Art & Social Justice Conference 2010

Art and Social Justice/ ‘the Art of Social Justice’

The Durban University of Technology and Art for Humanity hosted a three day international conference

on Art and Social Justice from 21 – 24 March 2010 at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Rits

Rd Hotel School, Conference Centre in Durban.

The conference was held in conjunction with the ‘Dialogue among Civilizations’ exhibition which

opened on the evening of the 21^st March 2010 at the Durban Art Gallery.

The 2010 Art and Social Justice Conference addressed a range of critically important issues and themes

relating to the arts in promoting human rights and social justice in society. Plenary speakers included

Justice Albie Sachs, Ms Ann Harrap (Australian High Commissioner for Southern Africa), Ms Angelina

Khamba (Chair of the Harare International Arts Festival), Mr. Damir Dijakovic (Programme Specialist in

Culture UNESCO Office in Windhoek) amongst others.

Thirty nine Papers and workshops were presented by researchers and practitioners in all fields of

artistic engagement and community development. The objective of the conference was to serve as a

platform for art practitioners and organizations to share experiences drawn from a variety of

international context, to discuss mutual concerns and find solutions to commonly experienced

challenges.

The conference aimed to arrive at a concrete set of resolutions which can be developed into a policy

document about the role of the arts in effecting social change, cultural development and equity.

In line with the hosting institution’s commitment to applied research, the conference particularly

calls for papers that explore theoretical avenues to the credible evaluation of public art and art projects

directed at advocacy. This dual approach, which will be evident throughout the conference, was

intended to bridge a crucial gap which frequently divides scholars and practitioners in the arts.

In summing up the Conference, Professor Graham Stewart, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts and

Design, highlighted the context and outcomes of the conference when he said:

‘Giving a summary is quite a challenge after a diverse and freewheeling conference like this has been.

The true summary is, as William Cleveland has so wisely observed, is in the connections, networking

and stories that each one of us takes away with us, and shares with others back in our own

communities. The core ingredient, it seems to me, is not so much in the content, but in tapping into a

common passion for a shared vision of social justice. The success of this conference is all of us – a

collective pooling of what we believe and what we have done and how we have gone about it. So to me

the best summary is to share with you what stood out for me as highlights, specific stories that my

heart responded to. So here’s a short collection of my personal high points, the stories I will share

with my peers and my community and are likely to guide and inspire our own projects.

At the risk of being parochial, I choose fellow South African Albie Sachs as the person who made my

first memorable moment. In his opening address at the Durban Art Gallery he displayed the “speaking

truth to power” that touches on the true nature of social activism. Speaking from deep conviction as an

architect of our country’s progressive constitution, he condemned recent acts of censorship and

suppression of art work such as the inexplicable banning by the City of Durban of a stunning elephant

sculpture.

Another memorable moment for me was Ann Harrap, Australia's High Commissioner, quoting the

Australian Prime Minister’s top ten reasons for supporting the Arts: ‘The Arts are good for you and help

you understand yourself – and help build the community’.

Rajmohan Ghandi, Research Professor at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies,

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, reflecting on the influence of art, made a plea for

more forgiveness in the world and added that art “could perform surgery without appearing to invade

us”.

Iratxe Momoitio Astorkia Director of the Gernika Peace Museum, image of blue curtains in the UN

Headquarters being pulled across the UN’s Guernica print is in a symbolic act of shame and protest as

Colin Powell prepared to declare war on Iraq was also, for me, unforgettable.

William Cleveland’s Open Space Technology – a unique and wonderfully person-centered approach to

how to conference and open up dialogue – is a technique I’ll be trying myself at the first opportunity -

my thanks to William and to Tony and Iratxe for their collaboration through an Open Space Technology

session on coming up with answers to “How do we take these conversations from here” that I’ll touch

on in a moment.

I have been impressed by the pervasive but understated role that UNESCO plays in supporting a wide

range of initiatives, and for the networking platform it provides.

Nigel Rollins’ WHO, account of the mother of the child dying of AIDS and the thoughtless comment

made by a student intern will stay with me, and was a powerful illustration of the dangers of a

disconnect between science and humanity.

Mike van Graan made the point that artists need to network and organize them because state policy

implementation often falls short of its stated principles. Civil society networks can provide a more

robust basis for the development of art, culture and heritage. This position was underscored by Nicky

du Plessis’ reminder of the necessity for a realistic engagement between artists and funding bodies.

Judith Marcuse memorably characterized the distance between artists and funders as the gap between

the worlds of “Storystan” and “Dataland”.

To return to point I made at the start – we are all an important part of the answer to the question: How

do we mobilise Art in support of Social Justice? Each one of us is the nexus of a community of practice.

Justice Albie Sachs took us on a tour through a building which started with a vision of human rights and

had then integrated wonderful and significant art into a structure whose every door, window and space

expressed those principles in the most diverse and beautiful ways.

The strongest impression I am left with is of your individual flair as advocates for art and social justice,

and the challenge I take on is how to make something blossom in the support of human development to

match Albie Sachs’ lovely and expressive building on Constitution Hill.

Reflecting on the conference, William Kelly drew attention to the number of images we were confronted

with – images mostly of dignity and hope, but often coming from stories of pain. But instead of being

meditations of pain, they became songs of empowerment.

How do we take these conversations, exchanges, challenges and ideas forward?

Implicit outcomes:

• Over the last three days we have been inspired, challenged, vexed, and exposed to unexpected to

solutions to issues we have back home. Damir Dijakovic, UNESCO, reminded us on day one that “Each

person here can make a difference” by sharing and discovering new paths and by uncovering new ideas.

