One Park’s Latest Offering – ‘Jazz Pony’ Food And Wine Bar

Dec 13, 2023 | News, Community

Situated in the heart of Cape Town’s CBD, Jazz Pony is a natural and low intervention wine bar. As part of  One Park’s latest offering, sharing the iconic, multistoried creative destination with the  Listening Bar  and their iconic record store, The Other Records, the ethos for everyone involved is centred around collaboration. 

One Park co-founder Matt Hichens says, “collaboration is key in creating community and that allows us to continuously grow. Collaboration keeps our space fresh and exciting and allows us to push boundaries.” This notion of collaboration is central to Jazz Pony’s vision – spearheaded by Max King of Hokey Poke and Eyeball Studio, the food and wine bar will serve as an experimental, testing ground for creators to focus on taste as a sensory medium. 

Weekly, Jazz Pony invites local winemakers to pour and showcase their wines. On their opening night, they hosted Mphumi Ndlangisa from Magna Carta Wines. Mphumi poured his latest vintages: Pinot Noir MCC, Orange Muscat, Orange Colombard, Syrah and Orange Chenin. His edgy, vibrant and small batch natural wines showcase the unrivalled natural wine scene in South Africa. Following Magna Carta, Megan van der Merwe from Beau Constantia showcased pre-released blends and wines. Megan describes her love for natural wines as “If made with a fingerprint-, and not a footprint philosophy, a wine will have a characteristic taste and flavour profile imparted to it by the environment that the fruit grows in. For that reason, I believe in interfering as little as possible in the process taking place from vine to wine, a natural journey that absolutely fascinates me..” The wines that Megan showcased, highlight this process of ‘low intervention’ wine-making as a core tenet of the wine philosophy at Jazz Pony. 

For the menu, Jazz Pony’s curated snacks are thoughtfully and playfully designed to accompany the wine offering. In the style of ‘Afro-Asian diner eating’ Max King explains that, “an Asian pulse through the food brings in a certain practice and precision juxtaposed with the unknown which is my style. Then you mix all of the above together under the alias diner and you get to be bold, brash and ballsy. It just felt right and representative of One Park and its newly born Jazz Pony”. With four bigger snack plates and a variation of sides – the snacks are loud with flavour. Expect fried chicken burgers (or swap with cauliflower) or crispy chicken with house pickles and Max’s famous naughty sauce, paired deliciously with the freshness of Genevieve’s Blanc de Blanc MCC – as an example of the offering. Another special mention has to be the marinated soy quail eggs; a gooey, salty and slightly spicy bite. 

In addition, Jazz Pony will be hosting kitchen takeovers in the new year – which is set to be a regular expression of the space’s collaborative focus, with Matt echoing that, “Jazz Pony brings a fresh and exciting food and wine energy into the building. It ties the upstairs and downstairs together through music and now taste, adding another dimension of exploration through the space and senses.”

Guests are encouraged to head upstairs after their experience at Jazz Pony, to One Park’s Listening Bar or shop the latest vinyl releases at The Other Records.

One Park is open from Wednesday to Saturdays 6PM – Late. 

No reservations. 

Follow One Park HERE
Follow Jazz Pony HERE 
Follow The Other Records HERE 

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Safe Sex is Sexy – A Guide to Sexual Wellness this Festive Szn

Dec 12, 2023 | Lifestyle

Well, it’s that time of the year again. Dezemba has reared its head, and a terrific – if not often tumultuous – year is drawing to an end. Dezemba, in my experience, often brings with it debauchery as sun-kissed skin turns to skin kissed by someone’s son after one too many glasses of prosecco. The insular everyone-knows-everyone Cape Town scene becomes harder and harder to navigate as wires of hookups and hangouts get tangled. Kloof Street sounds unfamiliar, with a smattering of European accents everywhere, and this never-ending Joburg heatwave means we’re all half-naked anyway, so we might as well take off all our clothes (shoutout Nelly). But between sweat, sun, shots of tequila, and endlessly swiping on Swedish 10s on Tinder, I want to finish off the year’s Navigating Realities segment on a somewhat serious note. Today, I want us all to talk and actively engage with our sexual health and safe sex practices. 

Now, many of you might be asking, well, why? The thing is, if you have multiple sexual partners, it is not only in your own self-interest but, the bare minimum you can do for your sexual partners. It’s here that I want to drive a stake into the stigma. STI’s do not see race or class or consider social standing. Too often have I heard or have had people try to convince me that they couldn’t possibly have been exposed to an STI purely based on their perception of the company they keep. Let’s just say, based on my own experiences, too many of us are far too lax with engaging in or suggesting unprotected sex with people we don’t know all that well. 

