Wendy New is a singer/songwriter. She calls her music new millenium soul blues: http://wendynew.com. Also she is one of the pioneers who introduced shapeshifters to creatives in Johannesburg. After the Shapeshifters world seeding tour brought us to South Africa she wrote this text. It might give you an impression of how it all began in the early days of shapeshifters.
Susan

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The phone rings at 10pm. “Wendy - can you provide some shiatsu to a few visitors from overseas tomorrow?” “Well- yes,” I said - I mean can’t say no to work and a whole bunch of sessions all in one go is always a treat. I should have known right then that anyone who specifically was looking for a shiatsu treatment (and believed it to be a life-giving therapy) would be someone I could quickly connect with. And indeed meeting Eric Poettschacher was a breath of fresh air - a man with a uniquely open mind. After the sessions I gave him a CD of mine on a hunch that he would like the music I write and sing. And yes after a few emails back and forth, him praising the music and my ego sucking up the affirmations, on followed some philosophical discussions and a mention of something he was working on called “Shapeshifters”. He asked me to help set up a briefing for a group in Johannesburg. And so - the seed of Shapeshifters was planted into my world.

Going on a sense that Shapeshifters would generate a new forum for creative professionals, I helped source a bunch of people I thought might be attracted to meet together and discuss this opportunity. Not really knowing what it was all about but increasingly feeling the nauseating onslaught of mass media, MTV, commercial radio, billboards, soap operas and cell phone advertising, I had to hope that this might present a new avenue for free thinkers to join forces and support themselves and others in a more cohesive fashion. I went with my gut and recruited a group comprising a long-haired conservationist, an event manager for festivals like Earthdance, a youth trainer, a design lecturer, a photographer, a cultural activist, a theatre facilitator in human development, a co-ordinator of an independent filmmakers co-op, a drumming facilitator for kids, a TV commissioning editor and a host of other fascinating human beings looking for other ways to do life and business. So I got busy, and after lots of phone calls, emails and fantastic support and enthusiasm from Shapeshifters based all the way in Austria, got a date and venue together. People were sceptical - “is this some kind of new cult group?” was the stock question. “No no no” I emphatically stated though not sure exactly what they were. A few weeks before Eric’s arrival in Joburg, I get the itinerary and discover Joburg is the first stop on a major world tour including cities like Windhoek, Dar-Es-Salaam, Paris, Barcelona, London, Vienna and a bunch of cities in Brazil, Costa Rica and still to come this year, Australia, New Zealand and India. It’s the six degrees marketplace concept.

Then the discovery that there are a series of briefings to take place in the week Eric comes to Johannesburg - one for artists, one for architects, one for fashion designers and one for my mixed bag of dynamos. Why so diverse - some are microbusinesses, some are designers, some are fashion producers, some are building designers, some are business wizards and some are artistes par excellence with plenty business acumen still to learn along the way. What is the common ground? Why are we all being drawn into looking for different ways to realize our dreams and to make money in new and inventive ways which could also be fun and inspirational?.

Day One arrives on February 13th 2006 and we head to the Artists Proof Studio in Newtown hosted by Kim Berman. She brings together a collage of working visual artists - sculptors, community artists, potters and designers to open up to thinking and acting more global and using Shapeshifters as a means to hook themselves up to visual artists all over the world. Many of the participants also had a history in development. In true African style the dial-up online connection (necessary for introducing the Shapeshifters tool) was slow to hook up but by the time it was all explained and set up, people really took to the idea and excitement was palpable in the room. Yay - the debut briefing went pretty damn well.

The next day, February 14th 2006 Reese Mann hosts a briefing at the Fashion District and he includes a tour of the fashion district. Reese is a maverick personality, well-versed in all things artistic and political, and very passionate about creating a fashion district in downtown Johannesburg to generate jobs and opportunities. He has assembled major luminaries in fashion for the briefing and sheds light on the reclaiming of Johannesburg City Centre from dishevelled, neglected streets to the implementation of new buildings, and especially the return of creative industries to the urban centre. Here rides fashion in its proud and sexy African urban experience. Fashion is definitely returning its creative roots to the inner city and designers are setting up shop in the neighbourhood of Pritchard Street and surrounds.

On the third day, February 15th 2006 - architects assemble at Paragon Architects hosted by Henning Erasmus. What does the future of architecture hope for itself? And how can architects across the world inspire one another with new collaborations and cross-cultural influences?

On to the fourth day, February 16th 2006, hosted by me and Christo Van Zyl and certainly the most diverse of groups so far. The briefing was held at a private loft apartment owned by a head honcho at Urban Ocean (inner city estate agents), and home to the yawn local Apprentice reality series with Tokyo Sexwale as principle bore. The venue itself was remarkable, a penthouse of urban visual delight adorned with Jacuzzi plus glass ceiling under the sky, balcony with great urban lookout, sexy and palatial all in one. Many of those gathered were brought to the party by me, while a bunch of others ranging from a rep from the City of Johannesburg to an entrepreneur who has established a jazz café in Harare, to a media designer and a performing arts network representative - were rounded up by referrals to Erich - 25 or so people brought together to create a shared opportunity. At the start it felt like a massive morning tea party which almost needed no other reason to get together other than to wara wara about shared interests. Then down to business in loft style celebration. The briefing was challenging, exciting - many opinions passed and noted and lots of mixed emotions in the room - one small businesses afraid of growing too big, and then all the techno kings quizzical about the Shapeshifters site and its contours. The atmosphere was electric - it felt like we needed to spend a long time noting the similarities, differences and possibilities of building new partnerships and ideas. It was as if it took the seed idea of a man so many miles away from Johannesburg to miraculously bring together a group of like-minded people in a city often shrouded in corporate robes. Eric earnestly reminded all attendees that the inauguration of Shapeshifters in Johannesburg was a careful and deliberate choice and that he was privileged to be here - a city he acknowledges as a pioneer for a new course for the future. Let’s hope we mean the same kind of business he does - from the point of inspiration outward, not from the dollar inward.

