Trainsportsation to Grahamstown National Arts Festival 2012

ORGANISATIONAL BACKGROUND
Blaq Aesthetics (NPO NO:085-267) is a non-profit arts organization. It was incorporated in 2010 under Social Development Section 21. The organization, however, has been in existence since November 2008. Blaq Aesthetics offers workshops and events focused on improving and developing the arts in and around the community of Soweto.
The organization is planning an arts expedition to Grahamstown through a project called Trainsportsaion. This project aims to facilitate social engagement through poetry, music and visual arts using the train, not only as a mode of transportation but also as a mode of enhancing social engagement.

PROJECT DISCRIPTION

TRAINSPOTSATION is a sub project of the bigger ALTERNATIVE PLATFORM project. The aim of this project is to find and explore unconventional spaces for the purpose of having Artistic activities in directly reaching out to different target groups, one such alternative space is the train.
The train has a symbolic significance; it is used by different citizens of South Africa, mostly coming from similar social and economic structures. It represents the constant moving and the endless hope of the many commuters ever so reliant on the train to get them to their places of work, school and different destinations. We are exploring this space, as artists and socially concerned citizens of the country. As in fact, the train is not without activity, priests will often be head preaching to the commuters, informal traders rely on the commuters to buy the various products they sell to feed themselves and loved ones, sometimes you will find a commuter or two sharing griping anecdotes and jokes on their life experiences with other commuters as an enthusiastic audience. Therefore, there is a subculture within the train, which has a long historical vestige. As such the Transportsation aims to expand and add on to that which is already there in the train by using visual arts, poetry, music and film as methods of engagement along with artists and social activists.

ACTIVITIES
"OCCUPY EXHIBITION" a series of works under the tagline "MOVING ARTWORKS" inspired by Graffiti. The theme for the small exhibition is derived from the notion of vandalism (graffiti). The theme is twofold firstly; it aims to encourage the graffiti as an art method that is of easy reach to the audience, since the train moves from one place to the other and reaches a wide and diversity of audience. At the same breath the exhibition will encourage a positive social messages dealing with prevalent social issues.

"POETRY AND MUSIC" With the immediacy of poetry and music, the art methods will add a value through Edutainment (education and entertainment) to the audience. These methods expose the audience by providing poetry and music as a platform for dialogue and discussion in the train.

APPLICATION PROCESS.
To request an application form please send an email to blak.aesthetics@gmai.com
Fill the application form and send it back by email (ASAP) to be added on the database.
The total cost is a reasonable R550.00 from the 29/06/2012 to 04/07/2012

Payment method
The R550 is inclusive of Transportation, Accommodation and Food (breakfast and supper)
NB: ONLY 60 people can be accommodated, therefore early application is essential.
Please post your questions on our Facebook page Blaq Aesthetics or by email blak.aesthetics@gmail.com. We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Account details
First National Bank
Branch code: 250611
Account number: 62297784540
To Blaq Aesthetics

Scan and email the deposit slip
Please make sure the account number is correct before making a deposit
Include your name and surname in the reference.

Information
Email: blak.aesthetics@gmail.com
http://blaqaesthetics.wordpress.com/
Contact: Phumulani Ntuli 0736138796