Zuku TV seeks to commission a television Drama Series for broadcast on Zuku Afrika
Zuku Afrika is Zuku’s home entertainment channel, tailor made for East African audiences. The channel seeks to respond to strong consumer demand for Africa-produced and Africa-themed programming and prides itself on the quality of its output.
We are looking for submissions that are bold, ambitious, unique, and original and bring fresh outlook to the East African television content. The concept should have a broad viewer appeal and possess the ability to travel across the continent. The cast may include characters from around Africa.
The series should be highly marketable, entertaining and with a strong unique selling point.
CONTENT:
The Drama Series must:
- Have a strong theme;
- A significant, realistic story;
- A compelling plot;
- Seamless continuity;
- Unforgettable characters;
- A well-chosen setting;
- An appealing visual style;
- Be unique, original and fresh;
- Be entertaining;
- Have a strong, unique selling point;
PROPOSAL:
The proposal should contain the following information:
1) A detailed treatment and approach
2) Series synopsis
3) Sample script for the first episode
4) Key Production Personnel
5) A preliminary budget
LANGUAGE: English / multi-lingual. Local languages or dialect to be subtitled in English
EPISODES: 13 episodes, 26 minutes each
TARGET AUDIENCE: Broad appeal
GENRE: Drama Series
DELIVERY FORMAT: Digi-Beta or DVCAM 184, File Delivery via FTP or Hard Drive as IMX 30 Files, 16:9 aspect ratio
PRODUCTION INFORMATION: Location of Production office, Facilities to be used during the execution of this project
CREATIVE INFORMATION: Please provide a detailed CV of key personnel who will be assigned to this project
OTHER INFORMATION:
- Company registration, VAT registration, Income tax numbers/references;
- Directors, members or partners of the Company or Partnership;
- TV Programs or Dramas produced in the last 5 years;
- References (provide at least 2;
- Name and phone number of the Key contact person.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: 31st March 2013
FINAL DECISION DATE: 31st May 2013
TENTATIVE BROADCAST DATE: 2014
Successful applicants will be required to come for pitching sessions.
SUBMISSION DETAILS: Proposals should be addressed to:
The Commissioning Editor
Wananchi Programming Ltd
Gateway Business Park, Block E, Mombasa Road
P. O. Box 10286-‐00100,Nairobi, Kenya
Email: drama@ke.wananchi.com
Arts Collaboratory- Call for Proposals
Long term support for independent visual arts organisations focusing on collaborative arts practices and social innovation
Rationale of Call
Culture is a potential driving force or trigger in processes of social innovation. In current contemporary arts practice the role of artists and arts’ organisations as agents of change is getting more recognized. Artistic practice is further developing and increasingly focuses on researching and addressing societal issues, facilitating relationships and the development of new perspectives. At the same time, and linked to the above, organizational philosophies are changing in and outside the art world. There is an increased development of horizontal platforms and network-organisations that take a more collaborative stand or define themselves as ‘relational’.
Hivos and DOEN believe in the potential of artists to question what often might seem unquestionable truths or status quo. Culture can potentially be a driving force or trigger in processes of social innovation. This type of innovation aims at challenging and changing the social interaction of people, and their interaction to their environment. It triggers innovation that does not decide on or define the whole process of change, but is the starting point of it. Equally important is the potential artistic processes have to include and facilitate relations with the people that are affected by this change both in the setup and process of change. And thus, enlarging the possibility that this change is meaningful and becomes sustainable. For artists to be able to take this role fully, it is crucial to have high quality artistic capabilities to develop the creative process, include people, connect and innovate artistic languages and finally develop processes and artworks people can relate to, but that also bring new perspectives or thoughts.
This call for proposals invites independent visual arts organisations from Africa, Asia and Latin-America that are active in the promotion of artistic quality, collaborative arts practices and social innovation, to propose a programme for support. Organisations that are selected will receive financial support towards their organisation and programme and will participate in the Arts Collaboratory knowledge and exchange platform. Collective applications (by more than one organisation) are welcomed.
The procedure of selection for this call for proposals is divided in two phases. Interested organisations should first submit a summary of their proposal according to the enclosed application format to Arts Collaboratory. The Arts Collaboratory Steering Committee will make a pre-selection based on these short proposals. The selected partners will be invited to send in a more extensive proposal by the 21st of May 2013. Final decisions will be made after thorough research is done and second opinions are collected.
