The conference theme is 'The Arts and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in a Modern(ising) Africa' and the keynote speaker is Professor Denis Ekpo, Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Port Harcourt's Department of Foreign Language and Literature in Nigeria. His presentation is entitled Africa without Africanism: Post-Africanism versus indigenous knowledge systems/arts.
Close to 100 academics from across the globe have already submitted abstracts of papers that they will deliver at the three-day conference. In addition to the South African delegates, the countries that will be represented include Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Botswana, the UK and Namibia.
The papers will be delivered according to the following categories or subthemes: Language and Poetry; Fashion, Textiles and Clothing; Miscellaneous/Philosophy; Music and Dance; Drama, Theatre and Film; and Fine Art, Design and Craft.
According to Professor Rudi de Lange, conference chairman and convenor, the conference line-up is impressive. He said that attendees can look forward to papers such as: Manifestation of indigenous knowledge systems in the dramatic works of Ola Rotimi: a lesson for South African playwrights (Professor Patrick Ebewo of TUT), Entrepreneurial fashion practices based on marketing strategies adopted by women designers in the textile and apparel small-scale industries in Nairobi, Kenya (Dr Isabella Wandaka of Kenya), and Zulu by design: poverty alleviation through design (Rowan Gatfield of the Durban University of Technology).
The conference fee is R2200 per delegate and R400 per registered student. For more information, go to www.tut.ac.za or e-mail az.ca.tut@cjsetob.