We take these nodes of inspiration away with us, and while we may not be able quantify these, or tick

them off on a list of outcomes, they will cascade through our own interactions and communities of

practice.

Explicit outcomes:

• Jan Jordaan has suggested a “Durban Declaration” that could be drafted and disseminated to all

delegates. This could include specific common standpoints flagged at the conference that would allow

us a collective voice on issues such as the role of the state in promoting art and community

participation; artistic activities in support of social justice, and community development; basic human

rights such as freedom of expression; the conviction that the arts and artists have a vital and

influential effect on social justice, HIV/AIDS support and poverty alleviation.

• A conference publication, including the full text of papers presented at the conference would be a

tangible resource for taking ideas forward, and also affords participants the necessary evidence of their

input to attract further funding.

• Dialogue among Civilizations. The Art for Humanity projects are models for integrating art and social

action. The Art for Humanity public art based billboards programme and the extension of displays of

the art and poetry to schools are a concrete and successful examples. The Dialogue among Civilizations

publication distributed to you on the disc included in your conference pack is another.

This conference and the ‘Dialogue among Civilisations’ exhibition was granted UNESCO Patronage.

UNESCO Director General Mr. Koichiro Matsuura corroborates his endorsements to the projects by stating;

"This major event...involving the collaboration between artists and poets...is consistent with

UNESCO’s principle objective as regards the promotion of intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity.

It will no doubt contribute to emphasizing the unique role of the arts as a means of dialogue,

communication and understanding...giving its aim of promoting ethical values through artistic

expression and creativity..."

The ‘Dialogue among Civilizations’ project is a unique print portfolio that juxtaposes responses from

visual artists and poets on issues of social justice. The project involves collaboration between artists

and poets from Africa, Europe, Americas, Asia and Australasia on the theme of identity, land, object

and belief. The art and poetry resulting from the project will be employed in a public advocacy

campaign against racism and xenophobia, highlighting especially the plight of refugees.

For further information follow the Conference Facebook link at

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&gid=108942509123842

Summary Notes:

Plenary Speaker Bill Cleveland, following the Conference sent a summary titled Notes from the South

when he arrived back in America:

Six hours to Atlanta, fifteen to Johannesburg. One to Durban--- Midnight heat and a damp wind

blows across Africa’s Rotterdam---home to Gandhi, Umlazi Township, the Durban University of

Technology, and, for the past three days, The Art and Social Justice Conference and Exhibition

hosted by Art for Humanity. There are one hundred delegates from places like Botswana,

Ireland, Germany, Uganda, Israel, Canada, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Poland, Latvia, Australia,

England, Malawi, U.S., Cyprus, and Ghana. The participants include sociologists,

anthropologist’s educators, philanthropists, arts administrators, government officials, doctors,

diplomats, aid workers, researchers, designers, and members of the press.

Here are some snapshots:

“I am here to advocate on behalf of the “two elephants”, (a public artwork) that are being

removed by Durban’s Mayor because an elephant appears in the logo of the opposition party.

Art and democracy are vital and interdependent social forces and that artists will test the

values and beliefs embedded in South Africa's Constitution"

Albie Sachs, former Chief Justice , South African Supreme Court

“Prison erodes memory, destroys concentration, and erases your place in society and all

notions of altruism. Growing up in a ritual and ceremonial society gives prisoners a profound

grasp of the dominant metaphors and symbols that affect their lives. Phoenix Zululand, our

restorative justice arts program in KwaZula-Natal gives prisoners the tools they need to

understand and shape the power of those metaphors in their lives.”

Noncebo Lushaba and Richard Aitken

"There is a big role for the arts to help technocrats treat their constituent citizens with respect

and dignity. "

Mr. Isah Maqaqula, Director of Community Services, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

“Art can change people’s way of thinking but, quoting Edward R. Morrow, I would also observe

that ‘cash registers are not going to ring every time a mind is changed.”

Ms. Ann Harrap, Australian High Commissioner to South Africa

“The Paper Prayers Project has inspired AID’s victims to become educators, activists and

caregivers in their own communities. It has also increased the rate of voluntary testing and

provided the participants the arts skills and new confidence they need to generate income and

improve their livelihood"

Prof Kim Berman, Artist Proof Studio, Johannesburg

http://www.artistproofstudio.org.za/education.html

While the “green line” (separating the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities) exists in real

and imagined ways, the virtual worlds we inhabit and animate artistically provide different

opportunities for creating shared spaces for advocacy, expression and counter-culture.”

Dr. Hajimichael aka Haji Mike, Cyprus

http://www.myspace.com/hajimike1

“The relationship between community members and art is inherently democratic. The best art

transcends its original intention to make an unpredictable and continuing impression. Art can

perform surgery without appearing to invade us.”

Mike Van Graan, Secretary General, Arterial Network, South Africa

http://www.arterialnetwork.org/

“Racism and environmental neglect spring from the same root stock. Ubuntu, as we all know,

means ‘I am, because, you are.’ Art making is ‘Ubuntu” in practice. Metaphor clears the way to

the deepest kind of common ground building and collaboration.”

Nicky Du Plessis, Art Moves Africa

http://www.artmovesafrica.org/

“Policy is only a first step. Cultural policy without action is a betrayal of the soul.”

Ms Angeline Kamba, Harare International Festival of the Arts, Zimbabwe

http://www.hifa.co.zw/

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