, corner of Dr Pixley Ka Seme (West Street) and Julius Nyerere (Warwick Avenue) on Friday, 9 September from 12pm to 10pm, and on Saturday, 10 September from 10am to 10pm.
All are welcome and entrance is free.
Visit www.digifest.dut.ac.za for the full programme.
