Fak’ugesi African Innovation Festival Lights up Johannesburg

Story Posted: 3 October 2016
Categories: Press


With a superb line-up celebrating technology and creativity by Africans for Africa, the 2016 Fak’ugesi African Innovation Festival was once again a resounding success.

This year’s festival ran from 19 August to 3 September 2016 and brought together diverse digital and technology sectors to collaborate and share skills in digital media and technology innovation. Fak’ugesi was first founded three years ago by Prof Christo Doherty and Tegan Bristow from Wits Digital Arts, together with Prof Barry Dwolatzky from the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE).

“A very special thank you must go to our primary sponsor, the City of Johannesburg, and the partners we worked with to make 2016 Fak’ugesi Festival come alive,” says Tegan Bristow, 2016 Festival Director. “The City of Johannesburg has a vested interest in developing Johannesburg as a technologically advanced and engaged city, and with this is a dedication to supporting the digital creative sector as well as making technology accessible to all those who want to learn more and innovate,” she adds. The festival’s partners also included the JCSE, Wits University, the British Council’s ConnectZA and InnovationZA, and the Goethe Institut, and new partners for 2016, Pro Helvetia Johannesburg and the Innovation Hub.

Among the many highlights of the festival was the Smart City Day, a celebration of Johannesburg’s innovations and developments for service delivery which included a special showcase of the young graduates enrolled in the COJEDI (City of Johannesburg Educating Digital Interns) programme. Annual favourites also made a return to Fak’ugesi including A MAZE Johannesburg – a festival in its own right focused on local and independent gaming, playful media and game development.

Joburg Smart City Day, COJEDI Prize Winners, 20 August 2016

Joburg Smart City Day, COJEDI Prize Winners, 20 August 2016

The British Council’s Connect ZA 2016 programme again brought innovation and creativity to life and hosted a Maker Library for the duration of the festival, as well as the ever-popular annual Market Hack, as well as the Soweto Pop Up; a special collaboration with local artists and dancers with British digital artists, SDNA. The SDNA collaboration resulted in show stopping giant projections that could be seen on the buildings of Braamfontein for the official Tshimologong Precinct launch and the Alight party held with Future Sounds and Between10and5 on 1 September.

Market Hack, 27th August 2016

Market Hack, 27th August 2016

 

Digital Hustle participants presenting, 24th August 2016. Organised by Livity Africa and Connect ZA

Digital Hustle participants presenting, 24th August 2016. Organised by Livity Africa and Connect ZA

 

Alight Party Projections from SDNA workshops, 1st September 2016

Alight Party Projections from SDNA workshops, 1st September 2016

“For the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation festival, these collaborations and their respective developments are paramount to the definition of the festival; as not just a festival where you can come to see and hear, but a festival that is a location for learning, making, developing and innovating,” explains Bristow. The spirit of sharing, fun, making and collaborating was also evident in the Goethe Institut’s partnership with Create Africa and film maker Lebogang Rasethaba to create Future Sounds; a week-long festival development between performers and technologists based in Joburg and Cape Town, and German based digital interactive group The Constitute. The outcome of these developments was performed at the Alight party stage and through various installations throughout Fak’ugesi.

Original Swimming Party for Future Sounds at Alight Party, 1st September 2016

Original Swimming Party for Future Sounds at Alight Party, 1st September 2016

 

Kajama sisters Performing at Alight Party, Fak'ugesi Festival, 1st September 2016

Kajama sisters Performing at Alight Party, Fak’ugesi Festival, 1st September 2016

An important collaboration is that of the Fak’ugesi Digital African Residency. This year Pro Helvetia (the Swiss Cultural agency) in their ANT project funding supported three young artists from the SADC region to be official festival artists in residence for a month prior to and during the events. Residents explored in their artworks the role of traditional African cultures in the Digital sphere.

