Lesley Perkes

Activist, Artist, Blogger, Change agent, Idea generator, Performer, Producer, Writer/Editor

Management complex projects and innovation. Management across all arts disciplines. Management also in marketing (advertising, public relations) sector brought to bear in creative industry in South Africa where professional skills are scarce. Specialities Creative concept development Working alone but especially collaboratively Working with an artist / teams and producing on their behalf Focus on management of arts initiatives in public places. Policy and procedure development in South African creative sector. Urban regeneration and arts. Marketing and arts. Liaison across spectrum of players from artists to government leaders, ceo's and clerks, ministers and minstrels. Work with arts across vastly different environments - urban, rural, wealthy, poverty stricken. 2003 - CURRENT - CEO, AAW! ARTS PROJECT MANAGEMENT, JHB, ZA Public arts management, all arts disciplines from live performance and events to temporary and permanent visual installations. AAW! is a South Africanism, often used as an exclamation of surprise or disbelief. The double life est 1961 to date: #lesfolies, #lesmots #lesmiserables has many manifestations all collected as @lespersonas, together sometimes even with Les Perkes who is often too busy playing business-business which is a great part. Publishes on www.lesfolies.posterous.com and is unpredictable. Speaker-Performer Pitch-black strategic stand-up (or lie-down) comic-tragedy (complete) Strategic sessions for corporations and communities about arts, identity, place-making, neighbourhood, imagination HONOURS + AWARDS 2011 Nominated for FOUR Business & Arts South Awards for Cratefan Sculptural Installations; Fields of Flowering Hands; Joburg Art City 2010 2009 Sandton Central Business & Arts South Africa Award for Strategic Arts Programme 2007 Sunday Times Business & Arts South Africa Award for Best Use of New Commissioned Art - Awarded to client for project managed by AAW Art Project Management. 2001 Cell C Business & Arts South Africa Award for Cell C For The City - Giant Art Wraps on 35 Buildings in inner city Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town

My son. Family. Friends. Love. Kindred Spirits. Neighbourhood. The arts in public places. Surprises. Moments of bliss. Impossible spaces. Imagination and neglected places in people's hearts and minds

See my TED audition to hear about an idea worth spreading: making a bed the whole world can share in, reinventing rubble. Here it is: http://talentsearch.ted.com/video/Lesley-Perkes-Making-a-bed-the;TEDJohannesburg

Activist, performer, Poet & Writer, Producer - Artist - Director, Public Art, Public Art commissioning, public art design and master planning

There are many reasons why I want to realise a space for neighbourhood target practice on the turbo-charged TED stage. I think TED is a wonderfully resourceful place in the world from which to spread the kind of good mischief that results in people feeling better about themselves especially in the context(s) of the atmosphere in which we all live and work. From a South African perspective it's high time to show that we are not just a nation of bidders on other country's great ideas but also, an explosively imaginative part of the world that has an abundance of creative and intellectual capital to offer - and that we are not afraid to get our hands filthy dirty. I doubt any one idea can change the world, but I do think we have the power to change the way we feel about living in it. We don't have to get used to sadness and neglect. Anyone can suddenly find ways to become initiative - and act. Aside from being good for neighbourhood and kin, ideas like this are good for the heART.

Finding ways to combine performance and strategy to motivate people to become initiative - and act. Finding ways to realise a global platform to make good mischief in abundance. Getting a life.