Kathy Coates
This performance was included in the programming curated by Lerato Bereng for the opening of the exhibition Dada South? Experimentation, Radicalism and Resistance, December 12, 2009. It is indexed here as part of head curators Kathryn Smith and Roger van Wyk’s revisiting of the Dada South? Archive of materials at A4 Arts Foundation.
Kathy Coates was the Iziko facilitator for both the initial workshops and three learners' workshops centred on Dada South?, which took place in November and December 2009, with follow-up educational workshops in February 2010. The first two preceded the exhibition, promoting the opening event, the upcoming workshops with learners, and the exhibition itself. Twenty volunteers from the Young Ambassadors, additional volunteers, and interns working at Iziko participated in these costumed performances, which took place in and around Cape Town. Outside facilitators included Athi-Patha Ruga, Zavick Botha, Zolitha Magengelele and Ivana.
The initial workshops consisted of three elements – Words/Poetry, Performance, and Costume – and engaged participants in mask-, costume-, and collage-making while exploring themes of nonsense and absurdity. Each participant created wearable artworks that were later worn at the public performances.