GIPCA hosts Hot Water Symposium at UCT

Experts in many and varied disciplines gather to explore climate change at the Hot Water Symposium, hosted by the Gordon Institute of Performing and Creative Arts (GIPCA), in association with the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) on 28 and 29 September 2012.

Keynote speaker Professor Mark New is the Pro Vice-Chancellor and director of the African Climate and Development Initiative at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Professor New acts on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor's office to provide enhanced academic leadership around the strategic goal of addressing the climate and development challenges of Africa from an African perspective, and he takes the lead in facilitating and substantially extending climate research at UCT, as well as continuing his own research.

Warren Nebe is the founder and director of Drama for Life at the University of the Witwatersrand - an internationally acclaimed postgraduate academic and research programme that focuses on dialogue for purposes of social transformation through an integrated approach to applied drama, drama in education and drama therapy.

Green politics

The film component of the weekend is largely drawn from contributions to Letters from the Sky - a film festival curated by trans-media artist Kai Lossgott. Predominately concerned with the personal element in green politics, Lossgott's work has been widely exhibited in South Africa and abroad.

Ann-Marie Tully holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, and is an academic author and art writer. She curates the Facing the Climate exhibition which forms part of the weekend's proceedings.
Sarah Ward is a South African urban planner and has worked since 1986 in urban planning, housing, and urban and national energy planning and implementation. She was a founder of the Development Action Group and of Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA). SEA works with South African cities in sustainable energy planning and implementation. Since 2008, Ward has been employed as the head of Energy and Climate Change for the City of Cape Town where she has been developing the institutional space to drive this new area.

Transforming space and perceptions

Inspired by the dynamics, and ecological and cultural heritage of this country, Linzi Lewis is driven to create multifunctional, beautiful and meaningful urban spaces, which reflect the diversity and desires of the local context. In this way, she works with innovative people and methods to create relevant artistic and greening interventions, transforming both the physical space and our perceptions.

Tom Sanya, a senior lecturer at the UCT's School of Architecture, employs a trans-disciplinary approach to undertake ethically engaged scholarship on design and fabrication, with a focus on buildings, space and related artifacts.
The Hot Water Symposium comprises presentations, panel discussions, the screenings of several films, and a workshop in working with drawing and cartoons as mechanisms for giving shape and form to issues of climate change and environmental awareness.

The symposium will be held at UCT's Hiddingh Campus, and is free of charge and open to all, but booking is essential. The full programme is available at www.gipca.uct.ac.za and bookings can be made at az.ca.tcu@acpig-nif.