Im4theArts is a clarion call to action for all those involved in the arts sector and the broader cultural and creative industries.
The movement, launched on Facebook on Martin Luther Day in February 2020 by opera-singer Sibongile Mngoma, has attracted a following of close to 18 000 people. The Im4theArts and Artistslivesmatter hashtags call for accountability, transparency and engagement from those in power, but equally importantly, ask artists to come together to support one another to ensure the survival and flourishing of the sector. The movement has become even more necessary as COVID-19 has undermined the shaky infrastructure on which the arts sector stands. This is a time for solidarity and collaboration.
Says founder Sibongile Mngoma āAs we work to change the landscape of the Creative Industries, let’s also grow our mental capacity to function in our new spaceā.
In the interests of building the movement, Im4theArts is hosting a Winter School in response to membersā needs for capacity-building. This pilot event runs from Monday 22 to Wednesday 24 June 2020 and offers 12 short courses of 270 minutes, divided into three sessions of 90 minutes on three consecutive days.
The early mornings are devoted to introductions to the creative industries in each discipline and run concurrently, while later courses are crosscutting and apply to all disciplines. Each course has a facilitator who has planned the course and will host it, with some courses having the facilitators as the lead presenters, and others using a variety of presenters. These facilitators are all respected professionals with substantial experience in the industry.
The courses are intended to be as practical as possible and to offer participants useful information to improve their work within the sector.
The courses are free and are available only to members of Im4theArts.To sign up for the winter school (or as a member), click directly on this link and fill out the form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8yW_6yt-kbvPnhNqGvfvNjgrFnHOA61L0TsoE72VEi2_wnQ/viewform
This will allow you to sign up for the course/s you would like to attend. These are all online courses and they will be hosted on the Zoom platform. Provision is also made for members to contribute towards the cost of someone elseās digital participation and you are able to request a sponsorship of R150 towards data costs to assist your participation.
The deadline for applying is 15:00, Thursday 18 June 2020.
You will be provided with the Zoom link for your course/s on Friday 19 June. For queries, write to Im4thearts@gmail.com.
