FOCUS AREA

Visual and Performing Arts of Africa

"Visual and Performing Arts of Africa" (ViPAA) is a Mellon funded research team based in the Fine Art Department at Rhodes University and is one of four Humanities Focus Areas. The ViPAA research unit was launched in January 2011 and is led by Prof Ruth Simbao.

For three years (2011 to 2013) the team will focus on the research theme "The Audacity of Place", which opens up discussions about 'place' and 'space' in the discourse of Contemporary Art.

The key aims of the team are to produce high quality research outputs (in the form of publications, exhibitions and performances), to foster academic cooperation and collaboration by working on related topics, and to engage with society by addressing pertinent social, political and economic concerns in Africa today. While our research is based in a local context, it generates dialogue with the international art world and explores new ways of conceptualizing the 'local' and the 'global'.

Limited MFA, MA and PhD scholarships are available on a competitive basis for those committed to studying full-time in the Fine Art Department as part of this research group. The relevance of the topic to the Focus Area is critical, and equity will be considered.

For more information on the scholarships please contact Prof Ruth Simbao (r.simbao@ru.ac.za). For more information on the research themes, goals and activities, please click here. http://www.research-africa-arts.com/