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Project Runway SA star Gift Kgosierileng accepted at a prestigious US design school, but short of R700k in fees
Gift Kgosierileng has been accepted at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and is raising funds for his tuition fees.
South African fashion and set designer Gift Kgosierileng is raising funds for tuition fees. Picture: kgosigift/Instagram
South African fashion and set designer Gift Kgosierileng has been accepted at the prestigious California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in the US. However, is about R700,000 short on his tuition fees.
The designer who hails from Upington in the Northern Cape was accepted to the design institution three years ago for a course in BFA Production Experience/Scene & Costume design.
“Prior to that, I had to become very prepared for it. I quit alcohol. I literally started focusing on it because having to raise R1 million was no child’s play. I got a deferral to start this year,” Kgosierileng told The Citizen.
“The past eight, nine months since last year, I have been fundraising. That is where National Art Council aided me, now I’m still fundraising and there’s four weeks for me to start my course,” he said.
The former Project Runway SA contestant has a GoFundMe account where people can donate but he also encourages those who wish to support to buy his ponchos.
“Because also I am a designer, I do the Kgosi Kimono and ponchos. I’ve created 323 ponchos an calculated that if I had to sell all of them, it means I would have my first year institution fees,” he siad.
Curated course
Because of his unique background, Cal Arts has curated an equally unique course for Kgosierileng.
“They’re curating a specific course for me based on my background and based on my portfolio to fit my specific needs. My intake has started last week already, I have four weeks to get to the States then if I need a deferral and don’t get my money in time, they will allow me to start in February,” he said.
The Northern Cape and the provincial government have already donated R50,000 to his cause. He has also approached the provincial and national Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.
“They [provincial government] have been promising me that they would help, I called [and] eventually my calls got ignored and I went to Upignton to see local government. They told me they don’t have budget and that’s when the premier then heard of me and he donated R50,000 which is still in my savings account and that will probably pay for my flight ticket.”
“I managed to speak to people at national government and ja, everybody told me they don’t have funding.”
The course Kgosierileng was accepted for a BFA Production Experience/Scene & Costume design.
“It is a four-year undergrad program, but because of the nature of the type of student I am, meaning somebody with experience in the industry because I don’t have an undergrad that they could just say do a post-grad, they are curating a syllabus for me.”
Kgosierileng said Cal ARTS is not a very academic school. “From your first day, you will work on actual projects, whether it’s a movie, animation, or dance.”
“My goal is to be the house of indigenous visuals and motion picture. I want to specialise in making movies like your Shaka Zulus, fantasy but very much African. Think of Tyler Perry telling African stories from a fantasy perspective, in movies directing, doing scenes doing costume instead of having an American costume designer design these costumes.”
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Giving back
Once complete, he will have a Bachelor in Fine Arts production experience in scene and costume design.
Throughout May, Kgosierileng hosted a workshop for young creatives in Joburg with the intention of showing government what he could give back to young creatives once equipped with the knowledge.
“It was for five weeks. The callout was not made necessarily people who are qualified, it was generally unemployed youth from the ages of 18 to 40.
The 16 students he hosted at his workshop were fashion enthusiasts, people who already have a business and who are into creative entrepreneurship.
“This was a collaboration with American Makers. I had asked them to at least buy the students a toolbox. This kit is just a tool kit with needles and sowing stuff.”
One of the students is now Kgosierileng’s seamstress.
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Youth development
The 36-year-old said he’s been working in the youth development spaces in his hometown for a number of years and says this is something he’s passionate about.
“I had workshops. I worked closely with our local municipality when I was in my 20s already. I have a passion for developing local creatives from the village, from Upignton specifically and now that I’ve got to a national level with all the work that I’ve done, I decided to do that five-week workshop program to at least show that this is what I’m committed to do.
Kgosierileng wants to sign a commitment letter with potential funders.
“Look, if you do fund my four years of studies, you can take ownership of me for four years. Every holiday that I come, with whatever your budget is for your CSI, I’m willing to take that and come up with a workshop every holiday when I come to South Africa, I’m providing that workshop.”
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