Xplore: a Musicxwords follow-up

In 2021, the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) and the EU Delegation to South Africa, with the support of the Cultural Relations Platform (CRP), launched an Open Call for South African musicians and spoken word artists. Over 150 acts participated in the Call, and 10 finalists were announced to perform at a live and online showcase which was viewed by industry players in Africa and Europe. The five main acts that gained the attention of the jury during the showcase were chosen as beneficiaries to network at a European festival in 2022, targeting emerging markets specifically in EU countries.

The selected artists Modise Sekgothe (poetry), Flex Of He & I (poetry/music), Wandile Mbambeni (music), Bonj (music) and Khayalethu (poetry), will now travel to Gdynia, Poland as a collective where they will explore the city, participate in workshops and masterclasses, network with their Poland-based counterparts and meet with the organisers of the Globaltica. The festival celebrates world cultures and multicultural content, with an emphasis on ‘living culture’.

Continuing the X metaphor from MusicXwords – we call this mobility experience Xplore. The intention is to reinforce the capacity of talented South African artists to open opportunities to and with Europe, broadening intercultural perspectives and potential markets within the European continent, as well as in diaspora communities around the world.

Our partners for this project

The Delegation of the European Union to South Africa 

Since the establishment of the European Union Delegation in the country after the first democratic elections in 1994, the EU and South Africa saw rapidly expanded cooperation. The relations were strengthened in 2007 with the establishment of the EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership, a forward-looking platform that facilitates wide-ranging cooperation between our two parties. A range of dialogues between the EU and South Africa allow to share experiences in areas of common interest, or where challenges have to be faced. Areas covered by these dialogues include education, health, energy, the environment, macro-economic policies, human rights, peace and security including maritime security. The partnership is broad and comprehensive and covers political, trade and development interests, as well as cultural relations. Except for consular tasks, the Delegation in Pretoria functions like an embassy; it is a diplomatic mission representing the European Union to South Africa together with the 27 Member States of the European Union.

More information is available on the delegation’s Official Website, Twitter and Facebook.