Photographed by Chris Abatzis, courtesy of Death To Stock Photo

I brought this up in a previous article, but if you play a little game with yourself and those around you, it becomes very apparent that we as a society are not very good at managing our sexual health. Ask yourself when you last tested for STIs? Have you ever tested for STIs? How regularly have the people you engage/d with sexually tested, if ever? See how quickly the holes appear? It also doesn’t take a lot of data digging to see that we are not following the best safe sex practices. Although the National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and STIs states there has been a significant decrease in the number of syphilis cases, there “has been no substantial decrease in gonorrhoea and chlamydia cases for the past 30 years. In 2017, there were an estimated 4.5 million people diagnosed with gonorrhoea, 5.8 million people with chlamydia.” Take into account that these are documented cases, and given the fact that chlamydia, for example, often doesn’t show any visible symptoms at all, the number is probably astronomically higher. Frighteningly, “less than 40% of all cases [reported through the District Health Information System] of chlamydia and gonorrhoea were treated.”

So we have large percentages of the population that have one or more STIs, and we have a large percentage of those people unwilling or unable to seek treatment for those STIs. And then we come to the very worrying part. The STIs mentioned above are quite tame in the grander scheme of things. They present minimal danger and are pretty easy to treat. These trends also translate to STIs that can have far more dire consequences. It is well known and well published that South Africa is still in the midst of an ongoing HIV epidemic, with People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in South Africa at 13.5% in 2022, which equates to approximately 8 million people. Another incredibly common STI is of course,  Human Papillomavirus (HPV)  This virus tends to go undetected despite persistent infection, leading to abnormal cell changes in the cervix (in women), which in turn can increase the likelihood of cervical cancer development over time. It can spread through close skin-to-skin contact during sex and a person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms. It’s also worth noting that there is a vaccine that has been developed for HPV and I, as always, encourage you to seek the advice of a healthcare professional to learn more about this preventative measure. 

The journey to safer sex practices and a society that prioritises sexual health has to start with the individual. Last year, my wonderful colleague Holly Beaton wrote a sensitive and pertinent piece about knowing your HIV status, a piece I highly recommend, which you can read here. In it, she discusses some of the preventative measures mainly related to HIV, such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a medicine that is highly effective in reducing the risk of getting HIV from sex  when taken as prescribed.

A large part of why I think South Africans are poor at imposing good sexual health practices relates to the stigma regarding STIs in SA. Frankly, I place the blame firmly on the conservative standard of sexual education we received in school and the private sector. Needless to say, the government’s implementation of what they call Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is commendable. However, it ultimately falls short of having a sustained impact, and the private sector still spews abstinence and threatening children with a lifetime in hell only furthers the shame and fears regarding one of humanity’s most beautiful acts.

At a minimum, if you have [had] multiple sexual partners or your partner has [had] multiple sexual partners, you should be using condoms not only as a form of contraception but as somewhat of a preventative measure against STIs as well. I would like it stated in bold, though, that condoms alone aren’t 100% effective, which leads me to the part people seem to be allergic to TESTING.

Photographed by Agustin Farias, courtesy of Death To Stock Photo

A note on some bedside manners, for the love of all that is holy, don’t bring those gaslighting tactics into the bedroom. Let me run you through some lies and some red flags. “I can’t feel anything with a condom on,” lie. “Awh, babe, I swear I’ll pull out”, lie. “I don’t need to test, and I’m not going to. You’re just paranoid” red flag. “No, we don’t need a condom. I’m on birth control” red flag. Basically, what I want people to really internalise is that sex is an act in which both parties need to feel safe and seen, and sexual safety should play a big part in that. If someone is trying to gaslight you into unprotected sex or they don’t want to test, run for the hills. Here’s the thing: testing is stressful, and people often get into the out of sight out of, mind thought pattern, but knowing your status is an invaluable asset that gives peace of mind to you and your partners, even if those 15 min waiting for your results can often feel like torture. I also don’t think people can use the excuse that testing is inaccessible anymore. I’ll be the first to admit that some platforms charge exorbitant prices, but other, more affordable options are available. Generally, I try to test pretty regularly and mostly get the STD Combo kit from Famka to test at home. This means that if I get a positive result (a false positive is far more likely than a false negative), I can have the result confirmed through lab testing, which works out to be far more affordable than dropping 6k for everything just to come back negative. Other resources and clinics to take into consideration are Public Hospitals across SA, Get Tested, Better2Know, Epicentre, Contro and the everlasting fantastic work done by Marie Stopes – not only in HIV and STI screening but also in creating a safe and affordable place for abortions and contraceptive measures.

