b'Farai Bayai Ncube Image: Supplieddays, and really talk about the topical issues, to share some of their success stories, to inspire one another, and to really build those connections for future collaborations and partnerships, Farai explains. The second layer to it is we are bringing together really young creative entrepreneurs and artists who are pushing boundaries in their own communities. This is a rich and fertile environment to then bring in investors; partners who are willing to invest, who are willing to listen, [and] even policymakers.The final layer, she adds, is to engage internationally, and also say from an Africa perspective, this is who we are, this is our stories, this is our context, and this is what is going to make us move forward. LOOKING AHEAD All these layers are what drives Farais work at the British Council. In six years, theyve grown from having one programme pillar to four. She explains that they began as a space for cultural relations, pure art making, providing opportunities for artists to make work, collaborate through residencies and showcase their work through exhibitions. While this is still the backbone of their work, they later realised that the artists need to survive, they need a form of livelihood, she says. The Creative Industries project emerged to address this, focusing on enterprise.Further down the line, they recognisedSouth Africa, in terms of its arts and culture,she is mapping for her tenure, aiming to give that global challengesincluding climateand also to be able to intervene within thecreatives the resources to tell their stories, change and issues to do with heritageinformal sector where the arts and cultureand to nurture the arts sectorand always, require interventions from an artisticindustry sits in South Africa. looking to do this together.SQUAREperspective, thinking about what is theWhat Im bringing is really using my role of an artist or art in this world whererole, my power, to be able to grow together, there are so many challenges coming up,to learn together and to find ourselves in and we evolved again, considering howa beautiful space where South Africa isDANIELLE BOWLER is a black culture can respond to global challenges,recognised, its connected, and weve alsofeminist culture editor, she reflects. given opportunities for young and upcomingwriter and musician based Now, Farai is looking ahead, dreamingemerging artists from South Africa to be ablein Johannesburg. Currently the culture editor at up new regional and global opportunitiesto showcase regionally and beyond.New Frame, she is the and projects that address the challenges ofAs our conversation draws to a close, sheformer managing editor the sector. And while growing it, she hopessays, we need to tell our own stories, weof ELLE South Africa and has bylines in Mail to grow too. need to own who we are, and we also need to& Guardian, Eyewitness There are a lot of opportunities and alook back into our histories and then propelNews, Cosmopolitan, and Africa lot of struggles that come with the sector,forward. is a Country, among other publications.and from where I am sitting, one thing thatThese words are at the heart of who I really want to do, is to bring the best ofFarai is, and the multi-dimensional vision 29'