“The three of pentacles reveal a successful beginning towards achieving your goals. It teaches us to not ignore the talents of others that surround us. We need the collaboration of others, with diverse viewpoints, experiences and expertise to accomplish something more than we could have ever dreamed of. GSPT welcomes you. We’re stronger together.” – GSPT
I found this statement to be such a poignant introduction to the latest ‘GSPT’ event which I managed to attend, on First Thursdays last week, hosted at Hallmark House in Johannesburg, in collaboration with Puma. Founded by Deejay and creative entrepreneur, Tamryn Arends, more commonly known as ‘Rarri’, GSPT is primarily concerned with providing opportunities to young femme creatives of colour within the music and events industry.
As we all (hopefully) understand just how much of a problem it is for marginalised creatives of colour to land opportunities within these industries, especially for reasons outside of their control, GSPT are providing a solution through creating a gateway of fresh opportunities in which these local creatives can be supported through their craft.
The GSPT event which took place was centred around an all-star femme group exhibition, including: Bambi, Kahlo Greed, Nailed Ntswembu, Ndivhu and Tamia Saunders. This multimedia exhibition was an exhilarating success, followed by a host of DJs and live performances from Doowap, Money Badoo, and Rarri, just to name a few.
An essential principle which I feel as if we (myself included) need to constantly exercise is to pay Black femmes for their art – whatever kind of art it is; that’s entirely subjective. But the underlying concept which remains and requires constant reiteration is to pay femmes for their art, pay them for their work, welcome and value their artistic contributions just as much as we do for their male counterparts. This is integral in attempting to blossom a healthy and balanced local industry, fair of opportunity and free of the shackles of gender-based favouritisms or exclusions.
I had the honour and privilege of virtually engaging Rarri and sneaking in a few post event questions to gauge her feelings towards how the event went, ask for more details surrounding the femme artists which exhibited, understand GSPT’s dedication towards uplifting young POC femmes within the industry, and so much more.
Would you mind introducing a short description of what GSPT is and what your organisation does?
Rarri: GSPT (Pronounced G-SPOT) looks to provide an entry point and space for young POC women in the music and events industry in South Africa. We aim to challenge pre-existing structures from within by providing access to equipment and knowledge about the industry best practices and infrastructure. By partnering with brands and producers with a similar vision, GSPT facilitates femme focused DJ workshops and events. The line-up consists of a combination of up and coming live local acts, producers, musicians and established local mainstay DJs.
Which femme artists took part in the exhibition? Why this mix?
Rarri: Please see the list of femme artists below:
I selected these artists such as Bambi, Kahlo Greed, Nailed Ntswembu, Ndivhu and Tamia Saunders because we were looking to create a nice diverse exhibition which showcased a variation of art mediums. This allowed the audience to focus on each piece individually. I felt that it was important to provide these talented young artists with a platform, as they are often overlooked.
What is the role which Puma played within the whole event?
Rarri: Puma came on board as a headline sponsor which provided me with the resource and opportunity to put this all together.
How was the process of planning the event? And how was seeing it turn out as such a success?
Rarri: As anyone in the industry will tell you, eventing can be extremely stressful as it is a high-pressure environment. However, to be quite honest I really enjoyed this process. Working tirelessly on a project and then seeing it come to life is pretty rewarding. Seeing people feel comfortable enough in your space to really enjoy themselves is a great feeling. The highlight for me was being able to build new relationships with other creatives as well as culturally relevant companies, such as Puma and Beefeater.
This event was the perfect intersection between art, fashion, music and really nightlife, inviting such a wide spectrum of people. Will you be looking to do more in the future or maybe something different?
Rarri: GSPT is a concept that will live forever. The idea is to recreate the experience based around the selected femme artists or collaborators. It is something that is constantly evolving and I am so excited to see what the future holds. We are looking at hosting the experience every first Thursday of the month. Stay tuned for more details!
/// Photography credits to Sherwen Diamond
Written by: Odwa Zamane
