Drawing on the conference theme #creativeintersections, this practical workshop, titled Movement Maker, will explore the connections between traditional and academic disciplines of fine art and dancing and redefine these boundaries by creating new disciplines and movements. The workshop will include elements of photography, illustration, painting, architecture and dancing and will be guided by acclaimed dancer and choreographer, David April; the trend makers of photography collective, the Uncultured Club’s Anthony Bila, Chisanga Mubanga and Nicholas Rawhani; and architect-cum-fine artist, Lorenzo Nassimbeni.

Elements of the workshop will be spontaneous, with a focus on the reflective movement of the dancers and the angles of the city of Johannesburg. This free workshop promises to be a unique, not to be repeated, experience.

The Hillbrow Outreach Foundation Centre was specifically chosen as the site for the workshop as ACT feels it is a venue that really showcases the city of Johannesburg, and will offer workshop attendees a chance to spend time in an area that is rarely visited. Workshop host, Lorenzo Nassimbeni echoes this sentiment: “This wonderful building by Thomas Chapman of Local Studio Architecture and Urbanism is the custodian for the workshop. Its spaces not only facilitate the workshop, but inspire the activity in creating a beautiful link to both community and city.” He says the space will also donate to the fifth art form of the workshop, architecture.

“The building is very much about community integration. As such, I have decided to create an integrative, inclusive drawing workshop experience,” says Nassimbeni. “Further to this, the position of the building in the heart of Hillbrow is both significant in that workshop participants might well have a first-time artistic experience in Hillbrow. In addition, the wonderful energy of the city is captured by the building, and the extraordinary views onto the city which the building captures, will indeed contribute greatly to the drawing experience, and final outcome of the workshop.”

And while Nassimbeni takes care of the fine art and architecture segment of the workshop, fellow host David April will supervise the dance element of Movement Maker.

“The workshop will be an innovative, high impact, creative and fun intervention which will stimulate the physical, intellectual and emotional facets of the participants by integrating movement, rhythm and poetic imagery,” says April. He also believes the venue will play an integral role in the day’s proceedings; “This intervention is in line with reinvigorating and injecting a creative and positive spirit in Hillbrow, which the area was acclaimed for.”

Interdisciplinarity aficionados, the Uncultured Club, will share insights on how they’ve created a collective that thrives on versatility. Nicholas Rawhani says the Club obliterates boundaries; “Putting bounds on the medium is as destructive to creativity as putting bounds on the subject. We firmly believe that each story has its own unique way to be told and we use the skills that ourselves and our collaborators possess, without boundaries or prejudice, to create something which is larger than the sum of its parts.” He says attendees at the workshop will be offered a look into the way the Club operates, while immersing themselves in creative collaboration.

“The most significant thing for us will be to connect and collaborate with the audience because we don't actually see them as an audience, but more as collaborators. We'll all be creating together,” Rawhani concludes.

Admission to the Movement Maker workshop is free, however RSVP’ing is essential as space is limited to 18 attendees. No experience in any of the artistic disciplines is required, but attendees are asked to bring a camera of any kind.

The workshop will take place on Saturday, 14 May between 10:30 and 12:30 at the Outreach Foundation Centre Hillbrow, 30 Edith Cavell Street, Hillbrow. Please RSVP to [email protected].

The 2016 ACT | UJ Arts & Culture Conference, which took place at the UJ Arts Centre at the University of Johannesburg on Wednesday, 16 and Thursday, 17 March 2016, was presented by ACT and UJ Arts & Culture, in partnership with the Department of Arts and Culture’s Mzansi Golden Economy Programme, Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) and SAMRO Foundation with support from the NAC, Nedbank Arts Affinity, and Creative Feel Magazine.

For more information, visit www.creativeconference.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Twitter.