The essential Supplement of the French Institute of South Africa

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Food-for-thought provider “à la française”, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) was established in the Newtown Cultural Precinct in 1995. Since then, the organization which consists of IFAS-Culture, Research & Dibuka has been a key player on the Johannesburg and Southern African artistic, cultural, academic and literary scenes.

IFAS-Culture is the cultural agency of the French Embassy in South

Africa and supports artistic events in various domains, throughout

the year and around the country. Highly demanding in offering

quality creations while favouring the exchange of ideas between

communities, IFAS-Culture strives to introduce French and Franco-

phone artists in South Africa, promote South African artists on the

international artistic scene and support artistic residencies leading

to original creations. As a promoter and diffuser of French language

and Francophone culture, IFAS-Culture works in close collaboration

with the Alliance Française network in South Africa. Since its incep-

tion, the organisation has established an important network of

strong partnerships with various festivals, universities, artists, mu-

seums and galleries, as well as government institutions and busi-

nesses. The audiovisual department includes cinema, television,

radio and journalism. It aims at initiating and developing exchang-

es and relationships between the different media and the profes-

sionals of the audiovisual industry in France and Southern Africa.

This is achieved by providing support to the development of the

audiovisual industry, keeping an eye on its evolution, as well as

promoting and developing the presence of French audiovisual in-

dustry in Southern Africa.

Laurent Clavel IFAS Director & Cultural Attaché

Magalie Maillot Secretary General

Christine Salgado Financial Director

Ben Blanpain Cultural Officer

Marie Didierlaurent Cultural Officer

Jérôme Cosnard Cultural Officer

Eléonore Godfroy-Briggs Communication Officer

Nicolas Doyard Regional Attaché for Media Cooperation

Yvette Kambale Financial assistant

Agnès Ntumba-Mbombo IFAS-Culture Secretary

Peter Thelele Reception

Million Ben Khosa Driver

IFAS-Research (Umifre 25, USR 3336 « Sub Saharan Africa),

working hand in hand with IFAS-Culture, focuses on Human and

Social Science in Southern Africa under the auspices of the CNRS

(French National Centre for Scientific Research). It has a thriving

and diverse network of French, European and regional research

institutions and organisations. It offers an academic base for stu-

dents, interns and visiting researchers, and produces a bi-annual

newsletter (Lesedi) as well as various publications and papers.

Sophie Didier IFAS-Research Director

Michel Lafon Linguist Researcher

Laurent Chauvet Translator

Werner Prinsloo Library and Website

Christian Kabongo APORDE Administrator

Marie-Eve Kayowa IFAS-Research Secretary

Thibault Hatton Research & Communication Officer

Soline Laplanche-Servigne Post Doctoral Student

in Sociology (based at IFAS)

Dibuka is an information centre and multimedia library promoting

French language and Francophone culture. Based at the Alliance

Française of Johannesburg, it offers subscribers access to a large

collection of CDs, DVDs, novels, newspapers and magazines, comic

and children’s books. Dibuka also supports literary cafés as well as

poetry and literary festivals.

Jérôme Chevrier Book Policy Officer & Head Librarian

Emilie Demon Assistant Librarian

IFAS-Culture, Research &Dibuka The FrenchInstitute of South Africa

IFAS-Culture & Research

Temporary offices: Phenyo House,

73 Juta Street, Braamfontein

Tel +27 (0)11 403 0458

Fax +27 (0)11 403 0465

Dibuka

17 Lower Park Drive,

corner Kerry Road, Parkview

Tel +27 (0)11 646 1115

www.ifas.org.za

extra! #7

PuBLISHER Laurent Clavel

EDIToR Eléonore Godfroy-Briggs

TRANSLAToR Laurent Chauvet

CoPY-EDIToR Wordsmiths Publishing

DESIGNER Bluprint Design

PRINTER Sugodesigns

CovER collage by French artist

François Sarhan (more information

on ZooM | CulTuRe)

“Poetry is both a hiding place and a loud-speaker.” Nadine GordimerThere are seven wonders, seven continents in the world, seven colours of the rainbow, seven days in a week and seven basic musi-cal notes, so the seventh edition of extra had to be something special.

Throughout the first six issues, extra!, as the IFAS (French Institute in South Africa) maga-zine, has widely opened its columns to a rainbow of cultural and human sciences topics such as film-making, urban housing, rock art, poetry, photography, fashion, jazz, choreography...

Now extra! opens its arms to all the sectors where links exist between France and South Africa, from the perspective of cooperation between our two nations, between Institu-tions, universities, Research Foundations, Museums and Galleries, and between writ-ers, painters, dancers, and philosophers.

Creativity and research – ideas – lead the world, stimulate the mind, and soothe the soul. Moreover, the interaction between dif-ferent fields of creation and research pro-voke unexpected insights for the compre-hension of life.

France is one South Africa’s three main col-laborators in research and development, with strong partnerships in many different fields – medicine, HIV/AIDS, education, en-vironment, energy, space, so extra! will point out where we stand now and where we are heading.

2012 is on its way, and the big French-South African rendezvous is around the corner: the second half of 2012 will be the “SeASoN oF FRANCe IN SouTH AFRICA”, a festival with an extensive programme of a hundred different events in the cultural, scientific, technological, economical, and gastronom-ical fields.

There will be live shows, exhibitions, de-bates, dance, music, and films, all over South Africa: in Capetown, Johannesburg, Preto-ria, Durban, Port elizabeth, Soweto, Mitch-ell’s Plain, and other cities, with many co- creations linking artists from both countries. extra! will keep you informed of the upcom-ing programme and, how to participate.

This will be the perfect opportunity to learn more about French society, and more than that, to appreciate the multiple cultural as-pects of France: a rare occasion to get closer.

… and as André Malraux , writer and Minis-ter of Culture said, « la culture, ce n’est pas seulement de connaître Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, Rembrandt ou Bach: c’est d’abord de les aimer ». (“Culture is not only to know Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, Rembrandt or Bach, it is above all to like them.”)

Guy de la ChevalerieCultural Counsellor, Head of Cooperation, embassy of France in South Africa

1

Editorial

2 HEard & SEEn

3 HiGHliGHt: Festival du Film Français in South Africa

4 & 5 nEwS

6 & 7 FoCuS | CulturE: African Films… looking for Screens

8 & 9 FoCuS | rESEarCH: From China to Johannesburg

10 Zoom | SCiEnCES

11 Zoom | dEvElopmEnt

12 & 13 Zoom | CulturE: François Sarhan

14 proFilE | SCiEnCES & EduCation: CampusFrance

15 proFilE | litEraturE: Marguerite Abouet

16 & 17 proFilE | CulturE: NIRoX Foundation

18 & 19 portFolio: Borders Masterclass & What do we know about landscape?

20 & 21 rEndEZ-vouS: March to July 2011

linE-up

HeARD & SeeN Malian musician Aly Keita played his magi-

cal woody tunes on his favourite West African instrument, the balafon, at the Arts Alive Africa unites concert in Johannesburg on 3 September, after taking part in the Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition talk on 2 September. Photo © Mariola Biela.

During the 3rd edition of EuNIC Studio, which took place from 22 to 26 November in Johannesburg, young international and South African architects took a closer look at the build-ing Florence House, with a view to proposing a range of architectural solutions.

Nigerian dancer and choreographer Qudus onikeku presented My Exile is in My Head on 26 and 27 February at the 23rd FNB Dance Um-brella in Johannesburg. The piece deals with per-sonal questions of home, the concept of belong-ing, and forms of exile. Photo © Isabela Figueiredo.

The Yeoville Studio presented an exhibition on 20 November showcasing some of the find-ings of the research project carried out in this peri-central neighbourhood of Johannesburg. The exhibited materials included stories and portraits of its inhabitants, photographs taken by resi-dents, and various perceptions and representa-tions of the neighbourhood by the youth. Photo © IFAS.

For more information: www.ifas.org.za

2

HEard & SEEn

CoNNeXIoNS With 2010 being the international year of Bio-

diversity, the conference Biodivercities was held in Paris from 6 to 8 September. It explored the issues of nature in the city with a particular focus on emerg-ing countries (South Africa, Brazil, India, Kenya). The conference was a milestone in the creation of an international network aimed at fostering experi-ence-sharing between researchers, urban protected areas, managers and local authorities.

Held at Constitution Hill on 28 and 29 Octo-ber in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Inde-pendence in Africa, Constitutions and the Rule of Law in Africa since Independence: an Afri-can Dialogue focused on the history and the role of constitutions in the implementation of de-mocracy and the rule of law. Through a compara-tive perspective between Western and Southern Africa, the conference sparked a pan-African dia-logue between francophone and anglophone participants. Photo © IFAS.

Organised from 6 to 9 December at the Uni-versity of Witwatersrand, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies (SGAES), Geographic Information System (GIS) in Ar-chaeology included lectures, discussions and practical sessions on GIS in archaeology, with the aim of assisting Southern African researchers to integrate GIS into their archaeological research and report-writing.

