[Design Indaba 2016] Once upon a time...

Helen Isibor-Epega lives in London, but was born in Nigeria which she visits often. Her favourite phrase to hear when she was a child was "Once upon a time" because she knew she was about to be transported through the wonderful world of storytelling. However, she also knew that with this phrase comes another - "the end".

Surrounded by happiness and song throughout her childhood, Epega pursued music in London and has since become the first person to compose a Pidgin-English Opera, which she performs under the name The Venus Bushfires. She confesses that she has always been an optimist and a dreamer, and compares herself to one of her songs "The Sparrow" who wishes to be an eagle.

Epega plays a beautiful instrument called the Hang, which has a soothing trance-inducing sound. Top that with music from the Cape Town Youth Orchestra, her soulful voice, and a dancer from Jazzart, and you have yourself an enlightening performance.

Watch an interview below with Epega, done by Ogilvy Do.

Inside the pitch

Nick Finney and Alan Dye from NB Studios in the UK introduced a play about the design pitch. The performance took to the stage to expose the intricacies of agencies and the unsaid truths during the pitch process.

Excellently portrayed by the actors were the different emotions it takes to produce a successful pitch, and how it doesn't matter how good you think you are, what matters is that your design is done with courage and honesty.

Finney and Dye afterwards took to the stage again and ran through a few of the themes throughout the play and how their company has learnt from each one and excelled.

• Learn the rules before you break them
  
• Assumption is the mother of all f**k ups
  
• Indecision kills
  
• Become your customer
  
• If everything is important – nothing is important
  
• Tell the truth. Be on time
  
• Life’s too short not to be a designer

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