I Wear My Culture” showcases at SoCreative Summit in Johannesburg

THE British Council and Business and Arts South Africa, with the support of the Pan African Creative Exchange (PACE), will host creatives from across Africa tomorrow and Friday at Victoria Yards in Johannesburg, South Africa for the SoCreative Summit 2024.

The summit offers two days brimming with motivation, innovation, big ideas, and valuable networking opportunities.

Among the diverse group of panellists, speakers, and creatives traveling to Johannesburg for the summit is Zimbabwean Gilmore Tee, the curator and project lead for “I Wear My Culture.” This research project utilised fashion, film, and photography to document the decorative methods, colours, motifs, symbols, and sustainable fashion practices of 10 unique ethnic groups from Zimbabwe and 2 UK ethnic groups.

As part of the SoCreative Summit, one of the biggest summits for African creatives, Gilmore Tee will curate an I Wear My Culture exhibition at the Victoria Yards and also join Ethiopia’s Mahlet Teklemariam, Uganda’s Godfrey Katende, Kenya’s Sandra Chege and Zimbabwe’s Chido Kaseke on a panel named Cultural Heritage and Fashion Entrepreneurship, exploring representation, intellectual property and market access.

The I Wear My Culture project which has been supported by the British Council in the past three years, is one of the biggest African projects the council has supported, receiving a lot of global attention through the now award-winning documentary, fashion garments, and the recently launched Look Book featuring high-quality images taken by international acclaimed UK Based photographer – Val Juma.

Said Gilmore Tee: “This opportunity comes at a time when we now need to take, I Wear My Culture to the world and allow people to get an in-depth understanding of the different, unique cultures we have in Zimbabwe, through the documentary, fashion and look book. It’s not only meant to be a one-way, but it’s meant to engage all of us in our different settings and countries to draw similarities in culture and challenge to think of ways to capture our essence and who we are through our artistry.

“We have ourselves to tell our stories in dignified manners, so here is I Wear My Culture to the world. I am extremely honoured to be speaking and also curating a showcase during this prestigious Summit. I am grateful for the belief and opportunity,” he said. Gilmore Tee.

SoCreative Summit is running under the theme, Emergence, which is the ongoing state of change – the raw materials that build and shape our world. This year’s theme reflects a focus on recalibrating existing creative systems and fostering new ways of thinking. – @mthabisi_mthire