Slipstream  -  Rainbow WOW Moment

Raizcorpian, Melanie Brummer, from Slipstream, recently held her Rainbow Wow Moment workshop at Raizcorp Kramerville. The purpose of the workshop was to introduce people to the art of dyeing, something which Melanie is a master of and to celebrate the launch of the new Slipstream instructional DVD. Those who attended the workshop had a chance to experience the fun in creating their own pieces of art using Melanie’s dye techniques. Attendees brought along 100% cotton white garments to be taken through the dye process.

Buckets of water were scattered around the courtyard. Heaps of elastic bands formed in the centre of the tables in the Chill Room alongside bundles of forks and two microwaves sat outside on the bench. The garments were dunked into the buckets of water. The forks were used to twist the garments into white flowers and the elastic bands held them in their newfound shape. The garments were then dipped into different colours of dye and placed in plastic bags, ready to be nuked. A five minute trip in the microwave and the garments were morphed into beautiful butterflies. 

For those that were unable to add a touch of dye to their clothing, you can always purchase Melanie’s instructional DVD that was produced by Free the Orange. The DVD includes information about various binding techniques, how the chemistry works, the requirements in terms of fabrics, how to make the dye vibrant and colourfast, different ways of getting the colour onto cloth and a Wow Moment! at the end. Orders for this DVD may be placed by emailing Melanie at info@dyeandprints.co.za. There are also upcoming workshops for those that wish to experience the magic in action. You can request the class schedule from the previously provided email address.

Melanie gets excited by the possibilities of infinite potential. With dye, a piece of white fabric can become anything you want it to be.  Plain fabrics can be turned into something magical over a short period of time. She has spilled her excitement across a lavishly illustrated, full colour book with more than fifty step-by-step pictures, guiding the reader through the dying process.  The Contemporary Dyecraft book launched in February 2010 and is available in English and Afrikaans and is published by Metz Press. Orders for the Contemporary Dyecraft book may be placed using the previously provided email address.

REAP Mid-Year Report

The Raizcorp Rural Enterprise Accelerate Programme (REAP) currently being run in St Lucia has reached its halfway mark. Participants of the programme come from a rural background and are exposed to an adapted version of Raizcorp’s curriculum. The REAP programme caters for entrepreneurs who operate in a rural context and possess a blue heart. Participants receive three days of learning and personal development every month for a period of one year.

The current REAP programme is being facilitated by Marius Wilken (Raizcorp Richards Bay Prosperator Manager) and Nothile Mpisi (Raizcorp Richards Bay Strategy Guide). Forty entrepreneurs from different industries attend the programme at Komthandayo Cultural Village and receive the tools and guidance needed for their respective business to grow.

Over the last six months, participants have discovered who they are, can conduct a SWOT-A analysis, can create SMARTER goals and have begun to record the actions of their respective businesses.

It is amazing to see the growth of the participants since attending the REAP programme. They have been instilled with confidence and knowledge and have truly seized the moment.

Pitch & Polish

The brandhouse™ Pitch and Polish competition has now come to an end.  The competition provided a great experience for organisers, contestants and, most of all, the finalists. Although many reports cite South Africa as low on entrepreneurial activity, one wonders if the researchers have ever met the people we found on the first round of the nationwide Pitch and Polish competition! 

Applicants could enter online.  From the online applications, between 6 and 10 contestants were chosen to pitch their business idea to a panel of judges after a full day workshop during which they were “polished” by Allon Raiz from Raizcorp.  This was not a comfortable day for contestants, but the grilling prepared them for the formal pitch in the evening. 

From each of the five cities, three contestants were chosen to go through to the next round and it was touching to experience how excited they were and how seriously they took the competition.  The mandate from Entrepreneurs Organisation, the organisation responsible for Pitch and Polish as the local impact arm of the EO Cape Town University and the sponsors, brandhouse™, MTN Business, RMB Private Bank, City of Cape Town and SA Tourism, to find grassroots entrepreneurial talent and to help those companies to launch or grow was fulfilled.

The quarter-finals took place in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Polokwane, where five of the fifteen second round contestants presented their business ideas to a fresh team of judges. From these quarter finals, six semi-finalists were chosen.  The six semi-finalists were:  David Mphuti, Graeme Waite, Rodgers Mahumani, Ntombenhle Khathwane, Charles Tladi and Raees Ismail.  These entrepreneurs presented their businesses at the FNB Conference Centre in Grayston Drive, Sandton. The judges were Allon Raiz, Trevor Tutu and Yossi Hasson. Two finalists were chosen: David Mphuti and Ntombenhle Khathwane.  A third finalist, Zamandlovu Makola, was chosen from a wildcard competition, which was run on SAfm.

