Performance artists, technical creatives urged to submit applications for Creative Lab 2020
The Goethe-Institut Namibia and National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) are calling on performance artists and technical creatives to submit their application for participation in the Creative Design Lab 2020.
The Creative Lab will result in a Black Box Theatre installation at the NTN that would hopefully be open to the public in November 2020.
The two-month-long project aims to bring local creatives together for a session of re-learning, exchanging, discussing and developing a new approach to the Live Arts Performance sector in Namibia.
“The performing arts sector in Namibia has been granted with a variant pool of artistic expressions and events; however there still remains a significant gap in performance art and interdisplinary artistic practices. This project further aims to contribute to filling that gap, and is structured not only for skills exchange amongst the creatives to be involved but also for them to re-think on what they know and breathe something new into the sector,” said the NTN’s Artistic Director Nelago Shilongoh.
She explained that while the Covid-19 pandemic has challenged live performances significantly, this should be viewed as an opportunity to re-think the ways in which Live Arts are presented to an audience.
”Collaborations are key at times like this and entering into the partnership with the Goethe-Institut Namibia is a stepping-stone in a direction that institutions are advised to adapt to in their operations,” she said.
Echoing her sentiments, Goethe-Institut Namibia Cultural Programmes Michelle Namases said even though the institution’s operations have been challenged by the current situation of social distancing in Namibia, their commitment to the arts and culture development in the country remain active.
“Globally, artists are currently challenged to be more innovative and explore Live Art and the Digital Spaces but very often, not much is possible due to a lack of not only financial but also interdisciplinary support,” she said.
Namases explained that the Creative Design Lab will assist artists in bridging the gap between performance artists and the technical aspects of staging a performance by bringing such persons together
“Theatre, as many other forms of art, are changing and so we hope to produce an artistic production to maintain the relationship between the theatre and various audiences by presenting something not done in Namibia before,” she said.
The final production of a Black Box Theatre installation will combine the skills of performance artists and technicians to create something spectacular to all senses.
