Arts and Creative Industries / Digital Arts / Help map the future of immersive arts in Southern Africa

Help map the future of immersive arts in Southern Africa

Arts and Creative Industries
SHARE
THIS:
29 October

Are you a Mosotho transmedia artist, part of a Malawian immersive arts community, or an Mzansi-based immersive creator? Do you experiment with technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), 360° Video, Projection Mapping, Interactive Installations (using sensors or physical computing), Spatial Sound / 3D Audio, Web- or Mobile-based immersive experiences, Volumetric Capture, Photogrammetry, or Game Engines (such as Unity or Unreal Engine)?

Even if you don’t yet identify with terms like “immersive artist,” if the above describes your artistic practice, your perspective is vital.

We invite you to participate in the Futures Past: Immersive Arts Mapping Study – initiated by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) in collaboration with Electric South and made possible thanks to funding from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. This project seeks to map the immersive arts landscape and identify opportunities for growth, support, and collaboration across the region.

By sharing your experience, you’ll help inform strategies for funding, training, and infrastructure development to strengthen the immersive ecosystem in Southern Africa.

As a thank you for your time, one survey participant will be randomly selected to receive an honorarium of 2,000 ZAR.

Complete the survey here.

For those interested in contributing to a more in-depth conversation, we are also hosting focus groups and key interviews, in the following locations:

  • Maseru Lesotho: 26 November 2025
  • Johannesburg, South Africa: December 2025
  • Malawi: February 2026
  • Cape Town, South Africa: February 2026 

Express your interest in a focus group or interview here.

This study embraces a broad definition of immersive arts – from interactive installations and spatial audio to web-based and sensory digital experiences. Your voice and practice, whether established or emerging, are exactly what we’re looking for.

Join us in shaping a more visible, connected, and supported future for creative innovation in Southern Africa.

Access the call for immersive artists here.

You might also like

Friends of the French Institute committee members

Meet the Friends of IFAS!   Philip Botha Philip completed his legal studies in South Africa at the Universities...

France – South Africa Scholarship Programme

The 2025 call for applications is now open. The deadline for final submissions is 14 October 2024 23:59. The...

Local Cooperation

Local cooperation is based on partnerships between French authorities (regions, departments, inter-municipalities, districts) and foreign authorities, involving human exchanges...

Call for applications: Partenariat Hubert Curien (PHC) Protea 2026-2027

The call for applications is now open for the upcoming PHC (Partenariat Hubert Curien) Protea 2026-2027 cohort. This programme,...

