THINKING IN MONTEVERDI with William Kentridge, Neo Muyanga, and The Centre for the Less Good Idea.

At the end of May 2025, The African Renaissance Ensemble embarked on a collaborative exploration of music and film, collaborating with William Kentridge and Neo Muyanga, hosted by The Centre for the Less Good Idea. The project pushed the musicians and audiences outside of our comfort zones, experimenting with the music in novel ways.

Over the course of the workshop, Kentridge tested a series of animations which are being developed as part of his new opera project, l’Orfeo, alongside a series of performed works by The African Renaissance Ensemble, headed by musical director Adam H. Golding. 

The participating artists also engaged in a process of collaboratively workshopping a South African response to select compositions by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi, through the compositions of Muyanga and in collaboration with Centre artists, Xolisile Bongwana, Nokuthula Magubane, Mapule Moloi and Micca Manganye.

The Open Moment emerged from this context and formed an opportunity for audiences to witness the research, experimentation, and collaborative processes that took place between the artists during the five-day workshop, as well as the outcomes thereof. The recording of this culmination can be viewed above.

Photography by Zivanai Matangi