South African producer James Tayler was invited to take part in the workshop Produire au Sud at the Festival des Trois Continents in Nantes from 23 to 29 November. Photo © JGA.

BooKS, WoRDS, eTC...

French-Senegalese wordsmith and per-former, Souleymane Diamanka, was one of 20 poets invited to take part in the 14th edition of Poetry Africa from 4 to 9 October. Given a platform to share his talent with po-etry aficionados, the poet expressed his vi-sion in both words and music. Photo © CCA-Poetry Africa.

Two award-winning francophone female writers, Ananda Devi (Mauritius) and Ken Bugul (Senegal), took part in a literary tour in Johannesburg, Pietermaritzburg and Cape Town from 17 to 23 September, where they discussed and answered questions about francophone literature in general, and issues and stories explored in their novels in par-ticular. Photo of Ananda Devi (Top) © Time of the Writer / J Rajgopaul. Photo of Ken Bugul (Bottom) © Time of the Writer / P Ngcobo.

SCReeNINGS To celebrate the French Month of Doc-

umentaries, African documentaries direct-ed and produced under the cooperation pro-gramme Africadoc were screened through-out November in the Alliances françaises network in South Africa, in the presence of Dominique Olier, coordinator of Africadoc.

Jean-Luc Godard’s classic Breathless (aka A Bout de Souffle) was screened on 10 December at the Bioscope, Johannes-burg, as part of the newly launched pro-gramme called 16mm, which aims at reviv-ing the diffusion of films in 16mm format.

For its first national edition, the Festival du Film Français in South Africa proposed a new pro-gramme of contemporary and award-winning French films selected by guest curator, Oliver Her-manus. The talented South African film maker, who attended Cinéfondation in Cannes in 2009, was given “carte blanche” for the selection of films which reflect the dynamism and variety of contemporary French Cinema.

Born out of a desire to develop and share with the South African public the incredible wealth of French cinema, the festival, which took place in South Africa’s five main cities, namely Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria, gathered cinema enthusiasts and fran-cophiles eager to discover an internationally ac-claimed genre rarely promoted in South Africa.

The festival also offered two extra events besides the screenings. The first, a cinema masterclass, included a unique encounter with Oliver Her-manus, as well as the opportunity to share his vision of cinema in general, and of French con-temporary cinema in particular. This exceptional masterclass was accompanied by the screening of his first feature film Shirley Adams (awarded Best South African Film, Best Actress, Best First Feature Film at the Durban Film Festival).

The second was a workshop with Isabelle Serv-ant, an exceptional French teacher who found an original way to teach French through cinema. Basing her purpose on Truffaut’s Les 400 Coups, she led an interactive workshop with French teachers and taught advanced students of the French Alliances in each participating city.

Highlights of the festival:Tournée (On Tour) directed by Mathieu Amalric, screened in the presence of the fes-tival curator oliver Hermanus. This road-trip movie, which won Best Screenplay at the Cannes International Film Festival 2010, follows Joachim, a former Parisian television producer, who has left everything behind to start a new life in Amer-ica. He returns to France with a team of New Bur-lesque striptease performers to whom Joachim has fed fantasies of a tour through Paris! The di-rector, Mathieu Amalric, is internationally known for his role in Steven Spielberg’s Munich, and in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly directed by Ju-lian Schnabel.

Des Hommes et des Dieux (Of Gods and Men) directed by Xavier Beauvois, screened in the presence of the French actor olivier Rabourdin. This moving film shows us the har-monious life of eight French Cistercian monks in a monastery in the Algerian wilderness. However, when a group of Croatian workers is murdered, the brothers are urged to close their doors and flee. The film is based on the true story of the Cistercian monks of Tibhirine in Algeria. Starring prominent French actors including Lambert Wil-son, Michael Lonsdale and Olivier Rabourdin, Of Gods and Men received the Grand Prix at the Cannes International Film Festival 2010 and the Best Film Cesar Award in 2011.

Vénus Noire (Black Venus) directed by Abdellatif Kechiche screened in the presence of South African actor Andre Jacobs. The film portrays the dark story of Saartjie Baartman, who followed her boss Hendrick Caesar from Southern

Africa to Europe, in the hope of finding fame and fortune. Once in London, though, her master ex-hibits her as a freak in a humiliating carnival show. With a new friend, bear-tamer Réaux, she heads to Paris where she once again is forced to expose her body and finally ends up working in a brothel. Director Abdellatif Kechiche is one of the most acclaimed contemporary French directors and has received many awards for his previous works, Games of Love and Chance and The Se-cret of the Grain.

Festival co-organised by the French Institute of South Africa, the network of Alliances françaises in South Africa and the Embassy of France in South Africa with the national support from uniFrance, Culturesfrance, Accor Group, Crédit Agricole, videovision, Région Ile de France, Dv8 Films and local support from Peugeot, Jame-son, the Lobster Tree, Sure viva Travel, Adecco, Suncoast Casino, open Window, AFDA, Labia, Artscape, NMMu-Department School of lan-guage, Media and Culture and Auberge Michel for the cocktail in Johannesburg.

“As a major fan and admirer of French cinema, the selection

process for this festival was focused primarily on bringing to

a South African audience a variety of French films that

explore complicated emotional journeys and political tensions

that challenge the viewers’ opinions and beliefs. I hope this collection of films will offer up a

host of questions and debates to inspire the audience, like any

good piece of cinema should.”

Oliver Hermanus

TOP: Of Gods and Men MIDDLE: Black Venus Photo © Mk2BOTTOM: Opening Night of the Festival at the Alexander Theatre, Johannesburg. Photo © Amandine Beranger

HiGHliGHt

Festivaldu FilmFrançais inSouth Africa

Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria 2 - 12 February 2011

3

On Tour Photo © Nicolas Guérin

IntofrenchFrom now on, the new website Intofrench will give you a vision of France in Southern Africa.

Check it out on www.intofrench.org

Schools Research Programme in Sociolinguistics 2011 – 2014Gauteng & limpopoA new research programme in sociolinguistics was launched this year with funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF). It focuses on the paradigms of language teaching in the Foundation Phase. The research will be carried out in township schools in Gauteng and rural schools in Limpopo, in which an African language is the majority home language and English is an additional language / subject. The project aims at assessing the language policy implemented in these schools to see how well learners’ linguistic skills have been developed in both their home language and English by Grade 3. The pro-gramme will run for three years and will be coor-dinated by Michel Lafon, residing researcher in linguistics at IFAS.

organised and presented with the support of the university of Pretoria, university of Limpopo and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

XenAfPol ANR 2011 onwards africa1 January 2011 marked the beginning of a new research programme: the XenAfPol programme. Coordinated by Laurent Fourchard (CEAN, Centre for Black African Studies) and Aurelia Wa Kabwe-Segatti (ACMS, African Centre For Migration and Society – Wits University), the programme focus-es on the politics of xenophobic exclusion in Af-rica. Besides the production of scholarly knowl-edge that intends to fill out some of the existing gaps in the understanding of xenophobic exclu-sion in Africa, the project’s other objective is to produce policy-relevant research to inform deci-sion-makers’ understanding of societal trends in contexts of increasing social, cultural, linguistic and economic heterogeneity. The research will be carried out in four African countries (South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, DRC) by an international and multidisciplinary team of researchers.

Presented with the support of the French National Research Agency (ANR) in partner-ship with IFAS Research.www.ifas.org.za/research/pdf/xenafpol.pdf

TOP: Cleveland Police Station – Xenopho-bic Riots 2008. Photo © Loren Landau.

Bongumenzi Ngobese 3 February – 27 April parisDurban visual artist Bongumenzi Ngobese is at-tending a three-month artistic residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts de Paris as part of the ABSA L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Prize, which he won last year for his mixed-media piece Kwa-Mamkhize. While in Paris, he will create a new work which will be presented in the net-work of Alliances françaises in Southern Africa in 2012. Ngobese’s award-winning work deals with migration and identity. He explores and questions political issues surrounding migration and identity, particularly in the informal settle-ments. Through his investigation, he looks at so-cial activities shaped by people who move from one location to another. He explores how social activities impact space, and in turn, how space impacts people.

Supported by the French Institute of South Af-rica in collaboration with ABSA, SANAvA, the Embassy of France in South Africa and the French cultural network of Alliances Français-es in Southern Africa. www.ifas.org.za/culture

TOP: Bongumenzi Ngobese with his Kwa-Mamkhize.

4

Time of the Writer International Writers Festival 14 – 19 March durbanThe written word will envelop Durban as writers from around South Africa and the continent ar-rive in the city for a stimulating week of books, ideas and talks at the 14th Time of the Writer In-ternational Writers Festival. The festival will fea-ture a diverse gathering of literary luminaries in-cluding novelists, short story writers, humour writers, political commentators and more. Partici-pants include acclaimed French novelist Marie Darrieussecq and Senegalese novelist, journalist and screenwriter Boubacar Boris Diop. The festi-val delivers a dynamic literary platform for dia-logue and exchange on wide-ranging themes, and offers a rare opportunity to gain insight into the many facets that inform the art of writing.

organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (university of KwaZulu-Natal), and with prin-cipal support from the National Lottery Dis-tribution Trust Fund. www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/Time_of_the_writer.htm

TOP: Marie Darrieussecq 2007.Photo © Bamberger.