I would, however, caveat some of the institutions listed and put out a word of warning. Read the T’s and C’s as your information may not be as private as you may think and also, I need to bring up that from my research, public hospitals only seem to provide free treatment and testing if you are already showing symptoms which, in my opinion, slightly defeats the purpose. 

I know you think you don’t have to test, and I know that even if you do, it may be an experience shrouded in secrecy, but I hope that we can start a process of destigmatising STI screenings and HIV tests. Tell your friends you have peace of mind and that they should too. Let them know just how sexy you think safe sex is and how good sexual health practices are. I would like to close by referring back to the statement that STIs don’t discriminate. At the end of the day, rampant STI rates aren’t about poverty or status but rather a reflection of a society that has stigmatised sexual health so much that we struggle and often fail to consider safe sex as the standard and not the exception. Let’s be safe and sexy, this Dezemba. 

Written by: Casey Delport

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

‘Many are called, few are chosen’ with acclaimed ceramicist Zizipho Poswa

Dec 11, 2023 | Interviews, Art

Many are called, few are chosen. If to be chosen requires one to be clear in their vision – then Zizipho Poswa’s vision is as crystallised as it gets. As an artist for whom their path was required to unfold with absolute conviction – on earth and beyond – Zizipho’s answering of the call is a testament that continues to unfold and undulated throughout South Africa and across the planet. 

Few objects transcend its utilitarian purpose with such immense power as the vessel. Beyond a means to carry and contain – the vessel as a sculpture is repository for the human experience in all its shades of ritual, memory and movement throughout time and landscapes. For artist and ceramicist Zizipho Poswa, her sculptural practice began with vessels. In the nearly 20 years of her illustrious career, from pinch to large scale sculpture – the vessel has since metamorphosed into varying emanations across all of Zizipho’s thematic concerns – notably, womanhood, being African, being isiXhosa – being an artist and a child of the skies and land. In a quote often credited to activist Brandan “BMike” Odums – ‘I am my ancestor’s wildest dreams’ – Zizipho embodies this, and then some. 

Zizipho’s international acclaim is vast – with examples such as Spanish luxury brand Loewe becoming one of her biggest patrons; among them is Jonathan Anderson commissioning Zizipho’s ‘uNozakuzaku II (Negotiator II)’ sculpture as a centrepiece for the redesign of Casa Loewe Barcelona. As described by Southern Guild, who represent Zizipho internationally, their most recent showcase at Design Miami welcomed “three large-scale bronze sculptures by Zizipho Poswa inspired by the practice of ‘umthwalo’ (load), whereby Xhosa women transport heavy items on their heads, often walking long distances in rural areas. Part of the artist’s iiNtsika zeSizwe (Pillars of the Nation) exhibition at Galerie56 in New York earlier this year, these works are named after specific women within the artist’s extended community. This past summer, Poswa produced her most monumental ceramic series to date as an artist-in-residence at the Center for Contemporary Ceramics, California State University, Long Beach, which will debut when Southern Guild opens its Los Angeles gallery in February 2024.

Zizipho Poswa ‘Mam kwayi’, 2023. Armory Show. Cr. Christof van der Walt. Southern Guild.
Zizipho Poswa ‘Mam uNoAnswari’, 2023. Cr. Hayden Phipps. Southern Guild.
Zizipho Poswa, ‘Mam uNoSekshin’, 2023. Cr. Hayden Phipps. Southern Guild.

Zizipho Poswa ‘Mam uNoBongile’, 2023. Cr. Hayden Phipps. Southern Guild.
Zizipho Poswa’ Mam uNoMathemba’, 2023. Cr. Hayden Phipps. Southern Guild.

Zizipho Poswa’ Mam’uNoNezile’, 2023. Cr. Hayden Phipps. Southern Guild.
Zizipho Poswa ‘Mam uNoZinzile’ 2023. Cr. Hayden Phipps. Southern Guild.
Zizipho Poswa ‘Mam uNoSayini’, 2023. Cr. Hayden Phipps. Southern Guild.