Fak'ugesi Digital Africa Residents Exhibition, 27th August 2016

Fak’ugesi Digital Africa Residents Exhibition, 27th August 2016

 

Fak'ugesi Digital Africa Resident's Instabition Pop Up at Alight Party, 1st September 2016

Fak’ugesi Digital Africa Resident’s Instabition Pop Up at Alight Party, 1st September 2016

All outcomes point to the Fak’ugesi Festival as truly African and collaborative festival of arts and technological innovation. Bristow says preparations are already underway for next year’s festival which is preliminarily booked from 5 to 16 September 2017 and will feature a full calendar of unmissable events together with exciting collaborations and a celebration of all things digital.

 

Quote by Simon Wilkinson of Circa 69, VR artist from the UK who gave workshops with The British Council Connect ZA @ Fak'ugesi

Quote by Simon Wilkinson of Circa 69, VR artist from the UK who gave workshops with The British Council Connect ZA @ Fak’ugesi

 

Research

Intermediaries Research

Intermediaries Research and Platform

Fak’ugesi Alumni Catalogue 2021

For the Win: SA Video Game Research 2021/22

Fak’ugesi Arcade: Futures and Networking

Blockchain for the Creative Industries

2019 Games Research Round Table

Stories

8 November 2023

Year in Review, 2023 and 2022

28 September 2023

2023 Livestreams

29 August 2023

Animation Jamz 2023

23 August 2023

Fak’ugesi Volunteer Call Out 2023

17 August 2023

2023 Tickets & Programme

20 July 2023

Call for Applications: The Gusheshe Rally

6 June 2023

Internship – Call Out

2 June 2023

Hiring: Project Manager – Creative Industries

5 May 2023

Fak’ugesi 2023 Theme Song Winner

18 April 2023

Fak’ugesi Awards 2023

12 April 2023

Fak’ugesi 2023 Theme Song and Poster Top 5

17 March 2023

Fak’uoke Family Day Playlist

31 January 2023

Fak’ugesi 2023 Poster and Theme Song Competition

3 January 2023

Events / Fakuoke

1 December 2022

Exhibit with Us

11 October 2022

Digital Echoes

11 October 2022

2022 Team

5 October 2022

Future Africa

5 October 2022

Venue

1 October 2022

2022 Conference Streams

17 August 2022

2022 Festival Programme & Tickets

17 August 2022

Jamz

17 August 2022

Fakugesi 2022 Awards for Digital Creativity

16 August 2022

Pan-African Market Showcase for MUTEK

25 July 2022

Volunteer and Internship – Callout

12 July 2022

2022 Programme Launch – Coming Soon

25 May 2022

Fak’ugesi 2022 Poster Competition

23 November 2021

Fak’ugesi 2021 3D Gallery Now Open

8 October 2021

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!!! – #BUILDCOZYOUHAVETO

9 September 2021

DigitIntermediaries Bootcamp – SIGN UP / INSCRIPTION

23 August 2021

Graphic Designer & Illustrator Thapelo Keetile – Poster Competition Winner for 2021’s Fak’ugesi Festival – #BuildCozYouHaveTo

2 August 2021

Open Call for Creatives – DIGITAL SUPERPOWER! LAB

2 August 2021

Open Call for Creatives – TRABAJA: INFORMAL WORK VISUALIZATION LAB

16 July 2021

Fak’ugesi Labs 2021 Residency Artist: Interview with Artist & Animator Ana Maria Boquero

14 July 2021

CALL FOR DIGITAL ARTISTS FOR THE ANNUAL POSTER COMPETITION 2021

29 June 2021

Fak’ugesi Festival 2021 – #BuildCozYouHaveTo

15 April 2021

Telematic 360: Pan African Telematic Art Project

15 April 2021

SURREAL: An Immersive Media Lecture Series

11 March 2021

We are hiring! Festival Curator

22 September 2020

Fak’ugesi Festival 2020 #POWERTOTHEPIXEL Programme Preview

24 August 2020

GLAM #HackUrCulture: ​CULTURAL​ ​HERITAGE

7 July 2020

2020 Digital Art Curator Bootcamp & Commissions – Apply

7 July 2020

Smart City Technology Challenge

1 July 2020

2020 Festival Poster Illustration Competition: Apply Now

1 July 2020

Fak’ugesi Festival 2020 Online #PowerToThePixel

30 June 2020

Virtual Black Out: Experiments in Future of Form

16 March 2020

Africa2020 x NewImages Festival

11 March 2020

Masidlale Play Fest – 14 March

3 February 2020

Open Call – CairoTronica

22 January 2020

Partner Project – Masidlale Fak’ugesi Arcade Box

16 January 2020

Call for Projects – Digital lab Africa #4

23 October 2019

Winners of the Blockchain for Creative Industries Hackathon 2019!

