In tandem with the British Council’s fabulous new video showing the amazing work made possible by their International Collaboration Grants, we’re delighted to take a moment to reflect on 2023’s collaboration between The Centre for the Less Good Idea, Take Me Somewhere and The British Council.
About the project
Between Sept 2022- March 2023, this major international exchange supported four performance makers, two from Glasgow and two from Johannesburg, to create and innovate across cities. With the support of The Centre and TMS they explored new ways to build relationships for their practice, connecting with artists, audiences and communities in an embedded approach.
The six month collaboration between these two organisations invited two Scottish artists NXSA and Christian Noelle Charles to undertake a residency in Johannesberg, South Africa and two South African artists, Thulisile Binda and Kaldi Makutike to do the same in Glasgow. NXSA and Christian presented work created as part of the process in TMS Festival 2023.
“My time in the project also enabled me to undertake the research I intended in a way which affirms the body of work I'm forever expanding. In particular here the parallels on two continents of everyday, living, surviving, ever perpetuating legacies of colonialism in societies which deem themselves post colonial. I was happy with the balance I was able to achieve between meeting artists, working on new practice in the studio/being able to invite people in an ad hoc way once I'd grounded myself, which opened way for connections and enabled me to contribute to Kaldi's work through a basic new skill I'd developed” NXSA
Christian Noelle Charles - Photography by Zivanai Matangi
NXSA - Photography by Zivanai Matangi
“The chance giving apart of this project gave me the opportunity to let go because it was something unexpected, new, fresh to my eyes which being open to new things, surrounded my new environments and meeting new people are essential ingredients to be open minded and because of that the ideas flowed so easily and given me the space to produce again” Christian Noelle Charles
Additionally TMS were proud to host two South African artists within Studio Somewhere as return residencies. Thulisile Binda, a South African interdisciplinary dancer, performer and choreographer and Kaldi Makutike is a South African-born Congolese dance practitioner.
“This has given me an opportunity to look at researching more about ideas that I have as a creative going forward. Opening myself up to other disciplines and collaborating with different minds to allow my work to breathe different life from what I am used to” Thuli Binda
“I utilised this opportunity greatly in networking and building relationships with artist from Glasgow as well as Johannesburg” Kaldi Makutike.
Thuli Binda - Photography by Zivanai Matangi
Kaldi Makutike - Photography by Zivanai Matangi
South African Focus - Take Me Somewhere Festival 2023
As a key part of the Take Me Somewhere festival we were thrilled to be able to present a South African focus, thanks to support from the British Council. “'The Centre of Somewhere' project provided an invaluable opportunity to the participating artists, allowing them the possibility of developing and furthering their thinking and practice through a range of engagements with other artists both at home and abroad. The Centre for the Less Good Idea is pleased to have partnered with Take Me Somewhere to enable these explorations, discussions and the forging of new international connections for the artists involved.” The Centre of The Less Good Idea.
Goldendean with Soft Vxnxs, Breathe and Big Fat Light Merqueer
Mamela Nyamza with Black Privilege
Kieron Jira who performed as ArtAfriak with The Rise
(Images below from left to right - Goldendean - Breathe © Brian Hartley, Desire Marea © Tiu Makkonen, Mamela Nyamza - Black Privilege © Brian Hartley, Kieron Jira performing as ArtAfriak - The Rise - © Brian Hartley)
More about the project
The Centre of Somewhere: Johannesburg / Glasgow, was an embedded, connective residency collaborative project between Take Me Somewhere and The Centre For The Less Good Idea (Johannesburg, South Africa) designed to explore new ways of doing, making, connecting, befriending and building international networks.
From Sept 2022- March 2023, this major international exchange supported four performance makers, two from Glasgow and two from Johannesburg, to create and innovate across cities. With the support of The Centre and TMS they explored new ways to build relationships for their practice, connecting with artists, audiences and communities in an embedded approach. Our Digital Cohort brought the group together online to connect, reflect and share approaches.
The Centre Of Somewhere involved spending time in both locations, the artists developed their creative projects, met local artists, experienced the cities and their surroundings, shared their practice and created new and exciting long-term connections, laying fertile ground for their projects’ future life.
In addition, following the residency exchange, Take Me Somewhere presented a programme of works by South African artists in their international performance Festival; including Mamela Nyamza, Goldendean, Desire Marera & Kieron Jina.
The Centre of Somewhere: Johannesburg / Glasgow is funded by the British Council’s International Collaboration Grants, designed to support UK and overseas organisations to collaborate on international arts projects. Read more about this project here.
