Founded by William Kentridge in 2016, the Centre for the Less Good Idea aims to find “the less good idea” by creating and supporting experimental, collaborative, and cross disciplinary arts projects that pursue process and secondary thinking. The Centre’s focus is to create two six-month-long seasons a year.
Core curators from South Africa and from varying artistic disciplines are identified and invited to create the season; the curators then engage practitioners with whom they would like to collaborate, and with that the seasons grow.
Season 1 launched the life of the Centre in early 2017. The invited curators were director, theatre maker Khayelihle Dominique Gumede, poet and performer Lebogang Mashile, and dancer, choreographer Gregory Maqoma.
Season 1 brought together more than 60 practitioners (actors, dancers, poets, writers, composers, musicians, visual artists, film makers, and boxers) under the guidance of curators, founding animateur Bronwyn Lace, and founder William Kentridge.
William Kentridge welcoming Season 1 participants to The Centre for the Less Good Idea for the first workshop, 2016.
Founder William Kentridge and animateur Bronwyn Lace watch the development of work in the Boxing Ring installed in Kentridge’s studio.
Season 1 core-curator and choreographer Gregory Maqoma; vocalist Ann Masina; percussionist, Tlale Makhene and professional boxer, Natalia Bania of the Hillbrow Boxing Club find sound together.
Maqoma went on to collaboratively devise Requiem Request for the Season. Maqoma created the performance in collaboration with isicathamiya choir Phuphuma Love Minus and director Nhlanhla Mahlangu. Requiem Request was the birthplace of Maqoma’s now highly celebrated Cion: Requiem of Ravel's 'Boléro'.
Season 1 core-curator and poet Lebogang Mashile and vocalist Ann Masina in the development of the first iteration of Venus vs Modernity. Venus vs Modernity has since gone on to develop into a full theatre production which has toured and won a number of awards.
Season 1 core-curator and theatre maker Khayelihle Dominique Gumede in a first script reading of The Trials of Brother Jero by Wole Soyinka which Gumede translated into a 40min performance piece entitled Jero for the season.
PHOTOGRAPHER | Stella Olivier
PRODUCTION FOR THE CENTRE
ANIMATEUR | Bronwyn Lace
PROJECT MANAGERS | Taryn Buccellato & Noah Cohen
STAGE MANAGERS | Dimakatso Motholo, Emil Lars, & Lungelo Winnet Shange
FRONT OF HOUSE PRODUCTION & CREW | POPArt Productions: Hayleigh Evans, Nicola Pilkigton, Toni Morkel, Cammie Behrens & The Market Theatre Lab Students
LIGHTING DESIGNERS | Wesley France, Matthews Phala, Guy Nelson, & Mandla Mtshali COSTUME DESIGNER | Bake und Backen: Noluthando Lobese
SOUND ENGINEERS | Soulfire Studios: Gavan Eckhart, Zain Vally & Jacques Sibanda
SET & PROPS | Jenni-lee Crewe, Wesley France, Chris-Waldo de Wet, Christoff Wolmarans, Jacques van Staden, & Joey Netshiombo
EDITORS | Žana Marović & Noah Cohen
CINEMATOGRAPHER | Duško Marović
PHOTOGRAPHER | Stella Olivier
PROJECTION DESIGNER | Tint Post: Yoav Dagan
POETRY PRODUCTION | Word N Sound: Thabiso Mohare & Qhakaza Mbali Mthembu