Inspiring communities through Digitalized Possibilities: Seeing Beyond The Imaginarium

Inspiring communities through Digitalized Possibilities: Seeing Beyond The Imaginarium

It began with a lively and emphatic brainstorming session in October 2023, and progressed quickly into highly interactive and educational weekly sessions. Digitalized Possibilities: Seeing Beyond The Imaginarium is an intensive programme in which a cohort of five arts-based women creatives are nurtured under the guidance of Kenneth Gaffley of Ken Obi Studio and Zizo Bongekile Manona of Inkcubeko Nezobugcisa. Empowered with additional insights from guest mentors, we unpacked our upcoming baseline research report, delved into business training and portfolio development, and discussed the open and honest feedback shared during our many critique sessions as we mapped our way towards the final digital art project – a collection of digital self-portraits.

 Each intensive weekly session had a technical training focus where we experimented with a variety of contemporary design software in order to make sure that each person could find their rhythm and design with a sense of ease and comfort. As the weeks progressed into months, each session brought us closer to the culmination of the digital arts training component. Preparatory work had already begun on the online exhibit. We held in-depth conversations and shared personal influences and artistic styles, with each member of the cohort going into detail about their individual themes and how they fit into the broader context of self representation and the digital identities we had aimed to create.

 The digital artworks now on show in the online exhibit for Digitalized Possibilities: Seeing Beyond The Imaginarium, were produced by Nosisa Ngqoyiyana, Mihle Mbonxothi, Sandisiwe Ngqoyiyana, Ziphelele Mthimkhulu, and Sinazo Pantshwa during the digital arts training component. The online showcase will be live until 5 July 2024.

 As part of our first school activation for the project, we visited West Bank High on 22 February 2024, to engage its students about the Digitalized Possibilities programme as well as their future ambitions. We were delighted to be greeted with warmth and curiosity.

 This interactive and engaging session began with a brief introduction to the Digitalized Possibilities programme, from its initial concept through all the work that made it the programme it is today, and into a vision of what it one day aspires to be. Physical copies of our digital artworks were on full display, along with live demonstrations from the online showcase.

 After an informative and engaging session with our team, time was spent sharing personal anecdotes, and exciting interventions being proposed for the programme.Acting principal Danielle Brikkels commented that it was great to see“talent recognised and put to great use”.