APORDE 5 – 19 May JohannesburgThe African Programme on Rethinking Develop-ment Economics (APORDE) is a high-level train-ing programme in development economics aimed at building capacity in the South, particularly in Africa. The 5th edition of APORDE will afford tal-ented academics, policy makers and trade union-ists access to alternatives to mainstream thinking on development issues, in order to foster original thinking. Participants will receive intensive high-level training, and interact with some of the best development economists in the world (Ha-Joon Chang, Alice Amsden, Jomo KS) as well as other

nEwS

participants from Southern Africa and beyond. APORDE seeks to build public sector, civil society and research capacity in economics and econom-ic policy-making in Africa. This year, the APORDE team received 345 applications, more than twice our previous record!

A joint initiative of the South African Depart-ment of Trade and Industry (dti), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Embassy of France in South Africa and the French Insti-tute of South Africa. www.aporde.org.za

LEFT: APORDE meeting.

Francophonie 27 March JohannesburgEvery year in March, as part of the International Day of Francophonie, the French Embassy and its cooperation and cultural network invite all francophiles to celebrate the francophone cul-ture and the French language. Joburgers are in-vited to celebrate in music and rhythm with the Congolese rap band Lexxus Legal, the African musical trio Guitafrika and the Ivorian Trio Jum-bee, South African choreographer Fana Tsha-balala who will present his work Lost and Found, performances of the Giant Match puppets and the screening of the enchanting French ani-mated movie The Illusionist, amongst others. Be one of ten lucky winners to win a fabulous trip to France, as part of the Francophonie 2011 competi-tions!

Presented with the support of the Embassy of France in South Africa, the French Institute of South Africa, the Alliance française in Jo-hannesburg and Accor Group. www.alliance.org.za

TOP: Lexxus Legal. Photo © Luc Mayitoukou.

Théâtre Taliipot March to August South africaFollowing an acclaimed South African tour of their poignant piece Mâ Ravan’ in 2009, Théâtre Taliipot is back in South Africa to present their latest creation !Kia. After a stay at NIROX Foun-dation in November last year, Théâtre Taliipot’s team will attend a series of artistic residencies in NIROX in March and in Cape Town in June in the run-up to the performances of their new creation at Artscape Theatre in August. Theatre Taliipot’s main focus revolves around the mem-ory of the ancestors and their heritage. The com-pany’s creations interrogate the notion of iden-tity of the “mixed race” by mixing physical theatre with dance, music and traditional tales from the Indian Ocean. Theatre Taliipot shares with the audience the complexity of the history of one of the richest cultures in the world.

Supported by NIRoX, Artscape and the French

Institute of South Africa.www.theatretaliipot.com

TOP: Mâ Ravan’. Photo © Valerie Koch.

5

Nyaniso Lindi May to November South africaSouth African visual artist Nyaniso Lindi spent three months in Paris from January to March 2010 as part of the 2009 ABSA L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Prize. The work created during his artistic residency in Paris will be showcased as part of a tour this year within the network of Alliances françaises and French Cultural Centres in South-ern Africa. The concept of the work is around ficti-tious reality and focuses on the paradox between what is real and what is fictional. In the various

Arts and Culture in Development12 April JohannesburgEUNIC, the European Union network of Institutes for Culture, will hold an open discussion on the topic “Arts and culture in development” with key stakeholders in South Africa at the Goethe-Insti-tut. This conference is held in the context of a three day meeting between the representatives of EUNIC head organisations and branches in Sub Saharan Africa who will discuss the future and discuss ways to form partnerships and to respond to African priorities. EUNIC network seeks to facilitate cultural co-operation, create lasting partnerships between professionals, encourage greater understanding and awareness of the di-verse European cultures and to encourage great-er language learning.

organised and presented by EuNIC SA.www.eunic-online.eu

Mandla Langa at the Paris Book Fair 17 – 21 March JohannesburgDuring his visit at the fair, South African writer, scriptwriter and journalist Mandla Langa will participate in several events; namely the launch of the book “L’Afrique du Sud : une traversée littéraire” taking place on the stand of L’Institut Français on 18 March in presence of South Afri-can poet Robert Berold, and a round table gather-ing other talented African writers. The book, written by Joan Metelerkamp, Denise Coussy and Denis Hirson and edited by South African Denis Hirson, presents an historical overview on the South African literatures since 1994 in the plurality of its languages, its diversity in the crea-tive process and transmission. Interested readers will get the opportunity to get acquainted with the book during two public readings at the Vil-lage Voice Bookstore in Saint Germain des Prés and in a theatre in the 11th arrondissement, Paris.

Invited by L’Institut Français with the support of the Embassy of France in South Africa.www.salondulivreparis.com

We have moved!After 15 years in Newtown, the French Institute of South Africa is moving to its own offices in Braamfontein in June / July. In the meantime you can find us in our temporary offices: Phenyo House, 73 Juta Street, BraamfonteinP.O. Box 542, Newtown 2113Tel +27 (0)11 403 0458 Fax +27 (0)11 403 0465

works exhibited, Lindi portrays hybrids using functional objects like lamps and stoves fused with human forms.

Supported by the French Institute of South Africa in collaboration with ABSA, SANAvA, the Embassy of France in South Africa and the French cultural network of Alliances fran-çaises in Southern Africa. www.ifas.org.za/culture

LEFT: Nyaniso Lindi’s work.

6

African Films...

looking forScreens

Distribution is the weak link in the cinematic industry in Africa,

and is further jeopardised by endemic piracy. As a result,

film professionals throughout the continent are exploring new

avenues through which to reach audiences and develop their industry.

Forty percent of Africans live in cities and, like most

urbanites around the world, they love watching mov-

ies! Yet, with the exception of Ethiopia and a few an-

glophone countries, movie houses are closing down

all over the continent. In Dakar (Senegal), there were

80 movie theatres in 1960; today there is not a single

one left. In Abidjan and Kinshasa, most of the cinemas

have been converted into Evangelistic churches. As a

result, most Africans end up watching TV and DVDs or

VCDs (usually pirated copies) at home. A European

Union study found that a staggering 98% of movies

purchased in Mali are counterfeit. This percentage is

estimated at 70% in Nigeria by the producers of “No-

llywood”, the struggling Nigerian film industry.

Although audiovisual production in Sub-Saharan Af-

rica is flourishing, the African film industry is in deep

crisis due to a lack of structured distribution. Most

professionals (except for South Africans) who are de-

prived of revenues, are condemned to producing

cheap and technically poor films that cannot be ex-

ported, despite the growing interest in African culture

worldwide.

But the situation is not completely hopeless. In the

USA and France, for example, there has been an in-

crease in the number of movie-goers in parallel with

mass-pirating. This has been explained by sociologists

as to do with the extended number of hours in front of

a computer screen, and people’s increased need for

social interaction, such as going to the movies togeth-

er. Africa is also working on ways to re-conquer her

public through initiatives such as the following:

The Soudan Ciné, Bamako, Mali.

the NoodleBox evenings where movie-goers are

able to eat Chinese noodles while watching

Asian fi lms (www.thebioscope.co.za).

oNe-DollAR SCReeNS.

With most of the “real” movie houses closed

down, “video-booths” are springing up all over

the continent. These project pirated DVDs on 20’’

TV screens, targeting a predominantly male adult

audience (action, kung fu, X-rated movies, etc).

While video-booths don’t always attract the

“right” kind of customer, they often represent

the only option for working-class movie-goers,

and a dead loss for fi lm producers. In reaction,

Nigerian group Cinemart announced the con-

struction of 100 legal cinemas at 150 Naira a

ticket (1 USD). This low-end pricing is made pos-

sible through cutting costs (screens of 5m instead

of 10m, plastic chairs, ceiling fans instead of air-

conditioning) and a partnership with Nollywood

producers (in which fi lms are screened before the

DVD release), along with the broadcast of live

sporting events. South African investors are pre-

paring a similar model for townships, but the

project is still a closely guarded secret...

AFRICAFIlMS.TVThrough an independent ACP Films-funded ini-tiative driven from Dakar, Africans living abroad will soon be able to download their favourite cinema fi lms, documentaries, soap operas or fi lmed shows and concerts for 2 to 5 USD. Africa-Films.tv is designed as a tool for African fi lmmak-ers willing to sell their wares abroad, receiving up to 65% of the sales revenue, and giving them the opportunity to set up their own VOD-store as a section embedded in their personal website. Coming Spring 2011.

