The City curates bespoke experiences for each of its projects, as well as for collaborators and clients. These experiences include academic studios, design workshops, seminars, and conferences, as well as expert tours for local government representatives, diplomats, and specialist media. The public is, of course, always welcome, particularly those interested in design, and the urban realm – in South Africa, and our partner cities around the world.
Over the years, The City has organised and contributed to bespoke studios for universities visiting from the United States, Brazil, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, and Japan. The experiences include workshops, seminars, conferences, and expert presentations on topics of our research.
Selected engagements
In 2022, The City hosted a week-long studio with visiting creatives, scholars and activists from the Netherlands and South Africa as part of the See project. Exciting creative and scholarly work resulted from the visit. Given their country’s shared history with South Africa, representatives from the Netherlands continue to engage with The City. The agency has hosted ambassadors and consul generals, as well as teams from design and cultural institutions and various visiting ministries – including Culture and Science, and Foreign Affairs.
In October 2014, The City was commissioned by architect Sir David Adjaye to organise an academic studio for Harvard University. It formed part of a Masters degree elective course on the 21st Century Architecture of Africa and the Diaspora. The module explored post-apartheid Johannesburg, with 13 postgraduate students attending – accompanied by the late Okwui Enwezor, a well known figure in the global art community.