The Octopus Programme is a guided research-based educational programme that encourages artistic research and production-based collaborations across academies and art institutions; students and professionals; diverse presentation modes; and processes of research and documentation in different geographies.

Since the inception of The Octopus Programme in 2019/2020, The Centre for the Less Good Idea has been a consistent collaborator and partner, with both organisations consciously and consistently working on the periphery of contemporary artistic practice, research and methodology.

The main phase of The Octopus Programme took place in 2020/2021 and saw partnership with University of Applied Arts Vienna; Kamel Lazaar Foundation, Tunis; Konstfack – University College of Arts, Crafts, Stockholm; Index – The Swedish Contemporary Art Foundation; The University of Pretoria, Pretoria; The Centre for The Less Good Idea, Johannesburg; Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center in Ramallah; Birzeit University, Birzeit; the Palestinian Museum, Birzeit; SAHA Association, Istanbul; Publics; and Saastamoinen Foundation, Helsinki.

Occupying these peripheral spaces, while still being connected by central cultural and artistic institutions such as The University of Applied Arts Vienna or The Swedish Contemporary Art Foundation, became an important contributing factor to the way the programme was curated, and how it brought together various participants and partners from across the globe.

For the main phase of the programme, 12 artists/participants from Europe, the Mediterranean and Africa were selected, with the two South African-based participants being selected by The Centre. Over the course of the programme, the participants took part in peer-to-peer educational sessions, online and class discussions, research field-trips, workgroups, collaborative production-based workshops and lectures, as well as the two-semester course, Spectral Encounters. The Centre’s director Bronwyn Lace was also one of the nine curators and facilitators of the programme. Lace, along with The Centre’s founder William Kentridge, and its animateur, Phala Ookeditse Phala, participated in a number of talks, lectures, and presentations as part of the programme.

From 10 to 16 April 2022, the 12 participants travelled to Johannesburg, South Africa, where they visited the University of Pretoria, The Cradle of Humankind, and were able to spend two generative days at The Centre for the Less Good Idea, participating in The Centre’s ideation workshops for it’s 9th Season of work – a season premised on the theme and provocation of ‘translation’.

Here, the Octopus Programme participants were able to share their work with the The Centre’s participating artists, as well as participate in the processes and methodologies of the ideation workshop. By participating in the morning warm-ups and workshop exercises, the Octopus Programme participants were active and engaged in the particular processes and methodologies of The Centre, and were able to engage in the collaborative, experimental and incidental ways of working that have become synonymous with The Centre. In addition to the contribution of their ideas and approaches, the presence of several ‘foreign-language’ speakers from the Octopus Programme also provided a unique contribution to the space and the way participants were able to think about the act, the process and the project of translation.

Reflecting on these two days, Lace explains that, despite the various geographical, linguistic and cultural differences, what was most evident was “that we shared a culture of empathy, intimacy and trust. That we prized questioning and risk-taking over being polished or complete and that, rather than insisting artists are correct or complete, we simply asked artists to be present. I believe it is due to this shared approach that the resulting two short but intensive days together were generative and generous for both the organisations and the artists.”

The Octopus Programme concluded with the Octopus exhibition at Angewandte Interdisciplinary Lab. Curated by Basak Senova, the Octopus also featured artworks, talks and performance lectures from certain guest lecturers who have influenced the programme, including The Centre’s William Kentridge and Bronwyn Lace.

Finally, a collaboration between Senova and the Octopus Programme participants saw the creation of seven booklets, each one reflecting on a central theme that emerged over the course of the programme. The series of booklets was launched at the Octopus exhibition.

– David Mann