Let's get social
This message is only visible to admins.
Problem displaying Facebook posts.
Click to show error
Error: Server configuration issue
Twitter feed is not available at the moment.
Launched in 2022 under the France 2030 initiative, the ICC Immersion programme supports French entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) as they expand into global markets. Implemented in South Africa by Institut français in Paris, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), Business France, and Business France South Africa and Southern Africa, the initiative connects French companies with key players in South Africa’s dynamic creative sector. This year’s cohort featured nine innovative CCI companies—Allegria, Atrack (Beam for Music), Agence Culturelle PLUS (Reunion Island), Culturespaces, Fabrik & Moi (Reunion Island), France Muséums Développement, Jakob + MacFarlane, Memorist, and Sound Birth—representing fields from architecture and immersive technology to museum development, cultural consultancy, and music innovation. Altogether, the South African edition fostered meaningful exchange between French and South African cultural leaders, opening the door to future collaborations across the two countries.  Special thank you to the featured sites: Constitution Hill Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation Spier Wine Farm, TRACE Studios Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct Wesgro Wits Digital Dome Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa ----- ICC Immersion is coordinated by the Secrétariat Général pour l'Investissement (SGPI) and driven by the Institut Français and Business France, with support from the Banque des territoires, the French Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. The 2025 edition is implemented by IFAS and Business France in Johannesburg.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), this documentary film brings together nearly 50 voices who have been part of IFAS’s journey over the past three decades. From its beginnings in Newtown to its current home in Braamfontein, IFAS has helped shape South Africa’s cultural and creative landscape through collaboration, exchange, and long-term partnerships. Director: Adam Heyns Producer: Lali van Zuydam Music: NØ FØRMAT! Records
For 30 years IFAS has nurtured a vibrant space for dialogue, experimentation, and creative growth. It has helped tell untold stories, amplify diverse voices, and build platforms for both emerging and established talents to shine. Now, as we mark 30 years of impact and memory, we look back at three remarkable decades of collaboration, co-creation, and cultural connection. And in the words of the legendary filmmaker Ramadan Suleman, here's to the end of Episode 1—and the beginning of many more episodes in the eclectic, ever-evolving series that is IFAS. Video Production and Editing: Adam Heyns Music: NØ FØRMAT! Records
Ahead of the 2025 Series Mania Forum taking place from 25th-27th March, IFAS invited delegates from around the world to join and gain valuable insights from our Audiovisual team and Forum organisers on what to expect and how to prepare for the three jam-packed days of pitching, networking, and high-level conferences.
Organised by SAGES Africa (Services for Africa Gaming & Esports), the Mzansi Esports Champions is a key part of the Tekken Africa Queens Challenge, an innovative initiative which aims to spotlight and empower women’s talent in esports, promoting inclusivity and equality within the gaming industry. The 2024 players were: – eSwatini: Setsabile Shabangu, Sugar – Kenya: Sylvia Wahome, QueenArrow – Lesotho: Liteboho Thebe, EL – Madagascar: Safidy Andrianisoa, Sentaku – Malawi: Matimbe Gweyneth Edina, Gwyn Stacy – Namibia: Asante-Sana Maruwasa, ATMBYTES – South Africa: Zahraa Khan, Iron-Fist – Zambia: Bwalia Nkumbula, LiaRose The Mzansi Esports Champions event is part of a larger strategy by SAGES Africa to build a strong esports ecosystem across the continent. Through strategic partnerships, SAGES continues to empower African players and enhance their competitiveness on the global stage. This project is a collaboration of the French Institute of South Africa, SAGES and rAge Expo. It is made possible thanks to funding from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. --- Credits: Music: Chipego Producer: Junayd Bradlow Creative Director: Tasmin Jacobs Post-Production: Umar Bradlow Creative Studios: The Magic Pixel & The Ultimate Gaming Champions South Africa
The Live Music Lab is a flagship initiative brought to you by Bassline and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) celebrating a 25-year partnership with the support of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Designed to incubate 15 youths with event and live music theoretical and practical training and work experience at two acclaimed events in Johannesburg’s social calendar: Bassline Fest on the 25th of May and Fête de la Musique on the 22nd of June. Read more: https://bassline.co.za/lab-joburg/
Live Music Lab: Maseru Edition is a two-day workshop designed for young musicians from Maseru, focusing on instrument skills and the business of music. Open to aspiring artists aged 18-25, particularly women, the programme included hands-on training and interactive sessions to help participants kickstart their music careers. Trainees also performed at the Ouh La La Music Festival before the workshop and the Standard Lesotho Bank LETOFE Lifestyle Festival after.
MyFrenchFilmFestival, the original 100% online festival of French-language cinema, is back for its 15th edition from January 17 – February 17, 2025: a unique opportunity for movie buffs around the world to discover the best of French-language cinema from the comfort of their own home. This year, all films in the selection will be available for viewing in their original French version, or with subtitles in one of eight languages: Arabic, English, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese and Spanish. The official selection includes the following films: - A Real Job - Alarms - Alexx196 & The Pink Sand Beach - All to Play For - Along Came Love - Blood Ties - Changing Rooms - GiGi - No Love Lost - Making Of - Mars Express - Montsouris Park - NUBE - Sweet Tooth - The Apprentices - The Dreamer - The Man with a Thousand Faces - The Mysterious Adventures of Claude Conseil - Through The Night - Winter Tune into the festival: https://www.myfrenchfilmfestival.com/ MyFrenchFilmFestival is initiated by Unifrance and proudly supported by the Institut français in Paris and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS).
Organised by SAGES Africa (Services for Africa Gaming & Esports), the Mzansi Esports Champions is a key part of the Tekken Africa Queens Challenge, an innovative initiative which aims to spotlight and empower women’s talent in esports, promoting inclusivity and equality within the gaming industry. The 2024 players were: – eSwatini: Setsabile Shabangu, Sugar – Kenya: Sylvia Wahome, QueenArrow – Lesotho: Liteboho Thebe, EL – Madagascar: Safidy Andrianisoa, Sentaku – Malawi: Matimbe Gweyneth Edina, Gwyn Stacy – Namibia: Asante-Sana Maruwasa, ATMBYTES – South Africa: Zahraa Khan, Iron-Fist – Zambia: Bwalia Nkumbula, LiaRose The Mzansi Esports Champions event is part of a larger strategy by SAGES Africa to build a strong esports ecosystem across the continent. Through strategic partnerships, SAGES continues to empower African players and enhance their competitiveness on the global stage. This project is a collaboration of the French Institute of South Africa, SAGES and rAge Expo. It is made possible thanks to funding from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. --- Credits: Music: Chipego Producer: Junayd Bradlow Creative Director: Tasmin Jacobs Post-Production: Umar Bradlow Creative Studios: The Magic Pixel & The Ultimate Gaming Champions South Africa
The Occupying The Gallery / Occupying IFAS project, with an artist collective led by internationally acclaimed visual artists, Mary Sibande and Lawrence Lemoana, transforms art galleries into mentoring spaces for a dozen young creatives, offering a platform where artistic creation and learning come together. Their two occupations of IFAS were joined by Mosa Anita Kaiser, Hoek Swaratlhe, Lungile Ngcobo, Sphatho Mzantsi, Bongani Ndlovu, Tatenda Maisa, and Mlondi Magubane. From 16 April to 16 May and 22 to 30 July 2024, the creative platform on the first floor of IFAS was transformed into an artists' residency, positioning the Institute as a veritable creative hub for emerging artists and responding to the desire to support mentoring and training activities – a key focus of Occupying’s transformational agenda. In the first phase, the artists worked over a month-long residency to collectively produce artworks and prints, in collaboration with Artist Proof Studios, which were later presented at the RMB Latitudes Art Fair in Johannesburg from 23 to 26 May 2024. Upon their return to IFAS for a 10-day residency led by French visual artist, Hugues Anhēs, and independent exhibition coordinator and curator, Camille Gajate, joining from Paris through the support of Institut français in Paris and IFAS, the occupants produced Fahla Fahla!. ‘Fahla Fahla!’ is a colloquialism of the act of putting together, a touch, touch here and there, in bits and pieces. A drop of something short and sweet: adding and subtracting when needed to make a whole.
For a closer look at the Création Africa journey, watch the testimonial video featuring the entrepreneurs in their own words. Hear firsthand how the programme has shaped their ventures, opened up international connections, and provided a platform to bring Southern African creativity to the global stage.
For a closer look at the Création Africa journey, watch the short testimonial video featuring the entrepreneurs in their own words. Hear firsthand how the programme has shaped their ventures, opened up international connections, and provided a platform to bring Southern African creativity to the global stage.
Subscribe
© 2025 frenchinstitute.org.za. All rights reserved. Site design by Nicework.
View our Data Policy and Terms.