Interview: FAME Week Africa’s Judy Goddard

FAME Week Africa will also feature new products, knowledge sharing and business networking opportunities aimed at unleashing opportunities to an industry ready for new prospects. The event organiser, Reed Exhibitions Africa, has partnered with the City of Cape Town to make the event a success while promoting the city’s creative industry.

Music In Africa caught up with FAME Week Africa event director Judy Goddard to get an idea of what delegates can expect from the the inaugural event.

MUSIC IN AFRICA: What is FAME Week Africa and what does it represent?

JUDY GODDARD: FAME Week Africa is a safari of events where film, art, media and entertainment come to life. It is set to be a thought-altering and all-encompassing experience in the host city of Cape Town, with creatives and industry professionals working in the film, arts, media, entertainment sectors. It includes a conference programme, exhibitions by day and enchanting festivals by night. It features the red-carpet FAME Reel Talent Showcase, live music, theatre performances, film screenings and exclusive high-end networking opportunities. FAME Week Africa brings together four industry sectors under one platform due to an overlap in the industry where many actors, artists, film directors, producers and entertainers dabble across genres. As the industry moves to a more digital environment, there is an even greater collaboration and interest. It is a pan-African event where the vision is to tell and take African content to a global stage.

What is FAME Week Africa’s vision?

The year 2021 is our launch year and our September event is planned to bring together VIPs, industry stakeholders, the media and passionate delegates to be a part of the inaugural event. The vision is very much around collaborations and aligning opportunities. The event has presented itself as a natural theme following the impact of COVID-19 over the last year and a half.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted many music events across the continent, with many showcases adopting the hybrid or virtual format. How are you planning to organise the event under these circumstances?

We have been closely monitoring the situation, both locally and abroad, and we had to make some changes to our dates and event structure. The event will comprise a hybrid model where we will have our live content sessions and pop-up experiences happening in person in and around Cape Town, where we are supported by our phenomenal operations director, Carmen Wagener, who will ensure that we adhere to all restrictions. The virtual component will consist of pre- and post-event podcasts, industry news and interviews – this will be homed on www.fwaconnect.com.

What should we look out for at the event?

We are looking forward to some big announcements, some exciting content sessions, experiences around Cape Town and City Sightseeing red bus tours featuring a film and arts route, masterclasses and mentoring sessions, and of course, the FAME Reel Talent Showcase event. Expanding on the FAME Reel Talent Showcase will feature the best in African talent in the film, arts, media and entertainment industries. Based on various criteria, the showcase will welcome emerging talent and give them an opportunity to share their creativity with industry influencers. The aim is to form a platform for creatives in Africa to be seen and acknowledged by industry stakeholders, to showcase their work and to explore possible opportunities with industry leaders. Based on the motivation, category outline and criteria, we will select the submissions that will be profiled during the FAME Reel Talent Showcase.

FAME Week Africa says it is set to become the continent’s ‘unrivalled cornerstone of business development for the film, arts, media and entertainment industries.’ How does your organisation plan to achieve this?

Through a lot of hard work, key partnerships, the guidance of our advisory board and overall industry support. The international brands that we will be bringing to the event will also be key in how we plan to achieve this.

What do you foresee in the next 10 years of FAME Week Africa?

I foresee an event that grows from strength to strength and that becomes the go-to event for creative professionals across the film, arts, media and entertainment pillars in Africa.

Where can fans access tickets to attend FAME Week Africa?

Tickets for the City Sightseeing can purchased from the official website and conference sessions can be accessed via Quicket. Both these platforms will be going live with FAME Week Africa ticket sales in early September. Watch this space!

Apply for the FAME Reel Talent Showcase here.