The objectives of Arts Collaboratory
- The improvement of the quality of artistic expression and collaborative art practices through independent visual arts organisations;
- The promotion of the development of social innovation and of new forms of engagement with publics through independent visual arts organisations
Future partners are expected to work and perform on both objectives.
Amount of funding
The maximum amount available for this call per organisation is €125.000 for a maximum period of 28 months. You can also apply in a coalition of organisations in which case higher amounts will be considered.
Criteria for this call
Every of the below criterion is considered in relation to the specific context the organisation is working in.
These criteria are programme specific and will be used next to standard assessment criteria of Hivos and DOEN with regards to governance and financial management.
- The organisation must be based in Africa, Asia, or Latin-America;
- The organisation provides an independent platform for visual artists in its local context, and serves the needs of those in terms of training and/or research, production, platform or presentation;
- The organisation promotes high quality art practice;
- The organisation has a proven interest and activities in the field of social innovation;
- Collaborative attitude: the organisation has a wide reach in its context and a collaborative attitude towards other arts platforms, -groups or -organisations in the country/wider region and possibly towards actors in other sectors in society (in application explain both view on collaboration, existing co-operations, broad network);
- The organisation has an interest in international cooperation and is willing to take up responsibility in this within the Arts Collaboratory platform. It can connect the international network to the local community and vice versa.
Next to funding 10-15 core-partners over a period of 28 months, Arts Collaboratory will have the possibility to apply for project funds. More information on these possibilities can be found from the 15th of March 2013 on www.artscollaboratory.org
DEADLINE for submission of concept notes: April 15th, 2013
16th Time of the Writer— International Writers Festival
The written word will envelop Durban as nineteen writers from South Africa, Africa and abroad, gather for a thought-provoking week of literary dialogue, exchange of ideas and stimulating discussion at the 16th Time of the Writer International Writers Festival (18 – 23 March). The festival, hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), with principal support by National Lottery Distribution Fund, will feature a diverse gathering of leading novelists, social commentators, activists, playwrights and short story writers.
Opening night will feature all participating writers as they make brief presentations at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, while the newly appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor of the School of Humanities, Prof Cheryl Potgieter will make a keynote address and a tribute to the late Phyllis Naidoo will be read. The rest of the week’s evening presentations will be panel discussions with writers talking about their writing and the issues dealt with in their work. The musical act opening the festival is Zimbabwean band Tanga Pasi.
The panel discussion titled Perspectives in South African Writing on Tuesday 19th March will feature South African writers Kabelo Duncan Kgatea and Jo-Anne Richards. Trained as a journalist and working as a miner, it was after Kgatea’s first book Njeng manong fa ke sule! (Devour me, vultures, when I’m dead!) was published and won the Sanlam Prize Youth Literature (silver) in the Sotho category, that he got promoted to communications officer and no longer worked below ground. When The Innocence of Roast Chicken, the debut novel of internationally published author and journalist Richards first appeared, it topped the South African best seller list in its first week and remained there for 15 weeks. This discussion will be facilitated by Zukiswa Wanner.
Controversial human rights issues are brought to the fore in the evening’s second panel titled Africa Writing Queer Identity, featuring leading Nigerian writer Jude Dibia and Graeme Reid of South Africa, and will be facilitated by Sarojini Nadar. Dibia’s books address issues which range from sexuality, gender roles, race to the stigma of HIV/AIDS in modern day Africa. Reid, the director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Programme and founding director of the Gay and Lesbian Archives of South Africa, explores gay identities in South Africa in his book How to be a Real Gay. Music by Durban duo Njeza and Siphelele Dlamini will commence the evening proceedings at 19h30.
Book launches take place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre’s Wellington Tavern deck prior to the evening shows, from 18h45. The first book launch of the festival is the UKZN English/IsiZulu Book (UKZN Press)– a collaborative venture of stories by various authors.
