British Council’s ConnectZA have partnered up with Fak’ugesi again this year to welcome a diverse range of artists, designers, makers, tech gurus and thinkers from SA and the UK, to bring you an amazing programme including digital master classes, live debates, virtual reality performances and dynamic immersive video installations at the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival 2016! And everything is FREE!
Here’s what you can look forward to:
Maker Library Network
The project that connects makers and designers around the world will occupy the “glass box” at the Tshimologong precinct. Pop in to explore 3D age gaming, design African emojis, create storyboards, make junk robots, radio satellites & a whole lot more. Follow this link to find out more.
Creative Hustles
In collaboration with Livity Africa, two interactive sessions led by industry professionals will form part of the Festival Talks. This Creative Hustle features an all-women panel of digital and creative professionals, like London-based filmmakers Karen Palmer and Valentina Floris from SDNA, who will not only share how they are breaking boundaries with their work but also explore the intersections between technology, creativity and innovation when it comes to community, femininity and the spiritual.
Register here to attend the Reverse Hustle on Wednesday, 24 August
Register here to attend Creative Hustle Frontier tales: Storytelling around art & tech on Tuesday, 30 August
Back by popular demand, the South African Maker Collective, Fak’ugesi and British Council Connect ZA bring this festival favourite market day maker play space for you to play and engage with activities designed by makers and creative technologists from Durban, Cape Town, Joburg, and the UK. Come through to The Grove at Southpoint, Braamfontein and ‘pimp up’ your own chassis for a radio controlled racer; learn about 3D printing, VR, a talking robots. Bring your friends and family, it’s for everyone.
Fak’ugesi Soweto Pop Up
ConnectZA and Fak’ugesi are taking technology to audiences outside of the city and bringing you an interactive day of creative technology and live digital installation where you can get up close and personal with a range of avant-garde digital activities. Fak’ugesi 2016 Soweto Pop Up will be held at Trackside Creative community centre, a space for artists to imagine, create and collaborate.
Projects include Oculus Rift Virtual Reality immersive theatre performance The Cube presented by Circa69 (UK) to the dynamic interactive video installation mixing neurogaming, film, technology and parkour, Syncself 11: Focus or Fail presented by Karen Palmer (UK). Come play with local and international makers and digital artists.
SDNA digital trail as part of Alight Festival
Digital artists SDNA are looking to gather a group of aspiring digital artists/ techies to help create a digital installation. The installation trail which forms part of ALIGHT event encourages you to explore and discover the newly pedestrianized precinct, with stunning projections and intimate digital imagery animating the hidden corners, surfaces and random objects en route, giving you a glimpse into the area with new eyes. SDNA want to teach you how to animate public spaces through digital projection mapping and innovative use of practical based workshop techniques, If you would like to join the workshop and be part of the installation project team, email ConnectZA@britishcouncil.org for further details, with SDNA in the subject line.
Entry Point to Virtual Reality workshop with CiRCA69
Is Virtual Reality your thing? Then be sure to check out this day-long workshop to get a jumpstart in creating your own VR (virtual reality) experiences by teaching you VR storytelling techniques through to hands-on practical experience .The course guides you through the stages of making VR content so you can experiment and continue to work on your own projects.
Register here to attend the workshop and please come with your own laptop preinstalled with the latest version of UNITY which is free from unity3d.com
Storytelling with emerging technology & pop-up surgeries with Karen Palmer
Are you a filmmaker, emerging technologist or simply have an idea that you want to turn bring to life digitally? UK multi-disciplinary immersive filmmaker Karen Palmer is available to chat through your idea and help you move it to the next stage. Come prepared with your concept!
Book your slot HERE
For more information follow @LiveMagSA, @Connect_ZA and @Fakugesi on Twitter and use the hashtags #CreativeHustles #AfroTechRiot to join the conversation.
