b"MAKINGNEW In conversation with Farai Bayai NcubeDanielle Bowler FARAI BAYAI NCUBE wears her work.a tender age really involved working with Watching her speak at the 2021 So Creativewomen within the crafts sector of Zimbabwe, Summit, adorned in brightly coloured make-upin the rural areas, looking at how to use our and diversely patterned clothing that connectsindigenous raw materials to produce products cultures, the way she moves through the world mostly baskets, and household products that speaks to the work that shes chosen to do. Thisare woven. As she looked at how to sell these is work that is deeply invested in the arts, itsregionally, Farai brought an international cultural producers, andmost importantlyincommunity of makers together, to showcase its possibilities. their creations. As the new Head of Arts South Africa at theShe is always thinking about connection British Council, Farai is mapping out a visionand collaboration, rooted in the belief that for the sector that focuses on collaboration andarts and business are not different worlds or creating programmes that support artists andeven opposite systems, but are deeply linked. creative entrepreneurs to tell our own stories. As she shares on LinkedIn, everyone lives and I meet Farai over Zoom. She is open, warm,flips between these realities and their values and generous as we talk about her new role, theseveral times a day. Her work, then, is founded kinds of partnerships required in the creativein how these worlds can learn from each other, sector, and the need to create opportunities fortransfer methods, ideas, innovations, combine artists to thrive.forces and opportunities. Farai has been with the British Council for almost nine years and laughs when I bring this upasking about the evolution of the COLLABORATINGinstitution and herself. It's been nine good WITH BASA years, she says, proud of the work that shes achieved with the team so far.There is deep resonance between her thinking Its the unique space and work, she says,and the work that BASAa frequent partner that has kept her there. This work is aboutof the British Councildoes. She talks with understanding each other, people to people,profound admiration about BASAs work, and having that respect for each other'simpact, programmes, and the space it occupies cultures, Farai explains. Her voice lights upthe arts sector. It is her dream to be able to when she speaks about how across almost everyreplicate such an institution in other African project there is experimentation, exploration,countries, Farai shares.connection, and the drive to really doing thingsBASA and the British Council have with a difference. similar objectives, where we both see the This is the environment Farai thrives in: aneed to support artists in their growth, in space that is always evolving, which allows hertheir enterprise journey, in their livelihoods, to evolve with it. and also in how they interact with other Im struck by how Farai feels as though she isstakeholders like your corporate world, your always in motion, thinking towards whats next,NGO sector. That's a space [in which] we are whats new, and beyond the present, while beingboth interested and invested, she says.rooted in the now. Its this kind of approach thatThis work is vital in a creative sector, where has led to projects that place artists and creativeso many creatives struggle to eke out a living, producers at the centre: considering what theybe supported and respected, and have the need to produce their work and the landscape inresources to live and create. Towards this, both which they labour. institutions collaborated to present the So Creative Summit between 6 and 7 July at the Centre for the Less Good Idea in Maboneng,CONNECTION AND Johannesburg. COLLABORATIONWhat began as an idea, birthed from the Creative Hubs projectwhich provided Farais diverse backgrounds converge in herdifferent workshops, networking events, skills vision for the British Council. She began inexchange and residencies for arts workersis architecture and urban planning, specialisednow in its fourth iteration. in project management, and has a Masters inIt is a platform that brings together young Digital Business from the University of Salford.creative entrepreneurs, hubs and artists to Most of the work I started to do frombe able to meet over a space of three to four 28"