The Centre for the Less Good Idea Begins Work on Collation 5 This July

The Centre for the Less Good Idea in Maboneng launches the first round of workshops for its latest performance series, Collation 5, this July 2026. The project brings together artists, musicians and performers to develop a collection of experimental live works inspired by archival film, early colour photography and contemporary visual media.

The workshops mark the beginning of a collaborative creative process that will culminate in a public performance at the Centre in October. Audiences will get a rare opportunity to experience the work as it evolves. Here’s what you need to know:

The Centre for the Less Good Idea Collation 5 in Johannesburg | What's on in Joburg — Anathi Conjwa (back) and Katlego Letsholonyana (front) in ‘Burial’. Photographer – Zivanai Matangi

What are the Centre’s Collations?

Under the artistic direction of composer, librettist and curator Neo Muyanga, The Centre for the Less Good Idea has introduced Collations as a recurring series of performance-led projects that encourage experimentation across artistic disciplines.

Each Collation is built around a central idea, theme or artistic method, bringing together performers, musicians, visual artists and theatre-makers to explore new ways of working. Rather than presenting finished productions from the outset, the process prioritises collaboration, improvisation and creative discovery.

The series has explored everything from radio plays and silent cinema to sound, movement and live performance. Four Collations have been produced to date, with the first three forming part of the Centre’s eleventh performance season in late 2025.

Exploring archival film through performance

For its fifth edition of Collation, the Centre turns its attention to archival moving image and photography, using these historical materials as a backdrop for newly created musical and theatrical works.

The workshops will continue the Centre’s exploration of shadow theatre and the theatrical illusion known as Pepper’s Ghost, a 19th-century stage technique that uses reflections and carefully controlled lighting to create ghost-like projections and layered visual effects. Working on a larger scale than previous iterations, the project will see an ensemble of performers and musicians interacting directly with archival film and photographic imagery in real time.

The completed performances will be presented at The Centre for the Less Good Idea from 15 to 17 October 2026.

See the creative process at the Open Moment

Following the July workshops, audiences are invited to attend one of The Centre’s popular Open Moments on Friday, 31 July. These informal work-in-progress presentations offer a glimpse into the creative process before a production reaches the stage. Rather than polished performances, Open Moments invite audiences to witness new ideas, rehearsals and artistic experiments as they develop.

This edition will showcase the discoveries made during the Collation 5 workshops, with a focus on Pepper’s Ghost and shadow theatre. The session will be led by Neo Muyanga, William Kentridge and Bronwyn Lace.

Cost: R150pp, book online

When: Friday, 31 July, at 7pm. Duration, 60 to 90 minutes
Where: The Centre for the Less Good Idea, Arts on Main, 264 Fox St, Maboneng, Johannesburg