Type of initiative, mission and objectives

PULSE is an artist run initiative founded by Durban based visual artist Greg Streak. PULSE is linked to the international umbrella network RAIN – the brainchild of the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. RAIN consists of six other artist run initiatives all based in developing countries including Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mali and Mexico.
• The aim of PULSE is to create platforms for cultural cross-pollination
through annual projects.
• PULSE endeavours to establish and strengthen relationships with other developing countries in an attempt to re-address those historically marginalized.
• PULSE also seeks to have dialogue with the centre, however with projects initiated in South Africa, it also looks to shift the previous bias of the "centre" dictating debate and rhetoric by shifting context and therefore the perceived position of power (the "centre" has usually always addressed the "margins" in the centre according to its own perceptions of the "margin").
• PULSE looks to address critical contemporary debates that carry credence at the time. It therefore does not prescribe a long term "schedule" of projects.
• PULSE looks to include emerging cultural producers in order that there be further visibility and exposure and that quality is not compromised.
• PULSE is not aligned to any political organisation and strives towards presenting projects around proposals for the future.
• PULSE looks to address local isolation by encouraging participation of visual artists from different regions in South Africa.
• PULSE is aware of the poor visual arts literacy in South Africa and through intensive education programmes looks to address this. Artist lectures and walkabouts aimed at schools, art schools, general public are organised within an intensive schedule during the projects duration.
• PULSE attempts to produce a quality publication and in future documentary videos of the projects. The publications include transcriptions of all papers delivered at the conferences as well as an overall visual / text summary of the projects. This is seen as critical within a country where so little information is available about contemporary South African Art. PULSE therefore sees these publications as an addition to a paper thin archive. The publications are sold well below cost price to ensure access to all.


Internal organization of the initiative and human resources

PULSE has been the labour of love of visual artis Greg Streak who has taken the roles of project conceptualiser, fundraiser, travel agent, tour guide, documentation, curator, artist, accountant, etc. - Collaborations within projects are restricted to basic INETERCATIONS. The last project involved voluntary art students who facilitated in the participant with the production of their works. It is difficult to acquire quality input in the project because of a lack of funds to pay people for their time and energy.

Maximum and minimum projection of the initiative's objectives

In order for PULSE to continue, funds need to be acquired, not only to secure the project logistics, but over and above these funds to pay for administration costs and the employment of people to facilitate in the project co-ordination.4-The point of view of the community PULSE is aimed for on the initiative.

Education:
1. Five senior students from the Technikon Natal work as one on one assistants with some of the participating artists throughout the duration of the project. Aside from the personal experienced gained by these students, it also formed a part of their formal curriculum in that it was considered a major part of their Professional Practice in which all senior students have to engage a set number of hours with an art related activity outside of the confines of the institution.
2. Three schools from the NSA Galleries education outreach programme responded to the
invitation of a personal walkabout. Each school brought approx. 15-25 children between the ages of 8 –10 , and of mixed race. PULSE sees these forums as valuable opportunity to educate, at grass-roots, about the visual arts.
3. Four separate walkabouts were held with the Technikon Natal Art School –addressing the different years as well as a more specific walkabout for senior students who had to write an essay of the VIOLENCE exhibition as within the context of Post-modern discourse.
4. One massive walkabout was conducted in Nieubethesda (with all the participating artists) with a convoy of 10 vehicles and about 130 people all residents of Nieubethesda and the township of Pienaarsig.

Programme and projection for 2003

For next year I want to work on a rural organisation that deals with HIV positive and traumatised kids. The idea is tricky because I am not interested in social work. Rather I would like to develop a project whereby the selected artists work in and around the centre bettering lives of these people but by making real work. By this I mean works that retain poetry and concept but integrate into the community centre.

Curriculum Vitae of the initiative

• founded in february, 2000 by Greg Streak.
• October 2001 - OPEN - CIRCUIT - mini conference at Technikon Natal,
Durban, South Africa.
• October - November 2000 : OPEN-CIRCUIT : group exhibition of
International and South African artists.
• February 2001 : OPEN CIRCUIT (closing) - exhibition (Jo Ractliffe - South
Africa and Sebatian Diaz Morales - argentina )
• 60 page publication of both exhibitions and transcriptions of all papers
at conference
• PULSE represented in publication : Silent Zones
• July 2002 : VIOLENCE - group exhibition at N.S.A. gallery in Durban (4
international artists / 4 South African Artists)
• July 2002 : SILENCE - group exhibition in Nieubethesda . Great Karoo,
South Africa (4 international artists / 4 South African Artists)
• July 2002 : Violence / Silence - mini conference
• November 2002 : VIOLENCE / SILENCE - culmination exhibition at US Gallery
in Stellenbosch, Capetown.
• November 2002 : Launch of publication and documentary video of Violence /
Silence project.
• July 2003 : PULSE invited to Jakarta Video Festival