FoCuS | CulturE

eNRICo CHIeSA … was invited by IFAS to give a lecture on VOD during Rehad Desai’s Tricontinental Human Rights Film Festival. Chiesa is about to launch AfricaFilms.tv and mobiCINE, two fi lm initia-tives mentioned above. Formerly Head of Ma-jestic Cinemas in France (with ten art-screens and fi ve multiplexes), he has also served as the Director of CICAE (Art Cinemas Confederation), a network of 3 000 independent screens. He has trained over 400 young professionals in theatri-cal management from Europe, the Middle East as well as West and North Africa. enrico.chiesa@idmage.fr

MulTI SCReeNS.

South Africa is, of course, a different story with

its multiplexes (i.e. NuMetro and Ster Kinekor),

as in the USA or Europe. These are ultra-modern

movie houses with fi ve to ten cinemas each,

located inside malls and intended for a well-off

public. But this represents an investment which

is often diffi cult to make profi table, and is

ultimately the reason why the movies shown

here are generally risk-free commercial fi lms or

American blockbusters, which cost movie-goers

5 USD and more for a ticket, and exclude the

majority of the population.

ART SCReeNS.

The Bioscope is the fi rst cinema in Sub-Saharan

Africa to be a member of the two art-house cinema

networks, CICAE and Europa Cinemas. The Bioscope

was opened in June 2010 on the ground fl oor of

Main Street Life (286 Fox Street, Johannesburg)

by fi lm director Darryl Els, whose programming

combines Indian and European classics, Bollywood

fi lms, documentaries and special screenings, among

others, at a reasonable price. Whether modern,

cult or fun, The Bioscope is always inventive; take

7

MoVING SCReeNS.

In African megalopolises, transport is a real

problem: it is slow, costly and dangerous at

night. mobiCINE intends to organise screenings

in the heart of West African neighbourhoods

and schools, using mobile units that include a

2,5m high screen and a power generator. This

project is supported by ACP Films (the ACP-EU

cooperation programme for the African-Carib-

bean-Pacifi c fi lm sector) and Dutch Foundation

DOEN. Its aim is to create a sustainable system

for African fi lm screenings. It relies on high-

quality equipment, low costs (free venues pro-

vided by communities), same ticket-price as

video-booths (0.5 USD) and a ground-breaking

business model to tackle piracy. The fi lm fi les

loaded on the hard disks of the mobiCINE units

are encrypted and need a digital key in order to

be played; the digital key is prepaid by the pro-

jectionist and integrally paid back to the fi lm

right owner. As of Spring 2011, seven mobiCINE

mopeds (see picture below right) will start

cruising in Dakar (Senegal), with seven others in

Bamako (Mali). The project will screen mainly

African movies and documentaries, and forecasts

500 000 viewers per year.

HoMe SCReeNS.

Video-on-demand opens huge libraries of titles

to every household connected to the internet.

VOD is not yet a reality for Africa but accounts for

up to 10% of the fi lm market in many Western

and Asian countries, with a double-digit annual

growth. The fi rst player to start a fully African

VOD platform was South African giant Naspers,

with its offering AfricanFilmLibrary.com which

markets online hundreds of African cinema fea-

tures owned by M-net.

PoCKeT SCReeNS!

Only 2% of Africans own a PC, yet 33% have a

cell phone, according to the World Bank. Experts

estimate that by 2012/13, the IT megacorps’

massive investments will be providing 30 USD

smart-tablets and cheap broadband internet across

urban Africa, allowing individual fi lm-streaming

for all. The potential audience for dematerialised

African platforms will thus rise from the current

50 million people worldwide (made up of the di-

aspora and “world culture” fans) to nearly half a

billion people on the continent alone. A modern

screen in every African pocket might well be the

vital opportunity for African fi lmmakers.

TOP: mobiCINE screening of «Le Ballon D’Or» by Cheik Doukouré in Dakar, Senegal, on 18 February 2011.

From China toJohannesburg

8

SEttlEmEntprinCiplES andCommErCialaCtivity.A Complex and Fragmented Presence.

While estimating the number of Chinese people

in South Africa turns out to be a difficult or even

impossible task, the figure which is most often

put forward fluctuates between 300 000 and

350 000. The majority of Chinese in South Africa

live in Johannesburg, the economic capital of the

country, where they are highly visible. The distinc-

tive characteristic of Chinese presence in South

Africa, apart from numbers, is due to the fact that

the Chinese community has been in the country

for over two centuries and arrived in several suc-

cessive migration waves. There are clear differ-

ences between the first Chinese settlers, who

came mainly from Guangdong at the end of the

19th century, and those from more recent and var-

ied migrations1.

Spatially, this dualism is reflected in the fact that

there are two Chinatowns in Johannesburg. The

first, located at the Western end of Commissioner

Street near the city centre, testifies to the long

presence of the Chinese community in South Af-

rica. Also known as South African-Born Chinese

or SABCs, these South Africans are the descend-

ants of the first wave of free migrants who came

to settle in the country during the 1920s and

1930s. This old area of Johannesburg, which con-

sists of a few restaurants and shops, remains very

limited in size and never benefited from the ex-

pansion experienced in the rest of the world.

Faced with the decline of the first Chinatown,

another Chinese suburb subsequently developed

in Johannesburg East. During the 1990s, Chinese

shopkeepers – most of whom came from Fujian

– began to settle in Cyrildene and opened restau-

rants and shops along Derrick Avenue. The evolu-

tion of these two separate suburbs reflects the

segregation between the various Chinese com-

munities in Johannesburg.

Wholesale Trade is at the Centre of Chinese Dynamic.

South Africa has recently become a preferred

destination for Chinese investment, while South

African exports towards the Middle Country are

on the increase. In parallel, the presence of Chi-

nese companies in the energy, mining and tele-

communication fields have intensified, followed

by the mass arrival of Chinese traders.

In recent years, Johannesburg has experienced

an increase in the number of distribution and

wholesale centres managed by Chinese people.

The first of these centres, China City, situated

close to the city centre across from Ellis Park, was

opened in 1995. After slow beginnings, the cen-

tre slowly started experiencing an increase in

both customers and profits. The advantage of this

type of centre is that hundreds of shops are gath-

ered in a secured perimeter. As a result, traders

can make the most of economies of scale and

organise themselves more effectively within what

is perceived as a dangerous environment. With

the success of the first centre, other initiatives fol-

lowed. The latest wholesale centres are located

on the Southern outskirts of the city centre in

Crown Mines, in a vast area which was once a

mine dump, and which today is dedicated to

wholesale trading. The area is well serviced by

the road and highway network. Altogether, Jo-

hannesburg has around 15 such centres (China

Mart, China Mall and Dragon City being among

the most dynamic), which are now part of the

urban landscape.

Although most of the shops sell mainly clothing,

over time the range of goods has been expand-

ing, and wholesalers and retailers are now selling

electronic equipment (TVs, hi-fi systems, etc.),

furniture and more. Generally, depending on the

centres and the day of the week, customers vary

considerably. China City attracts mostly black

customers (nationals and non-nationals alike)

with limited means, which is probably linked to

the fact that the centre is central and near vari-

ous means of public transport. The fact that the

newer centres opened on the outskirts of town

often makes the use of a car necessary (all the

more so since taxis seldom frequent these areas),

thereby influencing the type of customers. Week-

ends are an occasion for Afrikaners and Indians

to shop predominantly for pleasure, particularly

at the China Mart and the China Mall, respec-

tively. By supplying hawkers, other local whole-

salers (Ethiopians in particular), Chinese trades-

men operating in small and medium South African

towns, as well as traders from neighbouring

countries, Chinese wholesalers are at the top of a

complex and multiform trading system, facilitat-

ed by a dualistic post-apartheid economic reality.

South Africa was and still is marked by the low

buying-power of the majority of its population.

The large-scale sale of Chinese products at af-

fordable prices has helped to reduce the gap be-

tween an inadequate supply and demand. While

the success of Chinese wholesale trading in

South Africa is founded in this opening, not all

Chinese traders are happy to see their profit mar-

gins reduced. Since the late 1990s, competition

has been intensifying through the emergence

and densification of different types of trading.

With an increase in more creditworthy as well as

demanding customers, consumer franchises such

as Edgars and Ackermans often supplant Chinese

businesses associated with the informal sector.

Nonetheless, to date, the development of new

Chinese trade centres or extensions is still high.

Diversified Spatial Dynamics in the Face of local Realities.

Not only is Johannesburg suitable for the pur-

pose of analysing the impact of Chinese trading

on the local economy, it is also suitable for study-

ing Chinese settlement and integration princi-

ples. In this regard, forms of mobility and spatial

usage are influenced by several factors. On the

one hand, crime, whether perceived or real, plays

a role in the way the Chinese organise them-

selves, work, live and move around. Moreover,

Johannesburg, being decentralised and frag-

mented, reinforces the use of vehicles and chang-

es in relation to space. Contrary to other exam-

ples of Chinese communities, the residential and

professional functions in Johannesburg are not

automatically grouped together in the same

area. Even though Johannesburg has two China-

towns, the number of Chinese living there, in

comparison with the total volume, is still limited.

