SWOP webinar: Modes of Self-Reporting: The Artist and Social Justice.
With a presentation by Simon Gush and discussants William Matlala, Sibulele Gcilitshana, Molemo Moiloa and Isaac Dumi.
Friday, 14 August, 13:00-15:00
In this webinar we focus on the role of the artist in the cultivation of social justice. The discussion explores how the artist as an individual is involved in a method of self-report, an accountability to themselves and a creation of culture… It begins with a short film by Simon Gush giving a self-report of his life during the Covid-19 lockdown in South Africa, followed by reflections from fellow artists.
Please see Simon’s documentary here:
Questions for discussion include:
What is the mode of self-reporting?
What is the role of the artist in the cultivation of social justice?
How has Covid-19 affected the arts and their role today?
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Simon Gush is an artist and filmmaker. His artworks and essay films explore images of labour, work ethic, work rhythms that have shaped Johannesburg.
William Matlala is a photographer specialising in Labour and Trade Union activities. William has served the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in his capacity as photographer particularly in the 1990s. He built a large photographic archive throughout the 1990s, mainly of his own photographs but also of other South African photographers like Anna Zieminski, Cedric Nunn, Santu Mofokeng, Paul Weinberg, Morice Smithers and Abdul Shariff. His recent photographs on life under Covid-19 in South Africa are on display on the SWOP website.
Sibulele Gcilitshana is a South African performing artist, trained in Musical Theatre from Pretoria Technikon. She has worked locally and internationally in Theatre, Film, TV and as a voice artist for the past 20 years. A believer in theatre for change, Sibulele’s body of work reflects her attitude, and commitment to the continued use of theatre as a vehicle for social enhancement. To Sibulele, theatre is not just art, but a means to create and transform the world around her. Sibulele is currently playing Detective Kolisi on Mzansi Magic's number one telenovela, Gomora.
Molemo Moiloa lives and works in Johannesburg, and has worked in various capacities at the intersection of creative practice and community organizing. Molemo’s academic work has focused on the political subjectivities of South African youth. She is also one half of the artist collaborative MADEYOULOOK, who explore everyday popular imaginaries and their modalities for knowledge production. Up until recently, she was Director of the Visual Arts Network of South Africa (VANSA).
Isaac Dumi is a literary writer; he holds a Masters degree in Translation from Wits and was a 2019 intern for the South African Labour Bulletin. He is currently busy with his debut novel: Photographs.