29 August 2019

2022 Expo Stands

28 August 2019

Digital makers invited to ‘Own Your Force’ as Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival reaches new heights in 2019

28 August 2019

City of Johannesburg’s Smart City Office Supports Digital Creativity at Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival

18 August 2019

Cultural Economies Digital Innovation Conference at Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival

6 August 2019

Blockchain Hack-a-thon for Creative Industries

2 August 2019

JOIN THE INTERNET YAMI-ICHI @ FAK’UGESI 2019

11 July 2019

2019 FAK’UGESI ARCADE: CALL FOR GAMES

11 July 2019

2019 FAK’UGESI & ANIMATION SA CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

9 July 2019

Save the Date – 2019 Program

27 June 2019

Cultural Economies Forum – 4th July 2019

26 June 2019

2019 Poster Illustration Finalists and Winner – Leigh Le Roux!

11 June 2019

2 X ARTS RESIDENCIES @ FAK’UGESI 2019 – APPLY NOW

14 May 2019

2019 Call for Illustrators Open!

26 February 2019

Source Code Gallery Launching

12 November 2018

Fak’ugesi 2018 and Zimbabwean Residents at ‘Digital Imaginaries: Africas in Production” ZKM, Germany

2 November 2018

We Are Hiring! Business Development Manager / Fundraiser

24 September 2018

Fak’ugesi Beats & Fak’ugesi Arcade – Final Week of Fak’ugesi 2018

20 August 2018

Tap Your Afro Source Code’ – The Fak’ugesi 2018 Illustration

20 August 2018

Unpack the source code of your African Identity at the 2018 Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival

13 August 2018

Call for Participation: “Digital Spirit” AR Workshop

8 August 2018

Fak’ugesi Residency 2018

25 July 2018

Digital Imaginaries: Premonition @ WAM & Fak’ugesi

21 June 2018

Call for Artists! – Fak’ugesi Digital Africa Residency

21 June 2018

Fak’ugesi Play Rooms Pop Up Project – Creativate, NAF

21 June 2018

Vernacular Algorithms Pop Up Project – ISEA2018, Durban

24 August 2017

Digital Africa Exhibition and Beats Bloc Party among exceptional highlights of 2017 Fak’ugesi Festival

2 August 2017

Welcome to the 2017 Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival 

28 April 2017

Fak’ugesi Residence Project Presented at Museums and the Web, USA

13 April 2017

Award Winning Performance

4 April 2017

Read our 2016 Report

18 January 2017

Dates Announced for Fak’ugesi 2017

10 August 2016

Meet the New Female Voices of Digital Art at Fak’ugesi 2016

6 June 2016

What will happen at Fak’ugesi 2016 

24 May 2016

Poem Call To Action

24 May 2016

Festival Residency Call

10 September 2015

Opening of the Fak’ugesi Lab Exhibition

2 September 2015

Fak’ugesi Lab First Thursday at WAM

21 August 2015

Market Hack: making & hacking for everyone!

19 August 2015

Treasure Hunting for a Smart City with Ling Tan

19 August 2015

Residency Events, how do YOU see the future of Joburg?

16 August 2015

“Reverse” Digital Hustle – 27th Aug

15 August 2015

A MAZE/JHB – new 2015 CI

15 August 2015

BodyTech – first announcement

14 August 2015

Media Release: BodyTech 2015

31 July 2015

A MAZE to return to Fak’ugesi with more games and plenty to play with!

The 2015 Fak'ugesi Residency crew

30 July 2015

Meet the Fak’ugesi Residents

25 July 2015

Market Hack will be in The Grove Courtyard

24 July 2015

The countdown begins – in just 30 days . . .

24 July 2015

Facebook’s Kent Beck at Agile Africa 2015

23 July 2015

Launch of the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival 2015