On Wednesday 20th March, the first panel, titled Reflections on the Palestinian State, features Palestinian-born American-based novelist and essayist, Susan Abulhawa, in an interview discussion with Lubna Nadvi. Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin was translated into 24 languages worldwide and hailed by The Times as the “first English-language novel to express fully the human dimension of the Palestinian tragedy”. Exploring Genre in African Literature is the topic of the second panel, featuring South African author, photographer and filmmaker, Zinaid Meeran, alongside Nnedi Okorafor, award-winning author born in the United States and of Nigerian descent. Meeran was awarded the European Union Literary award for his debut Saracen at the Gates in 2009. About a curious exploration of living raceless in a country where just about everybody seems to have one, this debut was also shortlisted for the Sunday Times fiction prize in 2010. A professor of creative writing, Okorafor has received numerous accolades for her books, which are often characterized by African culture infused with reminiscent settings and memorable characters. This panel will be facilitated by True Lovebooks editor and publisher Melinda Ferguson. Music by Durban duo Nhlanhla Zondi and Zulublue will kick start the evening presentation, while Molope’s book, This Book Betrays my Brother launches prior to the show.
On the evening of Human Rights Day, Thursday 21st March is the panel titled Perspectives in SA Writing, with a panel which features Elana Bregin and Damon Galgut, and facilitated by Siphiwo Mahala. Galgut’s In a Strange Room, a novel which follows the journey of an isolated South African traveler seeking a deep satisfaction in life, was shortlisted for several awards, including the 2010 Man Booker Prize and M-Net Literary Award. Bregin is well known for her award-winning young adult titles, which include The Kayaboeties and The Red-haired Khumalo, which all deal with the social realities of a changing South Africa.
Under the title The Reporter as Writer, Jackee Batanda from Uganda and Aman Sethi from India, both novelists and journalists, feature in the evening’s second panel discussion. Together with the numerous awards for her fiction writing, Batanda also featured in the London Times alongside 19 young women shaping the future of Africa. A seasoned journalist working as a correspondent for The Hindu, a newspaper in India with a daily readership of about 2.5 million, Sethi has also contributed articles to various publications, around health policies in India. The evening’s musical act is the pair Mike Muyo and Tom Watkeys.
Following the book launch of The Imagined Child (Picador) by festival participant Jo-Anne Richards, and a music performance by the band Nje, the presentation of prizes to winners of the schools short story competition will take place on Friday 22nd March. The first session titled Youth Literature, similarly puts a spotlight on young people, and features writers Elieshi Lema from Tanzania and BD Khawula from South Africa. Lema started off writing poetry before moving on to children’s books. Her first novel Parched Earth- A Love Story received an honorable mention in the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa and forms part of the curriculum in various universities. Based in Durban, Khawula’s inspiration to write stems from his love for his country. His debut novel Yihlathi Leli,won a silver award in the African Languages category at the Sanlam Youth Literature Awards.
The second panel for the evening, Writing Transformation, features South African critical thinkers and writers Andile Mngxitama and Prof Sampie Terreblanche. While Mngxitama writes significantly around the philosophy and writings of late Black Consciousness leader, Steve Biko, Terreblanche’s focuses lies on the history of economic thought and policy matters in South and Southern Africa.
The Saturday evening book launch is On Being Human featuring contributions by various writers and edited by Duduzile Mabaso (Black Letter Media). Music and song by Durban songbird Skye Wanda will precede the discussion Writing the Other, featuring the South African panel of Ashwin Desai and Jonny Steinberg. An activist intellectual, Desai is celebrated the world over, for his poignant articulation of stories about struggle, oppression and resistance. Award-winning author Steinberg, writes about experiences about everyday life in the wake of South Africa’s transition to democracy. His debut novel Midlands, about the murder of a white South African farmer,won the Sunday Times Alan Paton Prize in 2003. This panel discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Frederico Settler from the Philosophy department at UKZN.
The festival closes with a look at the pertinent issue with South African writers Shafinaaz Hassim and Kagiso Lesego Molope, in a panel titled Writing Gender Violence. Hassim, a writer, poet and sociologist and driving force behind Johannesburg-based publishers, WordFire Press, recently published a novel on domestic violence titled SoPhia in November 2012, while Molope’s third novel This Book Betrays my Brother raises many gender equality issues prevalent in South Africa, amongst them the perception that women who wear revealing clothing invite sexual advances. Molope’s first novel, Dancing in the Dust, was put on the IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) list for 2006, making her the first Black South African to make the list.