The three finalists presented their businesses to hundreds of successful entrepreneurs at the Entrepreneurs Organisation Cape Town University on the 11^th of November, as well as to the three judges: Allon Raiz, Nick Ristic and Yossi Hasson.  Their lives will never be the same again! Pitch and Polish has unearthed talented entrepreneurs who would never have had the opportunity to grow their businesses and network with successful entrepreneurs, able to  mentor them and help grow their companies.  

David April Launch

He has proved his mettle as an arts and culture performer, leader, mentor, pioneer, dance activist and entrepreneur – and now David Thatanelo April is moving with a purpose! In September 2010, David  re-branded his April Training and Consulting arts consultancy as simply David April, while continuing to deliver the same individualised, hands-on service that clients have come to value.  April wishes to express his deep appreciation and gratitude to The Brand Union, a world-class global brand agency for the corporate identity and design of his company. They have managed to articulate and capture the essence of what David April stands for – Move with purpose! “As an entrepreneur I have learned how to turn risks into opportunities, build a culture of innovation through finding and creating synergies between business and the arts; and how to identify and make connections between dance and other art forms, with an eye on business sustainability,” says April. Since striking out on his own, April has consulted widely with clients in the arts industry, NGOs, government departments and the private sector.

Passionate about arts and culture development, April uses his 17 years of experience, including a decade of senior management experience, to bring a professional approach to any project he tackles – from fundraising, teaching and skills development to planning, marketing and management. In 2003, he was the first recipient of the prestigious Tunkie Memorial Award for Outstanding Dedication and Leadership in Dance. As such, his David April arts consultancy provides interactive, engaging and accessible creative movement solutions using music and dance to stimulate discussion and effect change – particularly in the fields of arts, business and education. He is looking forward to continuing to serve the South African arts and culture sector in his David April arts consultancy – a one-stop shop for project management, entertainment (themed dance performances for special events, seminars, conferences and product launches), fundraising, education and training.

Sassy new Sasha CD cover

Issued by: Free the Orange

A closer look at the creative genius behind Sasha Martinengo's new CD cover artwork

Relishing the chance to flex their creative muscles, the creative agency Free the Orange is proud to be the mastermind behind the striking CD cover artwork on Sasha Martinengo's latest Essential Hit Picks 3compilation album. 

Taking a bold new approach that was dramatically different to the previous two album covers, Free the Orange set their sights on allowing the beautiful Durban-based model, Genna-wae Webster, literally to interact with the Sasha Martinengo brand during the photo shoot. The end result - a striking, Eighties-inspired image of Webster physically writing out Sasha's name in bright neon lights using a photographic technique called "light graffiti" - is every bit the hit as the tracks that make up the album. 

"The whole idea was to have a local girl on the cover, photographed here in South Africa, and not just an image taken form a stock library with added effects," explains Free the Orange resident photographer, Laura Jane, of Laura Jane Photography.

In order to replicate the lighting one would find in a dance club, the team (including a very enthusiastic Sasha Martinengo himself) used various different light sources and glow sticks to "paint" Webster, as well as a strobe light to freeze the image during the last few seconds of each 30-second exposure. The tricky part of using the technique of light graffiti is that one is working in a pitch-black studio and only sees the end result once the 30-second exposure finishes. It is a game of trial, error and intuition, but when it works, it really works, as Sasha's new CD cover so beautifully proves. 

Martinengo, who says that the final album cover more than exceeded his expectations, has posted a copy of the album cover on his Twitter page and already received a barrage of positive comments and "wows" from his fans. 

"The album cover is nothing like the previous album covers," he says. "It's got a retro but modern feel to it, and it really stands out. I was so excited to be at the photo shoot, because this album is very close to my heart, and when they needed a few hands to help create the colour and lighting effects I just jumped right in!" 

MD of Free the Orange, Steven Hall, possibly enjoyed the shoot even more than Martinengo, largely because of the way in which the shoot allowed the company to really live up to its name and "free the orange".

"What was amazing about the shoot was that a lot of the creativity was very spontaneous and in the moment," he explains. "We were trying different things, and in doing so we came up with some cool ideas, that is something you cannot force. As a process, it's 'Freeing the Orange'. It's about letting that flow of energy happen then and there." (Click here to watch behind the scenes footage.)

Free the Orange has a long history of working within the music industry under their "MUZIK" division, in terms of designing the artwork, creating TV commercials and, more recently, making music videos. They are a creative force to be reckoned with, especially when tasked with briefs that allow the team to play with a concept and let the free flow of ideas drive the project forward.