The French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) is deeply saddened by the passing of Maria McCloy, a valued collaborator and long-term partner of both IFAS and the Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi.
Maria worked closely with the IFAS team in communications, publicity, and cultural programming support, contributing significantly to initiatives such as the annual FĂȘte de la Musique in Johannesburg and the recent Fashion Forward Industry Development Dialogues. In addition, she played a key role in the successful public communication around the short film entitled The Kingdom in the Sky: Moshoeshoe’s Strategy and Legacy, which details the alliance between King Moshoeshoe I of Lesotho and French missionaries in 1833.
Through her work, she helped strengthen connections between local creative communities and French and Southern African collaborators, championing cultural exchange and creative industry engagement. Her dedication, professionalism, and passion for the arts played an important role in advancing IFASâs mission of cultural co-creation across Southern Africa.
Maria will be remembered for the energy and care she brought to every project and partnership. Sincerest condolences go to her family, friends, colleagues, and peers in the arts and cultural sector during this difficult time.
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