NUUSVRYSTELLING 1 DESEMBER 2015

Vrystaat ontvang toekenning van R7 miljoen vir kunsinnovering van die Mellonstigting

Man in die Groen Kombers, Lesiba Mabitsela.

Foto: Karla Benade

Bloemfontein sal oor die volgende vier jaar 'n toevloei van nuwe, eksperimentele kuns beleef danksy R7
miljoen wat ontvang is om eksperimentele kunsprojekte in sentraal-Suid-Afrika te ontwikkel. Die
Andrew W. Mellon-stigting het onlangs die toekenning aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) gemaak
vir die Program vir Innovering-en-kunsvorm-ontwikkeling (Piko). Piko, wat in 2014 gesamentlik deur die
UV en die Vrystaat Kunstefees begin is, is tot stand gebring as n program om die verkenning van die
kunste te bevorder ten einde interdissiplinre navorsing te verhoog en n impak op menslike
ontwikkeling te maak.
Die Andrew W. Mellon-stigting is n New Yorkse organisasie sonder winsbejag wat poog om die bydraes
van die geesteswetenskappe en die kunste tot menslike vooruitgang en tot die welstand van
uiteenlopende en demokratiese samelewings te versterk, te bevorder en, waar nodig, te verdedig.
Die Innovering-en-kunsvorm-ontwikkelingsinisiatief sal 'n belangrike bydrae lewer tot maniere waarop

die universiteit hoop om navorsing en dialoog oor gesteswetenskappe in die Suid-Afrikaanse

samelewing uit te brei en te verdiep. Die gebruik van die kunste as 'n middel om gemeenskappe by sake
van sosiale belang te betrek is 'n opwindende onderneming, en ons is bevoorreg om Mellon se geldelike
en vennootskapsbelegging in hierdie inisiatief te h, het prof Jonathan Jansen, Visekanselier en Rektor
van die UV, ges.
Hierdie wesenlike ondersteuning deur die stigting sal n deurslaggewende rol speel in die kordinering
van samewerking met nasionale en internasionale kunstenaars ten einde nuwe, innoverende maniere
van artistieke praktyk en kreatiewe produksie in Suid-Afrika te verken, het Angela de Jesus, UVkunskurator en mededirekteur van Piko, ges.
n Reeks Eerste Nasie-projekte, kunste/wetenskapnavorsing en kunstenaarsopleiding,
kunslaboratoriums vir kreatiewe praktisyns, die produksie van opwindende nuwe werk vir Bloemfontein,
sowel as kritiese debatte/forums word in die volgende paar jaar verwag, het sy bygevoeg.
Piko fokus op die ondersteuning van kruiskulturele, eksperimentele kunsprogramme wat die SuidAfrikaanse samelewing kreatief kan bystaan. Vir hierdie proses gebruik Piko die vaardighede en ervaring
van Suid-Afrikaanse kunstenaars, in samewerking met verskeie internasionale vennote wat as
wreldleiers op hierdie gebied erken word, om n wedersyds voordelige program van betrokkenheid te
ontwikkel.
Innovering, tegnologie en nuwe kunsvorme sal ondersoek word en internasionale samewerking sal
bekendgestel word wat die potensiaal van voordele vir die kreatiewe bedrywe in Bloemfontein en
verder inhou.
Die artistieke landskap van die Vrystaat - trouens die hele Suid-Afrika - sal vir altyd verander as gevolg
van hierdie besonder vrygewige toekenning. 'n Plaaslike gemeenskap kry selde die kans om innovering
op 'n nasionale skaal te lei, en om terselfdertyd 'n impak op eksperimentele kuns wreldwyd te maak.
Ons het ons op 'n ongelooflike artistieke reis begewe, het dr Ricardo Peach, Direkteur van die Vrystaat
Kunstefees en Mededirekteur van Piko, ges.

EINDE

MEDIA RELEASE 1 DECEMBER 2015

Free State Receives R7 Million Grant from the Mellon Foundation for Arts
Innovation

Man in the Green Blanket, Lesiba Mabitsela.

Photo: Karla Benade

Bloemfontein will experience a flood of new, experimental art over the next four years as a result of R7
million that has been received to develop experimental art projects in central South Africa. The Andrew
W. Mellon Foundation recently awarded the grant to the University of the Free State (UFS) for
the Programme for Innovation in Artform Development (PIAD). Initiated jointly by the UFS and the
Vrystaat Arts Festival in 2014, PIAD was established as a programme to promote the exploration of the
arts to advance interdisciplinary research and to impact on human development.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is a New York-based, non-profit organisation which endeavours to
strengthen, promote, and, where necessary, defend the contributions of the humanities and the arts to
human flourishing, and to the well-being of diverse and democratic societies.
The Innovation in Artform Development initiative will provide an important contribution to the ways in
which the university hopes to broaden and deepen research and dialogue about the humanities in South

African society. Using the arts as a vehicle to engage communities around issues of social significance,
makes for an exciting endeavour, and we are happy to have Mellons financial and partnership
investment in this initiative, said Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.
This substantial support from the Foundation will play a pivotal role in facilitating collaborations with
national and international artists to explore new, innovative modes of artistic practice and creative
production in South Africa, said Angela de Jesus, UFS Art Curator and Co-Director of PIAD.
A series of First Nations projects, arts/science research and artist residencies, arts laboratories for
creative practitioners, the production of exciting new work for Bloemfontein, and critical
debates/forums is expected over the next few years, she added.
PIAD focuses on supporting cross-cultural, experimental art programmes that can assist South African
society creatively. For this process, PIAD is engaging the skills and expertise of South Africa artists in
collaboration with several international partners, who are recognised as global leaders in this field, to
develop a mutually- beneficial programme of engagement.
Innovation, technology, and new forms of art will be explored and international collaborations that have
the potential to attract benefits for the creative industries in Bloemfontein and beyond will be
introduced.
The artistic landscape of the Free State - in fact the whole South Africa - will be forever changed
because of this extraordinarily generous grant. Rarely does a regional community get a chance to lead
innovation on a national scale, and also impact on experimental art internationally. We are in for an
incredible artistic journey, said Dr Ricardo Peach, Director of the Vrystaat Arts Festival and Co-Director
of PIAD.

END