CEC was invited to Zizipho’s studio, Imiso Ceramics, one that she shares and started with acclaimed artist and fellow ceramicist Andile Dyalvane. Split into two halves – one side as Zizipho’s and the other as Andile’s – the space still holds a flow in which Imiso is a space of collaboration and interconnectedness among Zizipho, Andile and their team.  On the founding of Imiso, Zizipho tells us that “we have been around for 18 years. Andile and I had decided we wanted to build something that is true to us, that fuels us and connects us to where we come from. We both have two very different styles. I do brightly coloured, lots of patterns and texture – which is my textile design background. Andile and I met in university (CPUT), so Imiso was born out of our respective backgrounds – Andile at a ceramic studio and I was at textile design studio. My beginning was creating hand painted table linen and I was obsessed with mixing colours and working freehand! It was beautiful, but I had to create specific designs for the studio – so Imiso was born out of wanting that freedom ourselves.” 

With a studio and a store at the Biscuit Mill – where it all began 18 years ago – Zizipho muses that “We were really fortunate to get the space at the Biscuit Mill. Andile had already had a solo-show at Irma Stern, so we kind of head-hunted to be part of the space. Ceramics became our singular focus over textiles – and it took off so beautifully. I had already been exposed to ceramics through university, it was easy for me to settle into the medium and I knew there was something really special about clay that I had to explore.”

“It’s a calling – it finds you no matter where you are.” says Zizipho of her role as an artist, as she takes us around the intricate Imiso studio space. For Zizipho, her artistic process follows a pattern of ‘becoming’, with each body of work resulting in an  immersive, research-led process in which she uncovers her cultural tapestry – oftentimes, stepping into the roles of those she wishes the work to honour and embody. Zizipho describes that “my most recent body of work, ‘Pillars of the Nation’ was centred around the load women carry – literally, the vessels on their heads – and how this represents their trials and their tribulation, but I wanted to celebrate how this translates to greatness. I went back home to the Eastern Cape and I had to step into the shoes of the women I was referencing. So, the photographic and film accompaniment to iiNtsika zeSizwe gave essence to what I was trying to say. The women who inspired me and raised me were so proud. I wore some of the oldest garments of our traditional garments and I got to step into the original, hand-stitched garments that hold so much of our cultural heritage and memory.” 

Lobola, is a customary African tradition where the groom or his family presents gifts, usually livestock or money, to the bride’s family as a symbol of respect and gratitude. This practice signifies the groom’s commitment and ability to provide for the bride;  though it has become subsumed by our age of commodification, misunderstood specifically financial undertaking. For Zizipho, she was called to interrogate this tradition through a different lens; one in which this tradition was honoured for its bringing together of families. Voluminous shapes – reference the female form – were adorned by bronze horns, created by Zizipho in a set of twelve. As she explains, “iLobola as a study was my attempt to look closely at this customary tradition. It’s no longer taken so seriously and if it is, people make an assumption by reducing this practice to a financial transaction. For us, iLobola is about building and connecting families – it is an intricate, beautiful process in which stages of negotiation foster trust within this undertaking of a marriage union. I always want to make us proud of our heritage and such thoughtfulness in our traditions.”

Zizipho Poswa Process, 2022. Cr. Hayden Phipps. Southern Guild.

For uBuhle boKhokho (the beauty of our ancestors), Zizipho delved deeper into her Xhosa heritage, this time – focusing on the intricate relationship between hair and Blackness. In a five-month endeavour, Poswa crafted and adorned herself with 12 distinct hairstyles, meticulously documenting each manifestation through photography as an integral aspect of her artistic process, with an accompanying set of sculptural works. As Zizipho notes on the process, “I usually use bright colours – that is the space I’m most comfortable in. For uBuhle boKhokho, the works were a celebration of being Black and of Black hair and its strength, so the collection had to be black. I was tempted to use colour but I had to return constantly to Blackness as the foundation of this collection. I sought different tones of black and in that, I found the vastness and richness of black as a colour and being Black as who we are.” 

Zizipho’s foray into bronze – photography – and technical mastery is perhaps triumphed only by her commitment to cultural storytelling. Zizipho’s role as a conduit for the essence in being a woman, being Xhosa, being African and being an artist – it is profound and illuminating, inspiring generations of artists present and still to become, “I pinch myself everyday. I’m so proud to be where I am – I am this artist that others can look up to, because I didn’t have that. There’s young ones who can look up to me and Andile and the space. My story is not an overnight success but it is a story of success. We are pushing really hard for access to be experienced by all who choose to come after us.”

