Award-winning author Masande Ntshanga is one of nine African artists, and the only South African, to have been selected for the 2015 Artists in Residency (AIR) programme.
King William’s Town-born Ntshanga is one of only two writers selected, along with Nana Oforiatta Ayim from Ghana.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch Ntshanga, who holds an honours degree in English as well as a film and media production degree from the University of Cape Town, said he first became aware of the AIR programme through the internet.
AIR is headed by The Africa Centre, an organisation that explores how Pan-African cultural practice can be a catalyst for social change.
The programme partners with existing artists in residency programmes around the globe to afford African artists the opportunity to take up short-term residencies to focus on consolidating their work and developing new projects.
Ntshanga said he would take up the Bundanon Trust residency in Australia. “I will be flown out to a house inside a compound in a region called Illaroo, that once belonged to the painter Arthur Boyd.
“There, each fellow gets allocated a studio space and that’s where they spend most of their time – working on their different projects,” said Ntshanga, who will leave in October.
Ntshanga said the Bundanon Trust had a strong tradition of hosting visual artists, and for a while now he had been interested in inter-disciplinary work that leant in that direction.
“Specifically in relation to video and film. I think it would be great to pick some of that up, and it could mean a number of things, too: whether it informs the work directly, or it encourages me to venture out into another medium,” said Ntshanga.
Before taking up his residency however he plans to stop in America.
“After I’ve had a chance to launch my first novel in the United States, I’ll be in Australia for several weeks after that,” he said.
Ntshanga’s debut novel The Reactive, garnered him a great deal of attention, including a Civitella Ranieri fellowship in Umbria, Italy.
In 2013 the former Rolling Stones magazine journalist was the first winner of the inaugural PEN International New Voices Award for his short story, Space.
This year Ntshanga will be sitting on the judging panel for PEN South Africa’s Student Writing Prize, which is centred around the theme of #FeesMustFall. — ziphon@dispatch.co.za
Top King author Masande chosen for artists’ project
King William’s Town-born Ntshanga is one of only two writers selected, along with Nana Oforiatta Ayim from Ghana.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch Ntshanga, who holds an honours degree in English as well as a film and media production degree from the University of Cape Town, said he first became aware of the AIR programme through the internet.
AIR is headed by The Africa Centre, an organisation that explores how Pan-African cultural practice can be a catalyst for social change.
The programme partners with existing artists in residency programmes around the globe to afford African artists the opportunity to take up short-term residencies to focus on consolidating their work and developing new projects.
Ntshanga said he would take up the Bundanon Trust residency in Australia. “I will be flown out to a house inside a compound in a region called Illaroo, that once belonged to the painter Arthur Boyd.
“There, each fellow gets allocated a studio space and that’s where they spend most of their time – working on their different projects,” said Ntshanga, who will leave in October.
Ntshanga said the Bundanon Trust had a strong tradition of hosting visual artists, and for a while now he had been interested in inter-disciplinary work that leant in that direction.
“Specifically in relation to video and film. I think it would be great to pick some of that up, and it could mean a number of things, too: whether it informs the work directly, or it encourages me to venture out into another medium,” said Ntshanga.
Before taking up his residency however he plans to stop in America.
“After I’ve had a chance to launch my first novel in the United States, I’ll be in Australia for several weeks after that,” he said.
Ntshanga’s debut novel The Reactive, garnered him a great deal of attention, including a Civitella Ranieri fellowship in Umbria, Italy.
In 2013 the former Rolling Stones magazine journalist was the first winner of the inaugural PEN International New Voices Award for his short story, Space.
This year Ntshanga will be sitting on the judging panel for PEN South Africa’s Student Writing Prize, which is centred around the theme of #FeesMustFall. — ziphon@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos