University of Johannesburg Arts & Culture

01/09/2026

🌟 Introducing Joburg Moves Junior 🌟

UJ Arts & Culture, in partnership with Moving into Dance (MID), presents the inaugural Joburg Moves Junior on 22 September 2026.

The festival will give learners in Grades 4 to 6 access to high-quality dance training and the opportunity to perform in a professional theatre environment.

The brainchild of Head of UJ Arts & Culture Pieter Jacobs and MID CEO Nadia Virasamy, Joburg Moves Junior reflects the organisations’ shared commitment to widening access to the arts, nurturing young talent and creating meaningful opportunities for learners through dance.

The programme will also feature a special guest performance by the acclaimed Montreal Steppers from Canada.

Their participation brings an exciting international dimension, allowing learners and audiences to experience a different dance tradition alongside performances by the five participating schools.

Learners from Greenside Primary School, Melpark Primary School, Saxonwold Primary School, Pinnacle College Linden and Blairgowrie Primary School have been working with experienced MID facilitators to develop their dance skills, creativity, confidence and ability to collaborate.

Join us as these young dancers take to the professional stage!

📅 Tuesday, 22 September 2026
🕕 18:00
📍 Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, UJ Arts Centre, Auckland Park Kingsway Campus
🎟️ Tickets: R100

🔗 Book here: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/379924-joburg-moves-junior #/

31/08/2026

Jamaica’s L’Acadco brings 1 LUV to Johannesburg

The University of Johannesburg, in association with the High Commission of Jamaica, Pretoria, welcomes L’Acadco: A United Caribbean Dance Force for a once-off Johannesburg performance at the UJ Arts Centre.

For UJ Arts & Culture, hosting L’Acadco is about more than presenting an international performance. It reflects UJ’s commitment to meaningful cultural exchange while remaining firmly anchored in Africa and the Global South.

Africa and the Caribbean are connected through histories of movement, resistance, creativity and cultural survival. By bringing these contemporary artistic practices into conversation, UJ creates opportunities for students, artists and audiences to engage with our shared histories, appreciate our distinct cultural identities and imagine new possibilities for collaboration.

Through Caribbean folklore, contemporary dance, live rhythm and storytelling, 1 LUV celebrates Black creativity, spirituality and resilience.

Founded by Jamaican dancer, choreographer and cultural scholar Dr L’Antoinette Stines,, L’Acadco has spent more than four decades presenting Caribbean culture on the world stage and building bridges through the arts.

📅 Tuesday, 8 September 2026
🕕 18:00 for 18:30
📍 Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, UJ Arts Centre, Auckland Park Kingsway Campus
🎟️ Entrance is free

Spaces are limited. Book your free ticket directly here -
https://www.quicket.co.za/events/393236-lacadco-a-united-caribbean-dance-force-1-luv #/

28/08/2026

28/08/2026

Applications close soon for UJ Artists in Residence Programme

If you are planning to apply for the University of Johannesburg’s 2027 Artists in Residence Programme, or know an artist-academic who should, now is the time to act.

The programme offers emerging and established artist-academics dedicated time and support to advance their arts practice as research and develop meaningful creative work.

Successful applicants will receive a monthly stipend of R12 000 for the duration of the residency.

Applications close on Monday, 31 August 2026.

Learn more and apply:
https://arts.uj.ac.za/artists-in-residence/

Please share this opportunity with your networks.

27/08/2026

Proud to host a decade of impact through dance.

UJ Arts & Culture is proud to host the tenth anniversary presentation of Enable through Dance, continuing our longstanding and mutually beneficial partnership with Moving into Dance

For ten years, the programme has worked with young people with disabilities across seven special needs schools and organisations in Johannesburg, using dance to nurture confidence, belonging and creative expression.

On 18 September, these young dancers will move from their classrooms onto the professional stage of the Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre at the UJ Arts Centre.

This milestone reflects our shared commitment to widening access to the arts, creating meaningful opportunities for young people and demonstrating the power of artistic practice to advance social and cultural transformation.

Join us as we celebrate ten years of Enable through Dance and the remarkable young performers at the heart of this work.

Friday, 18 September 2026 | 11:00 Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre at the UJ Arts Centre Admission is FREE

Book now: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/394040-moving-into-dance-enable-through-dance-celebrating-10-years #/

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26/08/2026

26/08/2026

FADA Gallery presents Relational Trans_Positions, the 2026 FADA Creative Research Platform exhibition, curated by Dr Farieda Nazier.

Bringing together 11 academics, associates and artists in residence, the exhibition explores how knowledge, meaning and experience are shaped through encounters, translations and exchanges.

Featuring work by Christa van Zyl, Gavin Krastin, John Shirley, Leon Krige, Leora Farber, Martin Bolton, Neil Lowe, Oupa Sibeko, Tobias Barnard, Xylan de Jager and Zinhle Zulu.

Over the next few weeks, we will introduce you to this year’s participating artists and share more about their practices and the work featured in the exhibition.

Exhibition Opening
📅 10 September 2026
⏰ 17:30 for 18:00
📍 FADA Gallery, UJ Bunting Road Campus, Auckland Park

The exhibition will be on view until 9 October 2026, accompanied by a public programme of creative activities, discussions and engagement.

🔗 RSVP via the link in our bio.

26/08/2026

🎭 OPERA LECTURE RECITAL 🎶

✨ Alessandro Baricco with singers from Opera UCT ✨

What if you could discover the history of opera through stories, music and some of the greatest arias ever written? 🎼

Join the Italian Cultural Institute of Pretoria for a special evening with Alessandro Baricco, one of Italy’s most celebrated contemporary writers and a renowned expert on music and opera, together with talented singers from Opera UCT. 🇮🇹🇿🇦

🎤 This is more than a concert! Baricco’s storytelling will guide us through the history of opera, brought to life by performances of beloved arias from the Italian operatic repertoire.

🎶 Featuring music by Cimarosa, Mozart, Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini and Puccini, performed by singers from Opera UCT, with Dr Lisa Engelbrecht on piano.

📅 Friday, 2 October 2026
🕡 6:30 PM
📍 UJ Arts & Culture, Johannesburg

🎟️ FREE EVENT – BOOKING ESSENTIAL

Seats are limited — reserve your free ticket now!

👉 Book your free ticket via link in bio

🇮🇹 Presented by the Italian Cultural Institute of Pretoria in collaboration with Opera UCT.

20/08/2026

A new generation of dancers is getting ready to take the stage. ✨

University of Johannesburg Arts & Culture, in partnership with Moving into Dance (MID), proudly presents the inaugural Joburg Moves Junior on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, at the Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, UJ Arts Centre.

Created for Intermediate Phase learners in Grades 4 to 6, Joburg Moves Junior gives young people access to high-quality dance training and the opportunity to perform in a professional theatre environment.

Learners from Greenside Primary School, Melpark Primary School, Saxonwold Primary School, Pinnacle College Linden and Blairgowrie Primary School have been working with experienced Moving into Dance facilitators to develop their dance skills, creativity, confidence and ability to collaborate.

The evening will also feature a special guest performance by the acclaimed Montreal Steppers from Canada, adding an exciting international dimension to the programme and introducing learners and audiences to a different dance tradition.

For many of the participating learners, this will be their first opportunity to perform on a professionally equipped stage. More than a once-off performance, Joburg Moves Junior is an investment in the future of dance in Johannesburg, creating stronger connections between schools, communities, higher education and the professional arts sector.

Join us as we celebrate the creativity, courage and potential of Johannesburg’s young dancers.

📅 Tuesday, 22 September 2026
⏰ 18:00
📍 Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, UJ Arts Centre, Auckland Park Kingsway Campus
🎟️ Tickets: R100

Book your tickets here:
https://www.quicket.co.za/events/379924-joburg-moves-junior #/