Graduation Dinner, Fashion Extravaganza and TLTL Awards

CFAD (Centre for Fine Art Animation and Design) in Durban’s CBD will host their Annual Graduation Dinner, Fashion Extravaganza and TLTL Awards Ceremony at the DLI Hall in Greyville on August 21st.

The coveted event – now in its ninth year – sees three significant events rolled into one fabulous evening. A sit-down banquet in the atmospheric DLI Hall provides the backdrop for the Centre for Fine Art Animation and Design’s most important annual event.

A highlight of the evening is the tertiary institution’s acknowledgment of unsung heroes instrumental in weaving the complex fabric of our community. “The TLTL - Too Little Too Late - Awards are given to individuals who contribute unselfishly to the community without the recognition they deserve. Most South African artists have highlighted the plight of the struggle for freedom, and through their work people were able to break the silence,” said CFAD founder Nanda Soobben.

This year the TLTL awardees are The Consulate Six – Billy Nair, George Sewpersad, Archie Gumede, MJ Naidoo, Paul David and Mewa Ramgobind. These six political activists protested against Britain’s strong ties with the then South African government and as a protest action “took refuge” in the British Consulate building in Durban – some of them for up to ninety days. This act of defiance helped to put the anti-apartheid issue firmly on the international agenda. Interestingly Paul David is also a 2009 recipient of a Satyagraha Award: The Mahatma Gandhi annual Award for Reconciliation and Peace.

The Edge Award, also to be presented at this gala evening, for Art and Media achievement goes to Karen Bradke of ArtSPACE Durban and Berlin. Bradtke is a tireless promoter of local art-makers and with the opening of artSPACE Berlin, she acts as a conduit for South African art abroad and showcases international art locally. This award celebrates her contribution and pays tribute to local heroes who have received little or no recognition in the media.

The formality of the institution’s graduation and awards ceremony is a counterpoint to the fun, fantastical and frivolous organic fashions created by undergrad design students that address the challenges of waste with a focus on recycling. This year the designers are all working to the theme of Superheroes to be interpreted literally, figuratively or symbolically.

“Started in 2000, this fashion design project is an opportunity to stretch the creativity of the graphic design students and to explore a unique solution to the age-old problem of pollution,” says Krish Moodley, CFAD Academic Director who devised the fashion show concept.

Krish Moodley also the show’s executive producer, Danny Moodliar fashion maestro, and CFAD staff Larina Naicker, Mischen Lutchman and student volunteers, will be assisting with the evening’s overall creative success. The garments will be shown on a ramp, but will also be presented as an integral part of a dramatic extravaganza, mixing live action with big screen images.

The Centre for Fine Art, Animation and Design (CFAD) is a tertiary institution that offers training in fine art, animation (2D and 3D) and graphic design. The CFAD was established in 1994 by world-renowned cartoonist, illustrator and journalist Nanda Soobben. It is from a need in the community that the institution was born. Nanda Soobben, academic head Krish Moodley and a team of dedicated artists and designers have developed the institution into a leading centre of design excellence in Durban. Today, students from as far a field as USA, Japan, India, Botswana and Zimbabwe are registered at the institution. As part of its commitment to quality education, the institution is provisionally registered with the Department of Education, SA Qualifications authority and the council on higher education as a private higher education institution.

For more info about CFAD, or to secure your space at the Graduation Dinner, contact Sasha on 031 305 2480 or visit www.cfad.co.za