Global Africa Research/Reading Group – ‘The Fold: Fashioning K(New) Narrative’ and ‘Limitations of fashion sizes, and the authenticities of wig/hair’

Event Global Africa Research/Reading Group
Dates: 21 September, 17 November 2023, 19 January, 22 March, 17 May, 21 June 2024
Time: 14:00-16:30 (with drinks from 16:30-17:30)
Location: University of Amsterdam (Room D3.06, Bushuis-Oost-Indisch Huis, Kloveniersburgwal 48)
Coordinators: Fairuzah Atchalo, Liesbeth Kanis, Tommy Tse
Contact & Registration: f.m.m.atchulo@uva.nl
Credits: 1 EC for two sessions

Putting into focus: Africa, China and interactions within the multiple “South(s”)

This reading group is an initiative of The ERC Project China Africa Fashion Power (https://www.chinaafricafashionpower.org/)

Aiming to facilitate critical discussions and dialogues on topics pertaining to “Africa”, and the global South as a whole. In this the Global Africa reading group strives to create a scholarly community that encompasses and accommodates the multitude of studies of and from Africa, and an avenue to keeping abreast with the terrains of discussions pertaining to our theorized notion of “multiple Souths”. This reading group thus combines aspects of a reading group and seminars, and aspires to bring together guest speakers with academic, artistic and/or professional contributions to and affiliations with the China Africa Fashion Power project and Africa, humanities and social sciences faculty members from different universities, Postdoctoral and PhD researchers as well as Master students.

The Fold: Fashioning K(New) Narrative Seminar 

Keynote speakers are Dr. Erica de Greef and Mr. Lesiba Mabitsela; founders of the Africa Fashion Research Institute based in Cape Town (South Africa). Together, they will present their talk on The Fold, a decolonising project that brings the performative act of folding that which is folded away, into focus. This interest in African sartorial practices that involves folds and folding is shaped by an urgent inquiry to remember, rethink and rewrite African fashion histories, and a critical effort to shift perceptions of knowledge-makers and knowledge-making in fashion to the continent. The Fold encompasses three projects that explore notions of afro-sustainability as cultural resilience; folded fashions as archives of indigenous knowledge; and fold-words as languages of remembering, holding, hiding, encompassing, and expressing ideas and identities. Join us for an introduction to enfolded afrocentric research.

Schedule

• 14: 00- 14:15: Introductions of Global Africa and first session (Moderated by Dr. Tommy Tse)
• 14:15- 14:50: The Fold: Fashioning K(New) Narrative ( Dr. Erica de Greef, Mr. Lesiba Mabitsela)
• 4:50-14:55: Second introduction of second session (Moderated by Dr. Jupiter Wei Wang)
• 14:55-15:30: Limitations of fashion sizes, and the authenticities of wig/hair (Ms. Atchulo Fairuzah, Mr. Qidi Feng)
• 15:30- 16:30: Social networking session

About The ERC Project China Africa Fashion Power

Fashion is a recognised significant economic force globally and one of the most poignant indicators of cross-cultural exchange. Thus, the China Africa Fashion Power Project uses everyday fashion (clothes, textiles, hair, cosmetics) as the lens to investigate how China’s global power is manifested, negotiated, and resisted in people’s daily life in Africa (Kenya and Mozambique), the encompassing South-South interactions it creates and thrives upon, and the complex dynamics and expressions of power it exudes. This will be studied by critically examining Africa-China networks of everyday fashion production, trade, marketplace and consumption using a multi-disciplinary, multi-method, multi-sited, and multi-scalar approach, and will theorise how everyday fashion is created, circulated, valuated, and consumed in and through Global Souths Value Chains of Guangdong, Nairobi, and Maputo.

Credits

Research MA- and PhD-students affiliated to one of the Dutch partner universities can earn 1 EC by attending the first two sessions of the seminar. In order to be eligible for these credits, students are expected to prepare readings (please contact the coordinators to receive these in advance of the sessions) and to actively participate in discussions.

Time schedule

The launch session will take place on Thursday 21 September 2023 from 2:00 – 4:30pm in Room D3.06, Buishuis-Oost-Inddisch Huis. All subsequent sessions throughout the next academic year will be organized on Friday (3:00-4:30pm) at BG1 Room 0.16, Turfdraagsterpad 9, 1012XT, Amsterdam.

Drinks and snacks will be offered after each session (4:30 – 5:30pm).

Please contact Ms Fairuzah Atchulo (f.m.m.atchulo@uva.nl) if you would like to discuss your paper or with any contributions you may have.