The suburb of Cyrildene seems to act as an en-

clave, facilitating the absorption of Chinese new-

comers. Newly arrived Chinese workers take up

lodgings in the suburb, which acts as a first step

and springboard for those without connections in

South Africa. Although the suburbs of Bedford-

view and Kensington are preferred residential

areas among the Chinese, they are still found tak-

ing up residence throughout the city. Finally, eco-

nomic status rather than the year of settlement

plays an important role in the evolution of dy-

namics and spatial practices. The progressive fa-

miliarisation of Chinese migrants with their host

environment results in the adaptation and in-

creasing complexity of Chinese commercial and

residential principles in Johannesburg.

FoCuS | rESEarCH

RoMAIN DITTGeN …is a doctoral student and junior lecturer in Ge-ography at the University of Paris. He has been working since 2007 on the integration strategies of public and private Chinese actors in Sub-Saha-ran Africa. Opting for a comparative study, Romain made many research trips to both Africa and Chi-na. He concluded two research trips of three months each in Johannesburg, with the support of IFAS, focusing on the settlement and organisation

of Chinese wholesalers in and around the city.

1 While the majority of migrants come from Fujian,

the provinces of origin of the Chinese living in

South Africa are still very diverse. In addition, many

migrants also come from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

9

All Photos © Romain Dittgen

January 2011 saw the launch of a new EU project aimed at promoting a unified European approach to collaborating with Africa in the field of science and technology. Named ERAfrica, the project forms part of the FP7 suite of European research initiatives and boasts as primary objective the creation of a “European Research Area Network” for the African continent. Funded by the Europe-an Commission for an amount of almost 2 million Euros, ERAfrica unites seven EU countries (France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Finland and Austria), plus Switzerland and Turkey, with three

A New European

Approach to Collaborating

with Africa

African partners (South Africa, Kenya and Egypt) around recognition of the value of unifying ef-forts to strengthen intercontinental research col-laboration and promotion.

Structurally ERAfrica consists of five work pack-ages, each led by a different consortium member and aimed at moving the collaborative effort from its theoretical inception through the stages of conceptualisation and policy formulation to practical implementation via the funding of ac-tual research projects. Playing a vital role in this

Zoom | SCiEnCES

10

A new joint French-South

African Research and Training

Initiative in Atmospheric and Marine Sciences

The International Centre for Education, Ma-rine and Atmospheric Sciences over Africa (ICEMASA) is devoted to the promotion and sup-port of local teams of researchers, engineers and students with a high scientific level of expertise in sciences of the marine environment. This joint initiative involves five major partners, namely, the University of Cape Town (MARE Institute), DEA (Oceans and Coasts Branch) and DAFF (Fish-eries Branch) for South Africa, Institut de Re-cherche pour le Developpement (IRD) and Uni-versité de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) for France.

ICEMASA is closely related to ACCESS, the Ap-plied Centre for Climate and Earth System Science,

a centre of excellence of the South African Depart-ment of Science and Technology initiated in 2009, as they both develop research and education pro-grammes focusing on the impacts of global change on the African climate and marine systems

ICEMASA comprises three deeply interconnected components: (i) Research, (ii) Education and Train-ing, and (iii) Application. Research provides a framework for students during their Master’s pro-gramme and PhD. The education and training com-ponent, an essential one within ICEMASA, will be achieved through the development of Master’s courses in Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sci-ences and Climatology between UCT and UBO, the

participation of ICEMASA scientists in lectures and seminars in South Africa, and, finally, by training African students and junior scientists in quantita-tive methods. The Application component is aimed at developing operational capabilities and prod-ucts to inform managers and stakeholders of the marine environment. This will be undertaken through close collaboration with the Nansen-Tutu centre which was launched in 2010 between Nor-way and South Africa (UCT).

This Application module will cover domains such as oil spill threats through high-resolution model-ling of the ocean circulation, optimisation of ship-ping routes, technical guidelines for the implemen-tation of an ecosystem approach to fisheries, and state/trend indicators of the marine ecosystem.

ICEMASA implements a multi-disciplinary ap-proach across three major topics: climate variabil-ity, ocean circulation, and the effects of global change on marine ecosystems and fisheries in the Southern Ocean, African margins and tropical In-dian Ocean. ICEMASA is developing physical and ecosystem models to understand and assess the impact of climate change scenarios. Eight visiting French scientists are currently posted at UCT for a four-year period, which is the duration of the first phase of ICEMASA. They are supervising one Master’s and four PhD students who are being

financially supported by ICEMASA. Other financial opportunities may arise for additional PhD bursaries.

Developed in South Africa, ICEMASA has a strong potential for regional impact in research and educa-tion in marine sciences. ICEMASA is already well integrated, with ongoing international research ini-tiatives where South Africa and France are key stakeholders. Those include European (MEECE, In-diseas) and regional projects funded by the World Bank (SWIOFP), the UNDP (ASCLME) and other do-nors (CLIVAR Good Hope, SAMOC). Therefore, ICE-MASA has access to the larger scientific community, not limited to Southern Africa, but also reaching the shores of the West Indian Ocean island states.

ICEMASA was officially launched on 11 January 2011 in the DEA offices at the Waterfront, Cape Town, by Professor Michel Laurent, President of the IRD, Professor Danie Visser, Deputy Vice-Chancellor

of UCT and representatives of the other partners.

For more information: www.icemasa.org Co-directors: Dr Francis Marsac | francis.marsac@ird.fr Tel +27 (0)21 650 3279 Tel +27 (0)78 786 1861 Prof. John Field | jgfielduct@gmail.com

Photo © IRD

process is the South African Department of Sci-ence and Technology, which is taking the lead on the work package dealing with the communica-tion and marketing of the initiative, an important task since the nature and number of research activities to be funded will depend to a large ex-tent on the number of potential funding agencies that can be recruited into the steering consorti-um. In this regard it is hoped not only to attract interest from European and African governments but also from continental organisations and the

private sector.

ERAfrica is coordinated by the French Institute of Research for Development

For more information: Dr Yves Savidan | yves.savidan@ird.frTel +27 (0)12 844 0117

Photo © IRD

Enabling Documents

for All

Zoom | dEvElopmEnt

Rhodes University Law Clinic

‘Access to Justice’ is a phrase bandied about by many. At the Rhodes University Law Clinic (RU-LAC) it is a daily goal: the clinic provides free le-gal services to indigent people in Grahamstown, with the assistance of law students as part of their compulsory legal practice module, and in Queenstown through the Queenstown Rural Le-gal Centre, a branch of RULAC. That is the tip of the iceberg however in order to facilitate access to justice to impoverished people in rural areas even further, RULAC works with paralegal advice offices throughout the Eastern Cape Province. By providing legal and administrative support and training, RULAC seeks to strengthen the capacity of community based paralegals to offer quality paralegal services and to develop an awareness of

human rights within their communities. Access to justice remains academic unless people are aware of their rights and have appropriate resources available to them to make them a reality. In many communities paralegal advice offices are the sole accessible resource available to many people.

During 2010 the Embassy of France co-funded RULAC’s advice office program. RULAC visited and supported advice offices in the North Eastern Cape, and selected offices received a monthly grant. Over and above this, the French Embassy funds were used to support the Eastern Cape Ad-vice Office Forum, an elected representative fo-rum. This forum works closely with a national body, the National Alliance for the Development of

The Civil Society Development Fund, run by the Embassy of France in South Africa, support the participation of South African Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) in local governance.

our Partners 2010-2011 are: Planact (Gauteng), Rhodes University Legal Aid Clinic (Eastern Cape), The Mvula Trust (KZN), Built Environment Support group (KZN) and the Alliance for Children’s Entitlement to Social Security (KZN).

For more information: www.ambafrance-rsa.orgTel +27(0)12 425 1710

Community Advice Offices (NADCAO), for the structuring, development and formal recognition of advice offices throughout South Africa. The fo-rum acts as a conduit of information between the individual advice offices, the province as a whole, and relevant national entities. The vision is to strengthen the national network of paralegal ad-vice offices; to enable them to confidently and sustainably offer quality paralegal services to their local communities; and to assist them to secure the necessary funding and other resources to do so. Although the process is slow, the progress

is steady.

For more information: www.ru.ac.za/lawclinic

11

Experience and research have consistently shown that significant numbers of poor children and their families, especially those living in marginalised ru-ral areas, encounter great difficulty in obtaining enabling documents from the Department of Home Affairs offices. A research study commis-sioned by Acess (Alliance for Children’s Entitle-ment to Social Security) identified the extent and causes of such difficulties.

The research further confirmed that poverty levels, HIV/AIDS, maternal illness, death and increased

child mobility leave many children without the supporting documents enabling them to access social grants.

