ImpACT Awards, sponsored by Distell Foundation, are given annually to honour young artists that have reached a notable level in their careers and public nominations in the categories of Theatre, Visual Art, Design and Music & Singing were invited. The winners of the annual ACT Awards will be announced at the 17th Annual Awards Ceremony on 25 November 2014, which will also mark the Trust’s 20th anniversary celebrations.
The judges for the impACT Awards, convened by ACT Trustee Caroline Smart, include visual artist David Koloane, fashion designer Eugienie Drakes, jazz musician Herbie Tsoaeli and Moving into Dance Mophatong’s Nadia Virasamy.
The ImpACT Awards finalists for Design are:
Juxtapoz Concept by Sphiwe Giba
Sphiwe Giba is a Johannesburg-based illustrator with a broad knowledge and understanding of trends and movements. Giba thrives on the concepts of innovation and research, seen in his body of creative work. From t-shirts to cushions and a range of homeware, Giba believes his illustrated designs are for people who love, care and appreciate creativity. He established the Juxtapoz Concept in 2012, which is a dynamic creative solutions company and has impressive accolades within the creative and corporate design sector. He began with a Diploma in Brand Communication Management, specialising in Graphic Design, Photography and Multimedia, sealing his academics with Business Administration with Economics. Giba is currently a Managing Director after serving as Senior Manager at Alexander Forbes Design Department, his company serves local and international clientele.
Thabo Makhetha-Kwinana Brand
Photo credit: Mileman Media
Lesotho-born Thabo Makhetha-Kwinana started her own business in 2009. Makhetha-Kwinana graduated from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University with a National Diploma in Fashion Design. She was named as one of House & Leisure Magazine’s 2013 Rising Stars. The Thabo Makhetha brand has showcased designs locally in various Port Elizabeth fashion shows; nationally at the Design Indaba in Cape Town in 2013, and selected as a semi-finalist for the SA Fashion Week Renault New Talent Search. The label was recently invited to showcase the Spring/Summer 2015 collection in Canada, at the Vancouver Fashion Week. The Nelson Mandela Business Chambers have honoured Makhetha- Kwinana as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Achievers of 2014. The Thabo Makheta brand plans to showcase their designs on international and national Fashion Week runways. The company has already begun with plans to roll out an online store to reach the international market.
Shawn Lukas
Shawn Lukas is a freelance designer from Taung, in the North West. He currently works from his apartment in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, which he aptly calls The Shawn Lukas Room. He studied at the National Electronic Media of South Africa and further developed on his other talents such as music production, art and creative writing. Through design, music, writing or painting, Lukas has a keen eye for detail and ensures that nothing gets overlooked. His inspiration is based on nature and simplicity in design aesthetics.
The 2014 ACT Awards ceremony is sponsored by Nedbank Arts Affinity, hosted by Sun International and presented in association with the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO), Media24 Books, Classicfeel Magazine and is supported by the Distell Foundation and Business and Arts South Africa (BASA).