Published January 20, 2022
The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP) is proud to announce the appointment of Lweendo Hamukoma to the position of Curator of Public Engagement Programmes. Hamukoma will work collaboratively with the Javett-UP curatorial team from conceptualisation to implementation of public programmes, ensuring these programmes are multidisciplinary and allow various entry points for the public from different backgrounds and levels of experiences.
"Lweendo brings the right mix of knowledge, creativity and passion to this role. Her organisational and communication skills position her perfectly within the curatorial team. At the same time, her transdisciplinary approach to the emancipatory potential of the arts in society strategically aligns her with Javett-UP's commitment to decolonial dialogues within the creative economy," says Curatorial Director at the Javett-UP Gabi Ngcobo.
Hamukoma is a feminist activist born in the UK, raised in South Africa, and of Zambian descent. She holds dual honours in Development from both Stellenbosch and UCKAR (Rhodes). Hamukoma is dedicated to developing creative spaces that meld the intersections between innovation, NGOs, and the creative economy. She brings a transdisciplinary approach grounded in black radical imagination to her curatorial practice by utilising equity-centred design.
"The emancipatory potential of the arts will always be of interest to me. I am excited to be a part of the Javett -UP team as the institution navigates the role of the transformational capacity of the arts within society. As Curator of Public Engagement Programmes, my role will be to continue the curatorial dialogue established by my colleagues and embed the Javett-UP’s curatorial message to the broader creative fabric of Pretoria, South Africa and the continent at large. As a collective, we will continue to reimagine affirming futures," stated Hamukoma.
As the Curator of Public Engagement Programmes, Hamukoma will be tasked with developing awareness and meaningful engagement between Javett-UP and its audience within the University of Pretoria, around the city of Tshwane and its surrounding communities and beyond, including in the digital sphere. Lweendo Hamukoma officially started at Javett-UP in January 2022.
Photograph credit: Nonzuzo Gxekwa