The primary objective of the Enabling Documents Campaign is to ensure that poor and vulnerable children and their caregivers acquire documents that will enable them to access social security in order to improve the quality of their lives. Sec-ondly, it seeks to encourage the cooperation and integration of government services in our commu-nities that improve service delivery.

With the support of the French Civil Society Devel-opment Fund, ACESS was able to bring 310 part-ners together in the Umkhanyakude District (Kwa-Zulu-Natal) to work to identify and assist people to get the necessary documents. The project success-fully created a network of community-based or-ganisations and, working with government, a 60% increase in birth registrations and 30% in-crease in the Child Support Grant uptake was

achieved in 2010.

ACESS will continue to roll out this project in 2011 and hopes to impact on many more lives.

For more information: www.acess.org.za

LEFT: Princess Hlabisa with her Commu-nity Development Workers.RIGHT: The participants during one of the many training sessions discussing / filling in the Advocacy Board.LOGO © Mzwandile Buthelezi.

LEFT: LUSIKISIKI Paralegal Advice Centre.RIGHT: RULAC training, June 2010.

FrançoisSarhan

12

This unexpectedly versatile French artist will be in South Africa throughout the year to present a series of creations, from music to books via performances!

ABouT DRuMMING

Drumming Grupo de Percussão or Drumming

Percussion Group was founded in Porto (Por-

tugal) in 1999, under the artistic direction of

Spanish artist Miquel Bernat, and soon after

that won worldwide acclaim thanks to the

group’s unique “percussive” interpretation of

the diverse scores played and the originality of

its cross-over creations (acclaimed by both

critics and the public). The group contributed

to promote great contemporary plays and cre-

ated its own repertoire, exploring diversified

and imaginative forms of expressive percus-

sions. Celebrated as one of the most active

and innovative European music ensembles,

Drumming has been playing in famous con-

cert halls, as well as in various festivals and

renowned venues around Europe.

eVeNTSFrom 19 april: exhibition at

NIROXprojects, Arts on Main

(Johannesburg)

19 april: Lectures of Professor Glaçon, Arts on Main

(Johannesburg)

21 april: Lectures of Professor Glaçon, Alliance française (Pretoria)

28 april: Lectures of Professor Glaçon, Main Street Life

(Johannesburg)

1 may: The King Lear, NIROX (Cradle

of Humankind)

July: Telegrams from the Nose at

the National Arts Festival

(Grahamstown)

September: Telegrams from the Nose at the Market Theatre

(Johannesburg) (tbc)

more events to come, for updates: www.ifas.org.za/culture

Zoom | CulturE

13

Regarded as one of the most renowned and crea-

tive composers in today’s classical music field,

French musician François Sarhan is difficult to

classify: an extremely skilled classical cello player

whose work includes also other mediums (such

as collage, video, electronics, and even theatrical

stage performances); he constantly creates with

no boundaries, with a strong sense of modernity

and hints of the charm of “old-fashioned” cham-

ber music.

Hosted at the private foundation NIROX for a

creative residency between 26 February and 8

March, Sarhan will return to Johannesburg to-

wards the end of April with a series of ingenious

and creative projects. Sarhan is no stranger to a

South African audience. Indeed following several

stays in South Africa, he came back in 2009 for a

creative residency to prepare an experimental

music tour which took place in May the same

year. During the tour, he inaugurated Arts on

Main with his Lectures of Professor Glaçon.

An exhibition will offer audiences the unique op-

portunity to enjoy collages, artefacts, videos and

plates from the Encyclopedia created by Sarhan’s

imaginary alter-ego Professor Glaçon. This Ency-

clopedia is meant to be a didactic piece of work

dedicated to general human knowledge. The art-

ists, instruments and other traditions of musical

practices appearing in the Sarhan’s supposed

Encyclopedia, propose other almost inexistent or

barely existing conceptions of music. Every time

though, a number of realistic elements leave us

on the path to rationality and probability.

Sarhan and world-renowned Portuguese percus-

sion band, Drumming, will present two brand

new episodes (Hagiography and La Vie des Bêtes

– Wild Life) of Sarhan’s famous multimedia series

The Lectures of Professor Glaçon. “History might

not be what it is said to be, or at least one can

suppose that the many episodes which hap-

pened, or were close to happen, are not reported.

The same happens with music: many musical

traditions, instruments and phenomena are un-

expectedly hidden, ignored or carefully stolen

from the attention of the innocent reader in the

traditional music histories and encyclopaedia,

and as we could expect, they are forgotten also

by today’s musicians THEMSELVES. Would it be

because they never existed? Very unlikely. (…)”

Prof. Henri-Jacques Glaçon, Dr Honoris Causa of

the New Southampton Royal Music Academy of

Science.

Finally, South Africa will get a chance to see and

hear for the first time the result of the collabora-

tion between François Sarhan and William Ken-

tridge which took place in 2008: Telegrams from

the Nose, a multimedia project mixing Sarhan’s

original score with Kentridge’s videos. The back-

drop is a large canvas painted by Kentridge on

which are screened Telegrams from the Nose, a

video consisting of a stylish combination of an-

amorphosed human shadows, small black ani-

mated silhouettes in cut-out paper, geometrical

shapes evoking Russian constructivism, letters in

movement and text. In phase with Kentridge’s

images, the music of “Telegrams” scrolls through

a series of hurried, scratched out, dislocated

“Shostakovian vignettes”. It is a work of memory

and allusion, without any direct quotations. As

always with Sarhan, it is the text (the spoken

voice) that carries him away: here the composer

pursues his quest for a modern melodrama. An

a-lyrical narration, like a voice sample imported

directly from everyday life (or an archive or old

film), is used as the guiding thread, harvesting

instrumental events.

Presented with the support of the Embassy

of Spain in South Africa, the Embassy of

Portugal in South Africa, the French Institute

of South Africa and L’Institut Français.

www.fsarhan.net

ABouT FRANçoIS SARHAN

Since 1995, the year he created his first

piece for French composer Pierre Boulez’

70th birthday, François Sarhan has never

stopped enriching and diversifying his art:

music for orchestra, chamber music, opera,

electronic music as well as creative residen-

cies (Asernal de Metz-France, Royal School of

Music-Manchester). Not only does he com-

pose but also stages his music through a

theatrical structure he created and named

crWTH, (Sarhan multiplies artistic collabora-

tions with dance and theatre). His unique

views on music are available in his Introduc-

tion to Music History, published in 2004,

and also in his Encyclopaedia (written by

Professor Glaçon, Sarhan’s imaginary alter-

ego). In 2008, Sarhan and Kentridge joined

forces to create Telegrams from the Nose, a

music and video spin-off from the famous

opera The Nose by Russian composer Chos-

takovic.

LEFT: Drumming. MIDDLE: William Kentridge working with François Sarhan on Telegrams from the Nose. RIGHT: Lectures of Professor Glaçon.

13

MAIN IMAGE: Lectures of Professor Glaçon featuring Miquel Bernat.

participated in the NRF post-doctoral forum which

was held in Somerset-West in the Western Cape,

and was represented in Paris for the meeting with

a wide range of French universities and écoles in

order to discuss the possibilities for increased stu-

dent mobility between the two countries.

What do you hope to achieve in

South Africa?

In terms of statistics, for the year 2009/2010, 135

South African students studied in France and 132

French students studied in South Africa. These

numbers are relatively low when compared with

the mobility of South African students toward

anglophone countries or French students toward

other European institutions. The aim is to create a

space in which new contacts can be developed in

order to link universities from South Africa and

France academically, scientifi cally and in terms of

innovation. CampusFrance affi rms that countries

(represented by individuals) can increase their

own knowledge resources and be enriched

through a continuous effort to share their wealth

in knowledge with other countries.

The agency therefore presents itself as a vehicle

in establishing active inter-university partner-

ships leading to the long- or short-term exchange

of students from tertiary establishments, collabo-

ration in research projects, joint degrees and

various other educational exchanges that would

benefi t the participating institutions and even

more so, their respective countries as a whole, in

terms of socio-economic development.

proFilE | SCiEnCES & EduCation

CampusFrance, an agency dedicated to academic and scientifi c mobility, is opening its doors in South Africa. extra! talks to Elzette Mathys, the newly ap-pointed CampusFrance representative based at the French Embassy and various Alliance françaises, concerning the agency’s projects.

What is the current situation in terms of

academic exchanges in the fi eld of sci-

ence and technology in South Africa?

The South African government is increasingly fo-

cused on the building of human capital for a

knowledge-based economy that would allow it

to become more effective in moving towards its

goals of economic growth and development. The

transformation that South Africa envisions in the

years to come can only be made possible by in-

creasing the resources that the country has in

terms of knowledge workers – those that hold a

tertiary degree as well as those who are commit-

ted to continual lifelong learning and would, in

effect, allow the country to become globally com-

petitive. The fostering of scientifi c-technological

collaborations or networks with developed and

emerging countries is furthermore required to

enhance the country’s competitiveness.

