Masters in Digital Arts student Ms Bhavna Pather has been awarded a research scholarship from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium.

Said Pather in reaction: ‘I hope this leads to brighter and greater things in my career, knowing that the experiences I receive from this opportunity are once in a lifetime.’

The scholarship is part of a collaborative two-year project between Digital Arts in the School of Arts, the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) and the Artesis Plantijn University of Applied Sciences in Antwerp. The project is funded by the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR).

Pather will be involved in ‘researching ways of developing and improving open-source software to be introduced into our own curriculum in South Africa. The skills and knowledge I gain from this experience will assist with my studies. I feel honoured to represent the discipline of Digital Arts and look forward to the experiences I will gain from my time spent abroad.’

Digital Arts senior lecturer Dr Michelle Stewart is the South African research team leader.

With the support of the CCA, Digital Arts along with the Belgian team will be taking part in some exciting events in South Africa over the next two years. The project theme is: Collaborative Drawing Technology: A Step Towards ‘Digitisation for Development’ in Urban Communities through the Creative Arts.

The first of these events takes place during the CCA’s Artfluence Human Rights Festival in May.