Pro Helvetia appoints new head

Gaylard joins Pro Helvetia from the Visual Arts Network of South Africa, where he has led the development of the organisation over a number of years as director. During the course of the past twelve years he has also worked extensively as a consultant on policy research, the formulation of strategy, and programme development and evaluation for different spheres of government and international cultural agencies, and has been an occasional lecturer in cultural policy and management at the WITS School of Arts.

His creative work has involved extended engagement with the intersection of people and place, with a particular focus on experimental public art practice, both as part of the artists collective the Joubert Park Project and subsequently through a number of projects initiated by VANSA.

These diverse engagements have been informed by a sustained interest in fostering collaborative and multi-disciplinary working practices which seek to both question and expand the position of creative work in the wider society and economy - a set of commitments which he hopes to pursue further in the context of his role at Pro Helvetia Johannesburg.

Effective from 1 March 2014, Gaylard will be taking over from Jasper Walgrave, who led the office since September 2007.