In a bid to exponentially increase the growth of

its knowledge, the government is aiming at de-

veloping international cooperation in order to

exploit the opportunities to move forward in ad-

vanced technologies areas, in order to create the

kind of expertise that will provide the country

with much needed socio-economic resolutions.

What can we expect from the newly

launched CampusFrance?

CampusFrance in South Africa presents unprece-

dented opportunities for the advancement of ac-

ademic exchanges between South African and

French higher education institutions. Concretely

this means primarily working in close coopera-

tion with universities and their students: liaising

with those in the International Offi ces as well as

those involved in research and development, as

well as presenting to students more information

on the advantages of studying in France. It also

means bringing together the resources of other

agencies and networks who share the same vi-

sion of promoting exchange for development. To

this end, the agency will be present at various

forums (one being the NRF forum for doctoral

candidates taking place in May 2011), confer-

ences and informative sessions. To give two

examples, CampusFrance South Africa recently

CampusFrance

14

ABouT CampusFranceCampusFrance, previously named EduFrance,

was established in 1998. It is an agency which

strives to promote academic exchange through

initiating and facilitating cooperation between

French tertiary institutions and those based

abroad. Dedicated to international academic

and scientifi c mobility, with the aim of increas-

ing the human capital of the countries in-

volved, CampusFrance operates under the

oversight and authority of the foreign and Eu-

ropean affairs and higher education and re-

search French government departments. The

agency has 24 (soon to be 27) branches based

across the globe. In addition to the services

described above, these centres also present to

local students (wanting to operate outside of

exchange programmes) who wish to com-

mence or continue their studies in France, as-

sistance with enrolling at a French tertiary in-

stitution, applying for visas and bursaries, and

other practical advice.

CampusFrance South Africa, in association

with the French Embassy and the Alliance

Française will be hosting 3 offi cial launches at

the Alliances Françaises of Pretoria, Johannes-

burg and Cape Town, on 9, 17 and 30 March

respectively. These launches are open to the

public and will include a presentation of Cam-

pusFrance, a visit of the espace as well as a light

cocktail buffet.

For more information:

www.campusfrance.org

Elzette Mathys

pretoria@campusfrance.org

Tel +27 (0)12 425 1721

Tel +27 (0)84 209 0309

15

Her visit in South Africa

Her visit in South Africa includes her participation

in the Franschhoek Literary Festival 2011 and in a

series of events in Johannesburg. In Franschhoek,

Marguerite Abouet will take part in three literary

events: Serious vs Hilarious on Friday 13 May fea-

turing two serious women (Marguerite Abouet

herself, and South African cartoonist and feminist

with an axe to grind Leonora van Staden) and

two funny men bestselling crime writer and in-

veterate comics blogger Colin Cotterill, and mav-

erick enfant terrible of the South African cartoon

world Jeremy Nell) who will be discussing con-

temporary comic art, facilitated by Andy Mason

(What’s so Funny?); Young, Black and Reading on

Saturday 14 May with Phakama Mbonambi, editor

of the literary magazine Wordsetc, and Nollybooks

Publisher Moky Makura, to be chaired by one of

South Africa’s leading book personalities, broad-

caster Karabo Kgoleng of SAFM, and Secret

Women’s Business (Council Chamber) on Sunday

15 May where Edyth Bulbring will use the Aus-

tralian Aboriginal concept of a place where wom-

en go to discuss their affairs to delve into the

writing lives of Doreen Baingana (Tropical Fish),

Marguerite Abouet, and poet and short story writ-

er Arja Salafranca (The Thin Line). Joburgers will

also have the opportunity to meet with her dur-

ing literary events organised by Dibuka in collabora-

tion with the Alliance Française of Johannesburg.

For more information:www.ifas.org.za

Hailing from Abidjan, Marguerite Abouet will take part in several literary events in South Africa. extra! takes a closer look at the life and literary journey of this original author, the diversity of her work and her plans while in South Africa.

Marguerite Abouet

… was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in 1971

where she grew up with her family in the vibrant

area of Yopougon until the age of 12. Upon her

arrival in Paris, she discovered the wealth of li-

braries and developed a passion for books. Soon,

she started writing novels she would not let any-

one read, then became in turn punk, super nanny

for triplets and grannies and waitress among

others. After a career as a legal assistant, she de-

cided to dedicate herself solely to writing and,

with the complicity of Clément Oubrerie, created

the character of Aya which saw the publication of

her, , in 2005. Highly acclaimed amongst readers

(350 000 copies sold) and by the critics (prize

winner at the Festival d’Angoulême in 2006 and

prize winner of the Point in 2007), the series was

translated into 15 languages. Since the success of

Marguerite Abouet The Franschhoek

literary Festival 2011… celebrates the magic of words from 13 to 15 May with a gathering of over 100 authors, poets, editors, illustrators and chairpeople tak-ing part in 70 events. With a continuing focus on good accessible writing and diversity, the many Southern African writers range from re-nowned to little-known and the topics from biography, history and politics to poetry, liter-ary fiction and love stories.

For more information:

www.flf.co.za

“We were particularly keen to invite Marguerite because her Aya series celebrates Africa – and also because we are trying to draw in and excite young readers who relate strongly to graphic novels and new ways of writing like blogs, speculative and cellphone fiction. We feel that as a bestselling author she will be an inspiration to the local graphic community. The Festival opens in Franschhoek on Friday 13 May at 11.30am with the event Serious vs Hilarious.”

Jenny Hobbs, Franschhoek literary Director of the Festival

proFilE | litEraturE

Aya de Yopougon, she dedicates her time to writ-

ing as well as running the association she found-

ed, Des livres pour tous (Books for all), which

aims at making books accessible to children of Af-

rica, and creating home-libraries in neighbour-

hoods. Marguerite Abouet now lives near Paris.

Her work

Abouet’s first comic strip, Aya de Yopougon, tells the

story of a 19-year old heroine, the studious and

clear-sighted Aya, and of her easy-going friends Ad-

joua and Bintou and their meddling relatives and

neighbours. After this, she published another five

volumes of Aya’s adventures.

It was also her first venture into graphic novels,

and a collaborative effort with her husband who

used Aya as his first illustrating job in graphic

novels. Abouet depicts Africa with a unique voice

and humour, far from any clichés, e.g. war and

famine. The story has been adapted into an ani-

mated film to be released in 2011.

One of her latest releases Akissi: Attaque de Chats

relates the story of a young, intrepid and stubborn

girl who lives in Yopougon, just like Aya. Directly

targeted at readers of six years old and older, the

story is made up of seven mini-stories for which

she taps into various subject matters with humour.

Marguerite Abouet found inspiration in her child-

hood in Ivory Coast to imagine the tender, yet ma-

licious and spicy adventures of Akissi: Attaque de

chats, which is the first volume in a new series for

children.

MAIN IMAGE: Marguerite Abouet. TOP RIGHT: Marguerite Abouet’s Aya series.

proFilE | CulturE

Located near the Cradle of Humankind,

NIROX is a peaceful and enlightening

place which hosts artists in residency

and presents sculpture exhibitions. Tell

us more about your vision of NIROX.

NIROX is a young and constantly changing insti-

tution, bound to as little preconception as possi-

ble. Our vision for the residency is to create a

place of refuge where artists from all disciplines

and cultural backgrounds can explore their prac-

tice freely and interact with each other as they

please – feeding off and adding to the local so-

cial and physical environment.

The Sculpture Park aims to give this particular

discipline a public platform for showing large-

scale work, which is not otherwise available in

South Africa. We are open to both local and inter-

national sculptors.

We hope that over time, our efforts will contrib-

ute towards breaking down the artificial and re-

strictive boundaries which arise from the separa-

tion of nations, cultures and religions.

But most of all, we want artists to regard NIROX

as a place where they can work without restric-

tions, enjoy the incredibly beautiful and intrigu-

ing landscape, and have very little concern for the

demands of everyday domestic and commercial

life, which can so often inhibit their work.

You have hosted the likes of South African

artists Willem Boshoff, Kendell Geers,

Marlene Dumas, Johannes Phokella and

international artists like Richard Long.

Could you tell us more about your artis-

tic policy when inviting artists in resi-

dency?

Our process is very informal. I am not sure there

is a policy, as such. Mainly, selections are made

from referrals by previous residents, other artists,

gallery owners, curators and so on. We base our

decisions on the artist’s reasons for wanting the

residency, or our particular engagement with the

work or the project. We have no panel or judging

process, but we do consult our growing sphere of

influencers…

NIRoXextra! talks to Benji

Liebmann about NIROX, a private

foundation commiatted to

advancing Africa’s place in the global

contemporary arts.

16

17

Our target is to attract artists who have an estab-

lished international practice. But we have also

welcomed less-established artists, either as a foil

for another resident or because we think there is

a good reason, having regard to the particular

circumstances. Some artists have approached us

because of their particular interest in the Cradle

of Humankind as a source of research; others be-

cause they want to investigate and work broadly

within the dynamic South African context; yet

others just because they are attracted by the

landscape or the freedom of working without a

predetermined programme. We are open to all

these possibilities and more.

