Within the intensive workshops and incubative developments of the inaugural season the core-curatorial team alongside founders William Kentridge and Bronwyn Lace identified an opportunity to commission a series of 12 new miniature video works and films from the artists within the season. The 12 films were translated into a multi-channel installation of projected films onto specially built blackboards. The final selection of films were created out of both existing and found footage within the artists’ archives, and in other cases deliberately scripted and filmed for the Blackboard Projections installation. The final installation design was created by Yoav Dagan.

In response to Jemma Kahn’s astonishing film ‘Somebody You’ve Already Painted Many Times from Memory’ in which Kahn mimics and syncs a famous interview with painter Francis Bacon, the Centre invited Kahn to create her next work using the same logic. Beast Fur, uses an interview documentary with 90s fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi and is performed by Lindiwe Matshikiza.

Filmmaker & Editor | Jemma Kahn
Performer | Lindiwe Matshikiza
Assistant Director | Nicola Pilkington

Assistant | Noah Cohen

With thanks to
Michele Mathison
Stan & Lesley Kahn
Charles Van Onselen
Lebogang Mogashoa
Joe Paine
Twilsharp Studios

Could I Create Myself Anew? Was created by visual artist Rhett Martyn in collaboration with William Kentridge. Martyn invited potter Caroline Schulz Vieira into the process. Here Martyn explores the process of making, the vulnerabilities and insecurities as any artist struggles to find voice and form in the broader context of the art world.

Discourse on a Chair was one of the film animations William Kentridge made as a student in circa 1974. It was 1 16mm animation transferred to video and this was the first public showing of it.

Artist | William Kentridge

Glitch was commissioned by the Centre after seeing Sparks Napoli’s involvement in the making of Jeppestown Superhero Commissioned by the British Council as part of it’s Connect ZA programme, under the title Superdream, a collaborative project by The Trinity Session, a Joburg contemporary art production team, and Sticky Situations, Isis Arts and The Swallows Foundation in Gateshead.

Film Maker, Editor and Writer | Sparks Napoli
Actors | Molebogeng Phiri, Sparks Napoli, Bongani Gamede, Sihle Mkhwanazi, Prince Titebe
Physical ‘Sgodo’ Mazibuko, Sphiwe Makatise & Khaya Mtshali
Mentoring Director | Khayelilhle Dominique Gumede
Collaborator | Noah Cohen
Cinematographer | Jabulani Khwela

With thanks to:
Alpeka Buy & Braai
William Kentridge Studio
JeppeJozi Creative Networks
Nadia Kruger,
All those at The Bomb Shelter Film Co.

Angus Gibson, one of South Africa’s premier documentary filmmakers, who has produced, directed, and co-written numerous highly-acclaimed and internationally award-winning documentary series and TV dramas for British and South African television. Gibson was invited into the process and Season 1 by Kentridge, his long time friend and collaborator. Gibson brought with him a series of stills he had taken over a decade ago during a research and development project for a documentary film about boxer Isaac Hlatshwayo, who was on the verge of international acclaim, the film that was never made and sadly Isaac never found his success. Here Gibson invited Noah Cohen in to edit the stills together and create the short film ‘Isaac’s Passion’.

Cinematographer/Photographer | Angus Gibson
Boxer | Isaac Hlatshwayo
Trainer | Manny Fernandes
Collaborator | Motlatsi Molefe
Timeline | Alistair Heath
Project Manager & Editor | Noah Cohen
Music | Johann Sebastian Bach - St. Matthew’s Passion
Sound Engineer | Gavan Eckhart

Naomi van Niekerk, a filmmaker who has a history of working with Kentridge and who works with moving images, printmaking, puppetry and performance created the short animation film ‘Moveable Maps’ in response to an extract of core-curator Lebogang Mashile’s poem ‘Flying Above the Sky’.

Film maker | Naomi van Niekerk
Poet | Lebogang Mashile

For Season 1, William Kentridge and core-curator Khayelihle Dominique Gumede realised a mutual aspiration to direct short Samuel Beckett plays. As this conversation developed, we became aware of Patricia Boyer (via P.O.P. Art and Hayleigh Evans). Boyer was in the throes of developing the short dramatic monologue ‘Not I’ written by Beckett in 1972, it is often referred to as one of the most difficult theatre pieces to perform. During rehearsals towards ‘Not I’ the curators and cinematographers in the room became interested in filming Boyer's mouth in her extraordinary ability to deliver the mad monologue by Beckett.

Performer and Concept | Patricia Boyer

Cinematographer | Duško Marović
Editor | Žana Marović
Sound Engineer | Gavan Eckhart

During incubative workshops artists from across the disciplines of digital media, sound composition, music and poetry discovered one another and produced this short experimental film. ‘Solving for X’ is a work by Jurgen Meekel and Lebogang Mashile, and uses sound and music created by João Renato Orecchia Zúñiga, Ann Masina and Betty Shabazz.

Film Makers | Lebogang Mashile & Jurgen Meekel
Text and Voice | Lebogang Mashile
Visuals | Jurgen Meekel
Soundscape | João Renato Orecchia Zúñiga (The Blind Mass Orchestra), Ann Masina and
Betty Shabazz

During incubative workshops artists from across the disciplines of digital media, collage, painting and dance discovered one another and produced this short experimental film. ‘Spooky Looking City’ is a work by Blessing Ngobeni & Janus Fouché and uses experimental dance captured on camera during the workshops.

Film Makers | Blessing Ngobeni & Janus Fouché
Painting | Blessing Ngobeni
Amination | Janus Fouché

The course of workshopping towards Season 1 Animateur for the Centre, Bronwyn Lace met Teresa Fimino and Helena Uambembe through visual artist Blessing Ngobeni. Lace invited the artists who went by the collective Kutala Chopeto, a name derived from a combination of their family names to produce a new work. ‘The Lizard’ and more generally the work of Kutala Chopeto sought to tackle Border War memory and the legacy of the 32 battalion of whom both artists are descendants.
Artists | Teresa Fimino & Helena Uambembe

Cinematographer | Duško Marović
Effects & Editing | Kutala Chopeto
Sound | SoulFire Studio

During incubative workshops artists from across the disciplines of digital media, visual and electronic art, contemporary dance and music discovered one another and produced this short experimental film. ‘Time, Louder, Faster’ is a triptych of 3 video work by Jurgen Meekel in collaboration with dancer Thulani Chauke and musicians, Tlale Makhene and Ann Masina.

Film Maker | Jurgen Meekel
Dancer | Thulani Chauke
Voice | Ann Masina
Percussion | Tlale Makhene

Cinematographers | Duško Marović , Ivan Leathers, Jurgen Meekel
Sound Engineer | Gavan Eckhart