“Together we stand, divided we fall” is an adage that perfectly epitomises the Kas’ Art Exhibition, Ekurhuleni’s Katlehong based Lucky Dance Theatre The country-wide exhibitions will be taking place in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, until September 2014.
Kas`Art Exhibition will be conducting workshops in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Bloemfontein and the Eastern Cape. The workshops will be centred around visual and performing arts, and additionally, using the platform as a knowledge base for those who need it most.
The initiative’s most anticipated headline act will feature Shadow Graves, a collaborative residency between emerging artists from Zimbabwe (Catherine Douglas), Madagascar (Julie Iarosoa), Cote d’ Voire/Germany (Ange Aoussou) and South Africa Aphiwe Mpahleni, Nombulelo Mcwerah).
Scheduled to be performed on 26 July 2014 at THE DANCE SPACE in Newtown, Johannesburg. Shadow Graves addresses the prejudices against women not only in Africa but also globally, asking the pertinent question: what does it mean to be a woman in contemporary society?
Just as enthralling will be Voice of the Black Soul rehearsals which started from 6 to 31 January 2014 at the Katlehong Art Centre), a duo dance work developed by Thembela Hlatshwayo and Lucky Kele. The artistic offering explores life’s hardships such as depression, fear and frustration, and how these affect souls.
Taking place from 21 until 25 July throughout Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Bloemfontein and Limpopo and articulated by representatives from the chosen regions, Double Exit is an experimental artwork that shines the spotlight on our social ills and possible solutions.
Seasoned art professionals are on hand to spend three weeks in all of the identified areas of South Africa, imparting their much-needed skills and artistic expertise. The multi-disciplinary events will encompass music, dance, poetry, choreography and theatre.
The workshops, exhibitions and rehearsals throughout the assigned period will culminate in a spectacular Grand Finale exhibition featuring artistic works such as Shadow Grave, Voice of the Black Soul and Double Exit, making the Kas’Art Exhibition one of the most endearing community initiatives in South Africa.
What makes this exhibition tower head and shoulders above other initiatives is its level of community involvement, as at every stage, creative minds from each region will be engaged. Public transport nodes such as bus, taxi and train stations, along with shopping malls, markets and other hubs of activity will not be missed as constructive dialogue between artists and communities is fostered.
The process of the workshops will be based on brainstorming, research, training and creating the images that will reflect the theme of the exhibition – ‘creating art for hope’. The project will invite four professional art practitioners in each participating province to facilitate workshops and a minimum of 15 participants will benefit.
Viewed as a seed whose effects will still be evident years into the future, the exhibition is an integration of visual and performing art workshops and presentations that will provide a platform for artists to come together and showcase their varying offers. This will result in stronger collaborations, artistic abilities being stretched to the limit and an increased interest in the community when it comes to the arts.
Most importantly, the Kas’ Art Exhibition aims to utilise the arts as a creative outlet for the youth of South Africa. The exhibition is a critical journey of ensuring that art relates, reflects and addresses social illnesses that relate to not only Katlehong, but also the surrounding areas.
The residents of Katlehong have never doubted that their community was abundant with talent, and the Kas’ Art Exhibition is the perfect vehicle to unearth it. The initiative has been initiated to not only expose the talent, but to educate and nurture the gifted community members.
The Kas`Art Exhibition was intentionally designed to develop new approaches to issues relating to the low levels of art exposure, especially in townships. It was with this in mind that the idea to promote social cohesion through contemporary art was born: Kas’ Art Exhibition, which will prove to be one of the most essential art interventions to be revealed.