Visit Imiso Ceramics at the Old Biscuit Mill HERE 

Follow Zizipho Poswa HERE
Follow Imiso Ceramics HERE
Follow Andile Dyalvane HERE
Follow Southern Guild HERE

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Digital Sangoma releases new track titled ‘Past Life’

Dec 8, 2023 | New Release, Music

Digital Sangoma releases an emotionally charged new track titled ‘Past Life’ paying tribute to leaving the past behind and embracing a bright and hopeful future. 

Singer-songwriter, producer, and DJ, Digital Sangoma, releases his latest single titled, Past Life. Past experiences can weigh us down, making it tricky to embrace new opportunities or connect with the people we adore. But, it’s a message of hope. Our history does not trap us, and we have the power to craft a new path for ourselves. It’s natural to feel uneasy, but we shouldn’t let those feelings keep us from living our best lives and cherishing our loved ones. When we push ourselves to try new experiences and meet new folks, we unlock unimagined growth and potential. Digital Sangoma hopes we can all gather the courage to dive deep into the unknown openly, armed with easy chilled dance tracks like ‘Past Life’, with influences of Afro-house.

Stream ‘Past Life’ HERE

Connect with Digital Sangoma:
Instagram: Digitalsangoma
Facebook: Digitalsangoma
Twitter: Digitalsangoma 
Music: https://withkoji.com/@Digitalsangoma

David Marston & Liam Mockridge release their collaborative track titled ‘The Spark’

Dec 8, 2023 | New Release, Music

Dive into the effervescent soundscape of ‘The Spark,’ the latest electrifying collaboration between Jamaican producer, David Marston, and the rising vocal powerhouse, Liam Mockridge. This track is a shimmering fusion of electronic pop, nuanced with the pulsating rhythms of house and the underground echoes of garage influences. 

At its heart, ‘The Spark’ is a vivid narrative wrapped in a melody, recounting a serendipitous encounter that’s both romantic and whimsically real. The lyrics, steeped in rich imagery and emotive dialogue, transport the listener to a moment suspended in time — a night where sparks flew and the unexpected was the only certainty. From the intoxicating pull of a “sweet perfume” to the playful aftermath of a lost phone, the song weaves a tale that’s as relatable as it is enchanting. 

Liam Mockridge & David Marston

Liam Mockridge’s slick and melodic vocals glide effortlessly over the bubbly, infectious beat. The track balances light with dark, humor with sincerity, and reality with the magic of potential. The track is a commemoration of those chance encounters that leave us wondering, dreaming, and always, always dancing.

Stream ‘The Spark’ HERE

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

Ananya releases first visuals off debut EP in ‘i’m too nice’ music video

Dec 8, 2023 | New Release, Music

Rising Pop star, singer/songwriter, fashion creative, and mental-health activist, Ananya, releases the first official music video from her debut EP, i woke up one night, for the lead single, i’m too nice.

The visuals for the hit single, which can be found on key DSP playlist charts globally and is receiving love on radio in territories such as the UK, US and South Africa, takes a visual representation of the song’s theme of self-discovery and assertiveness depicted in a fantasy world and hopes to leave viewers feeling happy or empowered after watching it. Directed by Ubu Entertainment’s Sophie Fazio and Bella Kouds, Ananya’s i’m too nice music video is now live on YouTube.  

“Creating a straightforward visual representation of the song’s meaning was a lot of fun. The character goes through different emotions and eventually realizes her progress enough to let go and go back to sleep. I’m thankful to everyone involved in making this music video because it perfectly captures the inspiration behind the track,” shares Ananya.

Being the bigger person can sometimes be tiring. The lyric, “since the beginning, I’ve always been the bigger person,” really guided the direction of Ananya’s i’m too nice music video. In a dreamy journey, Ananya finds herself quite literally the “bigger” person in a miniature world, one where she very clearly doesn’t quite “fit” in. Throughout this lonely yet intriguing adventure, we see her explore curiosity, anger, contemplation and eventually understanding and accomplishment being comfortable with where she finds herself.

As the video progresses, the character finds herself in the mountains, quite content with where she’s standing and the view she’s looking at (that being the past and the journey she has travelled). In the beginning, it’s lonely and hard to see what’s ahead. Letting go of what’s passed and walking away from things that can’t be changed quite literally has helped Ananya sleep better, and we see this interpretation unfold too for this character.