Many original projects were created dur-

ing or following residencies at NIROX. To

name few recent ones: French walking

photographer Eric Bourret’s exhibition

What do we really know about land-

scape? Toon Verhoef, the Dutch meta-

physical abstract painter’s vast canvasses

for his show in the NIROX projects space

at Arts on Main, and Willem Boshoff’s

series of monumental granite sculptures

Children of the Stars — a result of his first

residency… What can we expect this year?

Yes. Although a defined project or “production

outcome” isn’t a prerequisite, many residencies

have resulted in the birth or the production of

something unique. Boshoff’s Children of the Stars

is inspired by the geo-physical history of the area.

The project is still ongoing as we are working to-

wards an artist’s book exploring the process, the

experience and the concepts around the work.

Francois Sarhan’s residencies have resulted in the

creation of his alter-ego Professor Glaçon, who

will perform this year at several public and pri-

vate venues in Johannesburg and Europe. This

will expand the conversion of this composer/cel-

list into the performance, film and visual artist

that he has become since he was first in resi-

dence at NIROX.

Also this year: Geoffrey Hendricks the New York

Fluxist artist will collaborate with Anthea Moys

and Wits students to produce a performance art-

work addressing issues around the destigmatisa-

tion of AIDS; celebrated German artist Jurgen

Partenheimer will collaborate with local com-

poser Kevin Vollans to extend their cross-discipli-

nary work, coupled with a student-exchange

programme between the Muthesias School of

Fine Art and the Wits School of Arts; and Lorenzo

Fussi, curator of the Liverpool Biennial, will ex-

plore curatorial possibilities for South African art-

ists in the UK and vice versa.

www.niroxarts.com

Selection of photographs taken at the NIROX Sculpture Park.Photos © Benji Liebmann.

portFolio

18

The Borders Masterclass, held at the Market Photo Workshop from 28 October to 10 November 2010,

was informed by the 8th Bamako Encounters, toured South Africa. The African photography Biennale is

a platform for African photography, critical discourse and training. The Masterclass sought to extend its

influence through an extensive photography programme open to photographers of the continent. Fa-

cilitated by South African photographer Jo Ractliffe, the Masterclass gathered photographers looking

to grow their critical and conceptual practice through the guidance of experienced and respected

master photographers as well as in conjunction with other emerging contemporaries with whom ideas

can be exchanged and developed.

www.marketphotoworkshop.co.za

TOP LEFT AND RIGHT: Mark Shoul.

BOTTOM FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Mark Shoul, Down Town.

Thabiso Sekgala, Untitled from the series Homeland.Thabiso Sekgala, Untitled from the series Homeland.Thabiso Sekgala, Untitled from the series Homeland.

BordersMasterclass

portFolio

19

French walking photographer Eric Bourret surveyed the Cradle of Humankind during a six-week resi-

dency at the NIROX Foundation, Gauteng, in 2009. During this period of introspection, he contem-

plated the presence of 21st century clues on a ground of 4 million years’ worth of human activities. For

Bourret, this was not about considering an objective documentary bearing some relation to the terri-

tory, but rather about contemplating the presence of a metaphorical inventory of “archaeological

hearths”. His meditative experience resulted in a series of photographic installations. The exhibition

was on show at NIROXprojects, Johannesburg, from 16 October to 7 November 2010.

www.ericbourret.com

TOP LEFT: Photos © Eric Bourret.TOP RIGHT: Eric Bourret’s What do we know about Landscape?

at Arts on Main. Photo © Francki Burger.

BOTTOM: Photos © Eric Bourret.

What do we know about landscape?

maurice mbikayi exhibitiondamien.meyrignac@alliance.org.za

This visual artist and cultural activist originally from

DRC explores various aspects of visual art and pub-

lic performance, as a way of engaging the public

and interrogating socio-political boundaries.

From 14 March: Pretoria

From 28 March: Durban

From 9 May: Mbabane, Swaziland

From 6 June: Maputo, Mozambique

From 11 July: Johannesburg

TOP: Work by Maurice Mbikayi.

lise Garnier live Music marie@ifas.org.za

Fast and fresh, wild and witty, Lise Garnier’s

cabaret is an energetic cocktail of song, trom-

bone and recital.

13 March: Pretoria

16 March: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

18 March: Cape Town

19 March: Port elizabeth

21 & 22 March: Maputo, Mozambique

24 March: Mbabane, Swaziland

TOP: Lise Garnier at one of her performances.

Eric Gauss exhibition damien.meyrignac@alliance.org.za

French photographer will present his exhibition

“En Attendant”, a collection of photographic inter-

pretation of the impact of human beings on the

environment

From 14 March: Johannesburg

From 11 April: Cape Town

From 9 May: Durban

From 13 June: Port elizabeth

From 11 July: Pretoria

From 5 September: Maseru, lesotho

From 26 September: Mbabane, Swaziland

From 24 October: Maputo, Mozambique

TOP: Waisted. Photo © Eric Gauss.

time of the writer international writers Festival literature jerome.chevrier@alliance.org.za

Acclaimed French novelist Marie Darrieussecq

and Senegalese novelist, journalist and screen-

writer Boubacar Boris Diop will take part in the

14th edition of the literary festival.

14 – 19 March: Durban

TOP: Marie Darrieussecq 2007.Photo © Bamberger.

20

marguerite abouet literature jerome.chevrier@alliance.org.za

Hailing from Abidjan, original Marguerite Abouet

(author of Aya, the award-winning graphic nov-

els set in Ivory Coast) will take part in several lit-

erary events in South Africa where aficionados

will be able to interact with her.

13, 14 & 15 May: Franschhoek

literary Festival

May: Johannesburg

LEFT: Marguerite Abouet.

nancy Ginindza live Music damien.meyrignac@alliance.org.za

Young multi-talented musician originally from

Swaziland offers a unique and universal sound,

which crosses the bound...

4 June: Gaborone, Botswana12 June: Mbabane, Swaziland14 & 15 June: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe17 June: Port elizabeth18 June: Cape Town19 June: Johannesburg22 June: Durban25 June: Maseru, lesotho30 June & 1 July: Windhoek, Namibia

LEFT: Nancy Ginindza.

rEndEZ-vouS | marCH to July 2011

Francophonie event damien.meyrignac@alliance.org.za

As part of the International Day of Francopho-

nie, the Alliance française of Johannesburg pre-

sents a full day in music, dance, exhibition and

performances by Congolese rapper Lexxus Le-

gal, South African dancer Fana Tshabalala and

The Giant Match puppets, amongst others.

27 March: Alliance Française of

Johannesburg

TOP: Lexxus Legal. Photo © Luc Mayitoukou.

François Sarhan live Music & exhibitionben@ifas.org.za

This unexpectedly versatile French artist will present

a series of creations, from exhibition, music to books

via performances with world-renowned Portuguese

percussion band, Drumming!

From 19 April: NIRoXprojects,

Arts on Main, Johannesburg

19 April: Arts on Main, Johannesburg

21 April: Alliance française, Pretoria

28 April: Main Street life, Johannesburg

1 May: NIRoX, Cradle of Humankind

9 & 10 July: National Arts Festival,

Grahamstown

TOP: Miquel Bernat performing.

maboneng Street party event giantmatch@gmail.com

This exclusive street party will associate a

weekly established food gourmet market, the

Market on Main, movie screening for kids, mu-

sical events throughout the day, a street party,

featuring the giant puppets from The Giant

Match, and a sunset concert to end the week-

end on a high note.

8 May: Arts on Main, Johannesburg

TOP: The Giant Match puppets. Photo © Hannah Paton.

nyaniso lindi exhibition damien.meyrignac@alliance.org.za

South African visual artist presents his new ex-

hibition inspired by his trip to Paris last year in

which he features works which portrays hybrids

using functional objects like lamps and stoves

fused with human forms.

From 9 May: Pretoria

From 13 June: Durban

From 18 July: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

From 29 August: Cape Town

From 3 October: Port elizabeth

From 31 October: Johannesburg

From 21 November: Maseru, lesotho

TOP: Work by Nyaniso Lindi.

21

loustal literature jerome.chevrier@alliance.org.za

French illustrator Loustal is one of the most pop-

ular French contemporary artists. Having spent a

fair time of his life in Africa, he will be back to join

in the yearly anticipated arts festival.

2 & 3 July: National Arts

Festival, Grahamstown

LEFT: Loustal’s Carnet de Voyages, 2003 – 2005.

Crossings Dance, Music & lighting Design marie@ifas.org.za

Following last year’s successful first edition,

Crossings #2 will offer a series of cultural events

running in the evenings alongside the interna-

tional artistic workshop with the aim to investi-

gate the connection between dance, music and

lighting design in the creative process.

23 July – 7 August: Johannesburg

LEFT: Crossings. Photo © John Hogg.

GEt in tHE loop!

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