Decolonial Aesthesis Creative Lab

Hosted by the Art on our Mind Research Group, the Rhodes Faculty of Humanities and the Andrew Mellon Decolonial Turn Fund

The Art on our Mind research group, headed by Dr Sharlene Khan, in the Department of Fine Art, will be holding a Decolonial Aesthesis Creative Laboratory between the 8th and 14th July 2018, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Decolonial Turn Funds. The Creative Lab is a series of praxis-based experimental workshops aimed at introducing decolonial aestheSis theory, innovative practitioners and experimental process-based methodologies, in order to stimulate creativities. Our guests include Prof Bhekizizwe Peterson (South African literature scholar and screen writer); Jon Alpert (American journalist and documentary filmmaker); Laura Andel (Argentine composer ); Vibha Galhotra (Indian visual artist) Fouad Asfour (art writer and editor), find biographies here.

About the Decolonial Aesthesis Creative Lab
The DA Creative Lab has place for 40 participants, and acceptance into the Creative Lab is based on selection through an application process. Interested persons must have an active interest in the arts (music, performance, visual culture, journalism) and preferably a practice in the arts fields. The cost of the Creative Lab is R200 (any student not able to afford this fee can write to Dr Khan for an exemption). Individuals who are chosen for the Creative Lab must be able to attend the full seven-day lab, from morning to evening sessions (no exceptions), and will participate in all activities related or unrelated to their fields – part of the challenge, but fun of this lab, is being exposed to creativity in an inter-disciplinary manner.

How to apply
Selection of candidates is made on the basis of a creative presentation that is submitted to the Art on our Mind selection committee. On our Blog, you will find 3 texts that form the basis of the Decolonial AestheSis Creative Lab. Once you have read them, create a presentation in any form (literary, visual, musical, performative) that demonstrates how your praxis is/might be influenced by decolonial aestheSis theories, and how you think it will affect your trajectory/thinking about creativities. The emphasis in this Creative Lab is on the mutual relationship between theory and praxis (but is primarily praxis-based). Literary submissions must not be more than 5 pages, and any audio-visual presentations not more than 5 mins. Selection of the final participants will be based on the innovation and creativity (and understanding of the importance of decolonialising aestheTics) of the submissions.

Find the online application form, programme and more information under application guidelines.

Creative submissions and the application form must be submitted to Dr Sharlene Khan by no later than Wednesday, 30th May 2018 on the following email address: artonourmind@gmail.com.

For any queries, please email Dr Khan on s.khan@ru.ac.za.