Recorded between Cape Town and London, Ananya’s debut offering has been a labour of love and showcases her at her most vulnerable and honest self. On the success of her EP, Ananya shares: “It’s thrilling! Above all, I feel incredibly touched when someone can use my music to contribute to their path. That’s my biggest wish.”

Watch ‘i’m too nice’ HERE 

Connect with Ananya:
Facebook: @ananyamakesmusic
Instagram: @ananyamakesmusic
TikTok: @ananyamakesmusic
Twitter: @ananyaworldwide
 

Press release courtesy of Sheila Afari PR

Tyla’s COLORSxSTUDIO performance was perfect

Dec 8, 2023 | News, Music

Aesthetic music platform COLORSxSTUDIO is one of the beautiful sonic destinations that exists in the digital landscape. Utilising the power of music to transcend borders, the platform invites a myriad of artists from around the world to perform in their stripped back studio, pairing each performer with a colour – evoking a calmness and cohesiveness, that focuses in on the pure act of performance itself. 

South Africa’s rising superstar Tyla’s ‘COLORS SHOW’ is an incredible example of Tyla’s intention to reach international heights while remaining focused on music – as COLORS curate their selections very specifically, often inviting ‘niche’ artist to offer their audience a nuanced variety in a world of oversaturated, hyper-manufactured music. 

Set against a sandy, slightly dusty pink colour – Tyla performed her track ‘On and On’ ahead of her forthcoming debut album. The colours of her show are reminiscent of the earthy hues that have tempered her break-out hit ‘Water’, signalling an artistic creative expression rooted in organic tones and softness, perfectly aligning with her soft, dreamy RnB vocal range.   

As a global phenomena with the success ‘Water’ on TikTok, Tyla is now the highest-charting African female solo artist ever on Billboard Hot 100, having secured a no.10 spot on the coveted list, as reported here by Okay Africa. Absolutely incredible.

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Reimagining Heritage, Archives and Museums: Today/Tomorrow mentorship programme

Dec 7, 2023 | News, Art

An exciting new opportunity for young graduates or professionals interested in the heritage, archives and museum sectors has just launched. Reimagining Heritage, Archives and Museums: Today/Tomorrow is a new project that consists of three components, namely an international convening being held in Cape Town from 13 – 15 February 2024, a series of professional meetings in Johannesburg and Pretoria following the convening, and a parallel mentorship programme. 

The mentorship programme is a tailor-made skills-sharing and development programme that will include virtual learning and in-person sessions to provide a platform for new voices to expand their knowledge and build networks. These sessions will be shaped around the convening themes and will aim to provide on-the-ground experience in curating and coordinating a convening. Mentees will have the opportunity to attend the convening and participate in the professional meetings.

Successful applicants will enjoy the opportunity to expand their knowledge and grow their network, with the support of some of the most prominent figures in the heritage, archive and museum sectors in Southern Africa and France. Individuals from South Africa, Lesotho, or Malawi are encouraged to submit their application now to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain invaluable experience in the heritage, archives and museum sectors. 

All travel and accommodation costs relating to the mentorship programme will be covered by the convening, and participants will receive a stipend. 

This project is an initiative of the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and the Embassy of France.

Reimagining Heritage, Archives and Museums: Today/Tomorrow mentorship programme

Programme highlights include: 

January virtual learning: A series of virtual knowledge-sharing sessions featuring a combination of live and recorded content and reading material will serve as the first learning opportunity. 

13 – 15 February in-person learning intensive: During these three days in Cape Town, mentees will engage with the convening programmes, delegates, key tours and activities and participate in workshops with the mentors and invited participants. 

16-18 February Investec Cape Town Art Fair: Mentees will attend the fair along with other planned cultural events in and around Cape Town. 

19 – 21 February professional meetings: Mentees will reconvene in person a week after the conference for three days of professional meetings in Johannesburg and Pretoria. They will engage in a programme of visits to cultural institutions and heritage sites and social gatherings with selected professionals. 

March virtual debrief and review sessions and submission of programme report.

