The Institute for Creative Arts’ (ICA) will host the inaugural Live Art Network Africa (LANA) four-day international symposium from tomorrow Saturday February 17 to Tuesday February 20.
A gathering of 30 delegates from 12 African countries, LANA brings together renowned artists and academics in a programme that includes academic presentations, performances and networking sessions.
The symposium responds to the questions surrounding the creative arts industry with a showcase of some of its most influential thinkers.
The interdisciplinary art form known as live art, formerly performance art, blurs the fields of fine art, dance, theatre, music and literature.
The network is intended to be a support structure for the development of live art on the continent.
ICA director and associate professor at the University of Cape Town, Jay Pather said: “LANA’s presentations and performances, to be presented by some of Africa’s top artists and writers, is open to all. The programme provides ways in which to access what many might consider enigmatic and at times bewildering. Writers and artists will unpack the work of a wide range of practitioners – artists who are often barometers for social and political ideas – as well as the contexts that have given rise to their innovative, interdisciplinary practices.
“LANA acts as an impetus to undo the conventional ways in which we as the public operate, to demystify the codes of live art, and to develop lenses through which to better understand the metaphors and themes that live artists draw upon. Critical to LANA is an active response to the enduring personal and political issues of our time through open discussion and exchange of ideas. The event will grapple with burning questions surrounding the creative arts for practitioners and the public to probe together – its existence, its contributors, its impact and its future.”