Publishing is undoubtedly one of the central elements in the development of a local literary culture. That said a notable event that has become a significant part of the annual Time of the Writer international writers’ festival, is the Publishing Forum. Taking place on Wednesday, 20th March at the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus, this year’s forum will feature a range of panels on salient issues within the publishing landscape. Topics discussed will cover the magazine industry, maximizing exposure in the world of digital publishing, converting your PhD thesis into a book and what publishers look for in a manuscript.
In addition to the nightly showcases at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, a broad range of day activities including seminars and workshops are formulated to promote a culture of reading, writing and creative expression. This includes the educator’s forum with teachers on the implementation of literature in the classroom, the community writing forum with members of the public interested in literature, visits to schools, and a prison writing programme.
The full programme of activities and other information is available on www.cca.ukzn.ac.za
Take 5– Dave Brubeck Takes A Bow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmDDOFXSgAs
Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck made a career out of defying conventions. The explosive success of 1959′s ground breaking album Time Out, with hit singles Take Five and Blue Rondo a la Turk, owed much to his refusal to settle for playing what was expected. Critics didn’t like the record, but it was loved by the public, which rejuvenated an interest in jazz.
Brubeck, 91, who died Wednesday in Norwalk, Conn., of heart failure, never stopped innovating over a half-century that saw him compose symphonies, classical and religious music, ballets and scores. He was on his way to a cardiologist appointment with his son Darius when he was stricken. He would have turned 92 on Thursday.
In the decade leading up to Time Out, the first million-selling jazz album, Brubeck and his quartet built a strong following playing and recording on college campuses. He became just the second jazz musician to be featured on the cover of Time in 1954 (Louis Armstrong was the first in 1949). In the late 1950s, the band took U.S. State Department tours of Europe and Asia, which influenced them to experiment with the unusual time signatures that made Time Out unique. The album’s success led to further experiments by the Brubeck Quartet and encouraged other artists to break constrictions put on jazz musicians.
In a 2009 interview with USA TODAY, Brubeck said he was more than willing to think outside the box.
“You never know what’s going to work,” he said. “You just go with what you believe in, whether it’s a success or not. I knew Time Out was going to work. I knew it worked musically, and the audience liked it. Blue Rondo is a challenging piece, and many jazz pianists around the world still play that to learn. It still challenges me. Your hands have to be in great shape to play that. Hard for me still.”
Brubeck’s determination to do what he felt was right extended beyond just playing music. After bassist Eugene Wright, an African-American, joined the group, he canceled appearances at venues that were unwilling to hire an integrated band.
The pianist left the quartet in 1967 to pursue a variety of interests. He composed The Light In the Wilderness, which premiered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1968, and The Gates of Justice, a cantata mixing biblical scriptures and quotes from Martin Luther King Jr., in 1969. In 1980, he did Mass to Hope.
He and his wife, Iola, founded the Dave Brubeck Institute at their alma mater, the University of the Pacific, in 2000. Brubeck collected numerous awards, including a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1996, and he was a Kennedy Center Honors recipient in 2009.
Brubeck, who was taught to play piano on his father’s California ranch by his classically trained mother, never stopped performing. He often made concerts a family affair. Four of his six children are musicians, including keyboardist Darius, trombonist Chris, drummer Dan and cellist Matthew.
“On behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts, it is with great sadness that I acknowledge the passing of National Medal of Arts recipient and NEA Jazz Master Dave Brubeck. One of our nation’s greatest and most popular jazz pianists, Brubeck’s experiment with odd time signatures, improvised counterpoint, and a distinctive harmonic approach resulted in a unique style of music. Brubeck became a leader in cultural diplomacy, taking part in the first Jazz Ambassadors program during the Cold War. In a 2006 interview with Dana Gioia about his cultural diplomacy efforts, Brubeck said, ‘One of the reasons I believe in jazz is that the oneness of man can come through the rhythm of your heart. It’s the same anyplace in the world, that heartbeat. It’s the first thing you hear when you’re born – or before you’re born – and it’s the last thing you hear.’His diplomacy efforts led to be the first recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy from the U.S. State Department.We join many others in the jazz community and beyond in mourning the loss of this renowned figure in jazz while celebrating his life and contributions to our nation’s musical legacy.” NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman
Article courtesy of:
Lois Gilbert
Managing Director
JazzCorner.com
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