You will be a suitable candidate if: 
You are a citizen of South Africa, Lesotho or Malawi 
You have recently graduated/are at the start of your career in the heritage, archive, museum or cultural sector 
You are between the ages of 20 – 29 
You will be available to travel and attend the international convening in Cape Town from 13 – 18 February 2024, and attend the professional meetings in Johannesburg from 19 – 21 February 2024. 
You will be available to attend virtual information, training and workshop sessions in January leading up the convening and in March. 
You are working in or have a keen interest in the heritage, archive and museum sectors, and plan to make a career in one of these areas 
You have some experience in, or are interested in, writing. You will be asked to write content about the convening (e.g. reporting on specific panel discussions, or summarising the outcomes of a workshop) for publications like IQOQO, as well as for reports to partners and funders. 
All travel and accommodation costs relating to the mentorship programme will be booked and paid for by the Reimagining Heritage, Archives and Museums: Today/Tomorrow project. Participants will also receive a stipend. 

Interested individuals are encouraged to submit their application by 13 December 2023.

Submit your application HERE 

Learn more about the Reimagining Heritage, Archives and Museums: 
Today/Tomorrow project HERE

Press release courtesy of Narrative PR

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Rich Mnisi releases ‘LOVE UNITES’ Pride collection with adidas, for iconic football club Manchester United

Dec 6, 2023 | News, Fashion

In the latest chapter of soccer and fashion’s intertwining relationship; South African luxury brand Rich Mnisi have announced their continued partnership with adidas Football, specifically focusing on LGBTQIA+ visibility. Early this year, the brand launched their Pride 2023 campaign titled ‘Let Love Be Your Legacy’ which celebrated LGBTQIA+ athletes. Now, Rich Mnisi has announced a continuation of this partnership; a Pride collection exclusively for Manchester United. 

Professional football has been actively addressing its homophobic past. Leagues, clubs, and players have engaged in promoting diversity, tolerance, and acceptance. High-profile players have used their platforms to advocate for equality – with rainbow armbands, themed matches, and partnerships with LGBTQ+ organisations showcasing allyship in the sporting world. A specific moment is the #LoveIsLove campaign started by Arsenal and Lvierpool fans, which saw some of their players sporting rainbow laces.

Rich Mnisi X adidas X Man United, courtesy of @rich_mnisi IG

This collection is a huge, cross-continental example of amplifying Pride in otherwise ‘mainstream’ spaces – an incredible feat for representation. 

The collection features a training kit and a tracksuit, tempered by a camouflage pattern in rainbow style colours. Love truly does unite and we couldn’t be prouder. 

This is a developing story, follow Rich Mnisi HERE and adidas Football HERE to follow more news of the collection release.

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Backyard – the sonic-led fashion brand that’s pushing boundaries and connecting creatives

Dec 6, 2023 | Interviews, Fashion

All of the greatest creative pursuits are born from rebellion. For sonic-led fashion brand Backyard, rebellion is their philosophy and ‘Make Noise, Not Friends’ is their manifesto. As a testimony to the detailed-oriented, world-building vision so critical to developing a brand that becomes a movement; Backyard is the visual, tactile culmination of a few house parties that happened some years ago, in south Joburg. Now, Backyard Group is a multi-thread vessel of South African potential, conceived for international status. As a collective, agency and brand, Backyard draws together the sounds and styles of subculture into a movement that offers experiences, a clothing brand, co-creative collaboration – and one of the strongest campaigns we have ever seen to originate from South Africa. I don’t say this lightly. 

One of Backyard’s co-founders, Shadin Kara, explains their origins, “Backyard unofficially started around 2018 in the south of Johannesburg. I used to throw house parties with my friends – that’s actually how we got the name, it was literally in a ‘backyard’ – and it became quite a success. We wanted to bring something to younger creatives in the south of Joburg who maybe didn’t find accessibility so easily into Joburg events. At that time, it was very hip hop centred. Initially, it was just a space for ourselves, but when we started bringing the parties around the rest of the city – we saw there was a real space for what we were doing.” Born out of a sense of separation from the relatively saturated and exclusive dynamics of Joburg, the initial success of spreading Backyard indicates a kind of truth; creatives everywhere tend to suffer with imposter syndrome and the only remedy for this is connection. Backyard is one of the beautiful products of the 21st century’s digital age, as a movement that understands the power of physical experiences – and this hybridised vision is arming them for the border-less world that we are witnessing creativity push in this decade and beyond. Shadin explains the team dynamics, “we are currently a team of six. I have two other co-founders, Brandon and Kurt. We’re a mix of creatives – so Brandon is head of creative and a graphic designer, Kurt does marketing, then we have Amy Zama as our stylist and creative direction. We have Phuti as head of pattern-making and production and then Lily, who does our screen-printing.”

