An exchange between Africa and France, the inaugural edition of the Création Africa Forum welcomed more than 200 cultural professionals from the African continent to Paris for three days of border defying information generation, creation and sharing.
Through the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) in partnership with Business France and the Tshimologong Innovation Precinct, the South African delegation consisted of more than forty professionals.
A packed programme, the Création Africa Forum began with an industry day devoted to market development. There, entrepreneurs attended workshops, meetings, roundtable reflections and pitch sessions set up to facilitate networking between African and French actors.
During the professionals day, artist Karabo Poppy spoke about the importance of gathering with the objective of furthering cultural and creative entrepreneurs, through platforms like the Forum. “It’s not an easy feat. I spent the last nine years excelling in an industry that wasn’t really created for someone that looks like me with my background: black, queer, from a small town in South Africa and with a style wanting to show what the contemporary African aesthetic within digital art looks like… I will tell you that this took nine years with very limited support but imagine another creative like me with the support that Digital Lab Africa is offering. We can see my nine years turn into four.”
A rigorous promotion of contemporary African creation, the two days that followed were open to the public. As a part of this interactive programme, South Africa showcased six virtual reality and immersive artworks in addition to one keynote presentation and one series screening. Facilitated by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and the French Embassy in South Africa, the South African presentations demonstrated what intercontinental exchange, support and partnership can do.
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