About

The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP)

The Javett-UP is a partnership between the University of Pretoria and the Javett Foundation. Both share a firm belief in the emancipatory potential of the arts in society through multidisciplinary curatorial and pedagogic initiatives. With one foot firmly rooted in academia, and the other imbedded in the public, Javett-UP critically responds to histories of Africa’s creative outputs and future aspirations of the continent and the diaspora.

Central to Javett-UP is our commitment to continuous de-colonial dialogues that respond to the present whilst considering the historical and the future implications of our political and social actions. Javett-UP is committed to sustained critical enquiries where activities of writers, researchers, advocacy groups, historians, political scientists, musicians, etc can intersect.

Member of

International Council of Museums (ICOM)
South African Museums Association (SAMA)
Visual Arts Network of South Africa (VANSA)
Tshwane Tourism Association (TTA)

Board Members of the Arts Centre Foundation (ACF)

The Javett Foundation Trustees

The nine trustees of the Javett Art Centre Foundation comprise the body that governs the art centre. As a collective, they hold great depth of skill, experience and insight, not only into the art of Africa, but also into managing the business and ensuring inclusivity and diversity remain central to Javett-UP and its work.

Javett-UP aims to grow the creativity that epitomises the continent through permanent and temporary exhibitions, multidisciplinary events and performances, and extensive research and educational initiatives. With one foot firmly rooted in academia, and the other embedded in the community, Javett-UP and its board of trustees work to make the art of Africa accessible, relevant and engaging.

Here are short profiles of the current list of trustees:

Isaac Shongwe (Board Chairperson) is a founder and chairman of Letsema. He was also an executive director at Barloworld. He is a co-founder of the African Leadership Initiative (part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network) and founder of the Young African Leaders Initiative, and is chairman of the Wits Business School Advisory Board. He was educated at Wesleyan University (Connecticut, United States) and Oxford University, where he obtained an MPhil in Management Studies.

Leigh Bregman is a businessman who has worked in finance and investment banking with Rand Merchant Bank and Morgan Stanley. He has a BSc joint honours degree (in philosophy and zoology) from the University of the Witwatersrand; a MS in philosophy from Carnegie Mellon University in the United States; and a doctorate in the history and philosophy of science from University College London. He has a long association with philanthropy through, among others, the Javett Foundation.

Michelle Constant is a well-known media personality (regularly writing opinion pieces for print and digital media and hosting the SAfm weekend breakfast show). She is a former CEO of Business and Arts South Africa; a recipient of the Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (honour of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) from the French government (for her work in culture and the arts); a non-executive director of South African Tourism and the National Arts Festival; and a MPhil student in strategy (at the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science). She believes her purpose and passion lie in promoting the creativity of South Africa.

Catherine Kennedy has been a civil society consultant to the Javett Foundation since 2018. She’s a part-time manager of the Constitutional Court Trust and has been a programme specialist to the United Nations Development Programme in Iraq. She also served (from 2009 to 2016) as director at the South African History Archive. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in information and library science (University of Cape Town) and a University of KwaZulu-Natal Bachelor of Arts degree.

Professor Caroline Nicholson is registrar at the University of Pretoria. She has BProc and LLB degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand; a master’s degree in law from Unisa; is a trained family mediator; and has a postgraduate diploma in alternative dispute resolution. She has been a lecturer in law at Unisa (where she was a founding contributor of the Diploma in Gender Law). During her years at UNISA, Prof Nicholson completed a research Master’s in Law in the field of Banking Law and a Doctor of Laws in Comparative Conflict of Law, focussed on the topic of International Parental Child Abduction. She is a professor of law at the University of Pretoria (UP). She was the first female head of department in the Faculty of Law at UP. She has been a registrar at UP for two years.

Ed Southey is chairperson of the Javett Art Centre Foundation. He is an attorney practising as a consultant to Webber Wentzel in Johannesburg. He was the firm’s senior partner before his retirement in 2007. A former member of the Council of the Law Society of the Transvaal, he served two terms as president, in 1983 and 1984. He was also president of the Law Society of South Africa in 1993. He is a director of a number of companies and a trustee of several trusts, including charitable and educational trusts.

Our Partners

The Javett-UP project would not have come to fruition were it not for the spirit of collaboration between the University of Pretoria and the Javett Foundation. Both share a firm belief in the value of the arts for society in general, and for education in particular.

Material investment from the Javett Foundation and the University of Pretoria provided resources and the impetus to build the centre. Our facility is managed by an independent not-for-profit trust, the Arts Centre Foundation.

Our other partners include:

AngloGold Ashanti
Creative Education SA
The Dippennaar Family Trust
South32
ArtFundi
ABSA L'Atelier

Venue Hire

With a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces, the Javett-UP offers venue hire for private events, educational programmes, launches, symposia and workshops. The centre's distinctive design consists of various exhibition spaces; one of these is in the bridge spanning Lynnwood Road, literally allowing art to connect the university to one of Africa’s most dynamic cities. Towering into the sky, the iconic Gold of Africa Tower brings Africa’s glorious ancient past right into today’s discussion about art and heritage. The Javett-UP was designed by acclaimed South African architects Mathews & Associates.

For more information on spaces and rates, please email: bookings@javettup.com.

Become a member

Please email bookings@javettup.com to find out how and for further information on membership packages, please click here.

Donate

Please email connect@javettup.com to find out how and for further information.

University of Pretoria virtual campus

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