Backyard Campaign photographed by @Solosworld_

In 2020, COVID hit and suddenly Backyard was faced with lock-down restrictions. From this, the idea for a clothing brand was born – “as a team, we’ve always been tapped into different creative fields. So fashion is a natural consequence of that from my perspective – I was at LISOF and I always knew I wanted to do clothing, I just didn’t know how or when. COVID was really the catalyst for this. We were already doing activations for other brands and obviously with the restrictions, we had to find a way to keep the momentum going. We decided to put some of our savings into a studio in New Town and we started printing our own T-shirts.” Shadin says, explaining that Backyard as a clothing brand is one manifestation for their broader vision, “our background is in creating experiences – so we are focused on creating a world that people could live in. Clothing was the next step and it started as merch and now it’s slowly growing into its own clothing line.”

Visually, Backyard reads like its very own subculture. Drawing on references from punk, to y2k and cyber aestheticism – the brand effortlessly blends universal, cultural phenomena through a South African lens. This is their primary focus; to forge South Africa among the biggest international players from Berlin to Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo and so on. I ask Shadin about the influence of subculture, to which he says “music has always been one of our first reference points. I’ve always been fascinated by how music influences how people dress, how they behave and connect. I was always interested in punk subcultures and the whole idea of rebelling – and not just going against something, but actually creating something of your own as a response to not having your own space. I think this is fundamental to Backyard, this notion of ‘self-making’ our own world.” In terms of their narrative, Backyard’s approach is founded on their lived experience, “as a collective, we all come from suburban backgrounds and middle-class contexts. It would be disingenuous for us to try to tell a story that was different to our lived experience – like the incredible collectives coming out of townships. We always bring back everything that influences us, from all over the world, back through our lens as South Africans.”

With a non-conformist attitude, “our focus is to build a brand that can compete on an international level, but still retains its South African energy. Involving creatives in South Africa is very important to us – collaboration has always been a part of how Backyard works. We look for creatives that are developing their potential, so between music and community – those are our two major influences.” explains Shadin, noting that multi-sensory experiences are foundational to how Backyard will always exist; this is why pop-ups are so critical to them. 

Quickstrike photographed by @Solosworld_

Backyard Vest photographed by @hlengiwelala

Quickstrike photographed by @Solosworld_

For their sonic experiences, Backyard are masters of creating momentary worlds in which connectivity and ambience are perfectly tuned to suit whichever context is required. Shadin notes their layered offering, saying that “the events side is composed of three entities. We have TREBLE, which is focused on African dance music – but in a setting similar to a nightclub in Berlin, for example. We have taken all these references that we have seen through the internet or experiences we’ve had ourselves – so instead of playing techno or acid house, we have Amapiano or Afro-tech. TREBLE takes place in autumn / winter, and is a nightlife experience. Then, RUMOUR is more of our day-time, eclectic offering – afro-beats, hip hop and RnB and that runs during summer. We don’t have house parties anymore – logistically they’re a nightmare.” A key focus for the brand is their vision for artist development – not as a record label would, but more as assisting an artist find their particular essence for a specific expression towards an audience. In this way, Backyard functions as curators for shaping South Africa’s creative culture, as Shadin says, “finally, we have our live experiences. We work with creatives in our circle to develop their presence during a show. A lot of upcoming artists get paid to perform at shows but there’s very little attention or development involved – no curation or anything like that. So, we assist them with a focused show in which we do creative direction, set design and create ambience.”

With a vision rooted in equal parts grunge as it is totally clean and precise, Backyard is set for major things. As we set forth into an unknown future led by technology, movements like Backyard will be the defining difference in blending nostalgia, futurism and cultural preservation. Lastly, I ask Shadin what the vision is ahead for Backyard,

“Our goal for the next five to ten years is to bridge the gap between South Africa and the rest of the world. We want to find like-minded creatives in different parts of the world to build a network of connecting and sharing. We look at ourselves as an agent of bridging these gaps. Our connection with The New Originals is an example of this – as an Amsterdam-based brand with a global focus, collaborating with them has shown us what is possible. When they were in South Africa, we did events and dropped a piece, and then we had a pop-up in Amsterdam. We’re hoping this will be an annual thing and that we can do this with other creatives in more cities around the world.”

Photographed by @lildiorchain_

Backyard in Cape Town this December: 
14 – 17 Dec : Backyard Pop-up Store at Pot Plant Club
16 Dec : Backyard Broke Klubhouse Takeover

Shop Backyard HERE
Follow Backyard HERE
Follow TREBLE+ HERE

Written by: Holly Beaton

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