25 Apr 2019

British Council, in partnership with Thapong Visual Arts Centre, is launching an initiative for art practitioners to create engaging cross disciplinary contemporary art projects titled: ‘Echoes of Unsilenced Voices’ (EchoesUV).

In an interview, EchoesUV resident curator, Tumie Thuthuka said the project signaled the rebirth of the self-conscious artist, and that it was a reclamation of an artistic voice that echoed possibilities of a brighter creative future for the local art sphere.

Thuthuka said EchoesUV was a creative art project that aimed to establish and empower emerging artists.

He said it ushered in a new dawn, a beginning that offered redress to some of the challenges that local artists faced. He added that it also aspired to challenge the status quo and break out of the culture of conformity to perceive normalcy.

EchoesUV is open to youth aged 18-35 and their projects can be in the form of music, video, fine art, fashion, poetry or performance.

He said three artists would be awarded P30 000 each towards the development and production of new artworks for the EchoesUV winter exhibition.

Thuthuka said a panel of judges from the British Council Southern Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana), a curator from the United Kingdom as well as resident curator would choose the three artists from the submissions.

He encouraged artists to submit their works and also to get expert advice when working on their submissions. ENDS