Culture conference brings together creative fields

Although not the most artistic description for a forum based on creativity, the Arts Conference, which is in its third year, is deliberately trying to break down the walls between different creative fields.

Food, comedy, film, theatre, design, blogging and other creative fields all meet at this three-day-long conference, which features seminars and talks curated and presented by creative industry leaders, and it is now taking place at UJ’s Bunting Road and Kingsway campuses.

The conference kicked off on Sunday evening with comedian Tats Nkonzo curating a talk by trends analyst Dion Chang, who emphasised the importance of solution-based innovation in the rapidly evolving 21st Century and urged guests to not only “think outside the box, [but] rethink the whole package”.

Arts and Culture Trust CEO Pieter Jacobs told The Citizen one of the core aims of the conference was to study the models of successful creatives and share that information to advance and inspire creative sectors.

“There is a need for a platform for creatives to engage around critical aspects of the industry they operate in. The platform also encourages the development of networks, coordination of activities as well as collaborations,” Jacobs said.

This was seen in the interactive networking exercise, Food Jams – a social experiment of sorts created by Masterchef SA contestant Jade de Waal – where, in lieu of wine and entrees, guests were paired up with strangers and required to collaborate on their own dishes while giving them an opportunity to network.

“Creatives can turn creativity into currency by aligning their offering with societal demands and needs as well as offering innovative solutions to complex business challenges,” Jacobs added.

The conference is being presented in clusters to allow guests to attend sections that are of particular interest to them, It is expected to end off with an after party open to the public and conference goers on Tuesday night in Braamfontein.