So during the Urban Ocean briefing, I get this euphoric feeling like I just met my tribe. I mean as an artist there is an ongoing sense of solitariness that accompanies this lifestyle choice. Hey, when I lived in New York it felt different - I felt like there was a respect and excitement around art and a thriving artistic community that was honoured for its contribution to the spirit of the city and nation. South Africa has made good on corporate money and the aspirations of multi nationals and big business while art and the creative industries are often put on a backseat. How to make fast money is the driving force here. It leaves me with a sense of emptiness and feeling consistently marginalized. So mostly I do my own thing and sometimes it makes a difference and sometimes it doesn’t, but I’ve got to do it for my sanity anyway - so I keep going. But Shapeshifters feels different. This is a community that cares about what we dream and what our creative contributions to the world may be, cares about each individual that dares to dream his/her own creation. And on top of that encourages partnerships between small businesses and the creative industries so that we can all serve each other (right to left brain) in unforeseen capacities and grow exponentially a new ethos for the world.

After the briefing, Christo went on to take us on a tour of city centre developments Urban Ocean have set in motion, the restoration of many buildings and the initiative to build and sell urban apartments at remarkable prices. Yes indeed - residential living in the heart of urban Johannesburg. And it seems to be happening - Sandton has finally run out of space and hip trendoids are relocating to downtown Johannesburg. Perhaps here the throbbing industry of crime will be thwarted by highrises and security cameras. Please God let the police actually get it right somewhere.

And then lunch at Nino’s right in the city - such a great feeling to be amongst the old historical Johannesburg buildings and feel like they have come back to life again. We discussed anything and everything - like being with people you’ve known forever even though we just met, kindred spirits I believe.

Anyway Day 4 starts to feel like the day that goes on forever. After the Urban Ocean briefing, cameraman Damon Berry with assistant Vianne Venter and myself accompany Eric and Anne (Eric’s girlfriend) to a Room with a View. This B&B in Melville is something out of an art movie and I give Eric a mandatory and well-deserved shiatsu. Wow - 4 briefings in 4 days, all new people and many different universes must be something to process. Damon & Vianne have moved on from Shapeshifters to filming the array of parakeets, peacocks and other flamboyant colourful birds parading the garden. I’m beginning to feel that we are far away from South Africa, somewhere time has stopped and the dream is dreaming.

So what is this Shapeshifter thing anyway? I mean let’s get to it. We are surprised at the briefings that it is simply an internet communication tool, but with a global vision. It is a meeting ground that is personal and enriching, actual and virtual. It is a forum for discussion, for interaction and for new business opportunities. And UNESCO have endorsed it, recognizing its potential. But what makes it any different from other interactive sites eg. www.myspace.com or www.squidoo.com - For me what makes it stand apart from the general atmosphere of online communication is it is built on the idea of quality versus quantity, it wants to grow slow and real and effective rather than large and fast and thinned out. In other words start small and mean what you do. If you join, sign in, ask for or describe things that matter to you and then see what comes back at you and which doors open. Then there’s the fact that the initiator of Shapeshifters has taken the time and trouble to introduce himself hands-on across the world. He takes the long and winding geographical road to physically meet and know the people and cultures he invites to become the extraordinary “family” they already are, but don’t yet know the enormity of what they can do as a team. The idea is that these initial “100” briefees will decide the future of Shapeshifters by the way they kick start it.

The next day I get down to business - how the hell does this thing work and trust me, I ain’t the world’s greatest online buff. OK so go to the site at www.shapeshifters.net, I sign on and it’s all very user friendly - what am I - I have to think hard now. This is not about the small stuff - how to pay the rent (pretty big though when you don’t have it). It is about thinking really large - like if I had to die tomorrow what would be the thing I would regret most that I hadn’t done. Sometimes it’s very scary because if we try and fail, we figure we may lose everything, so we don’t try. How do we nail what we’re really going for, the kingpin. The first step was easy for me - I knew what I wanted to ask for but wasn’t sure how to put it down so it would reach people. I am a singer/songwriter with one album to my name so far and my big dream is to play all over the world - small venues, big venues, concerts, street busking, Madison Square Gardens, it doesn’t really matter - as long as I get to travel and keep playing. I think if I’d lived in medieval times I would have been a travelling lute player, a troubadour or maybe a gypsy musician in Eastern Europe in the 1950’s. That would work for me - a little more complex in the 21st century however. So I put it down, upload a photo off my website and whoopee it’s up there.

Trepidatiously I go on to the site a few days later. I’m keen that this should work so I hope that loads of people (especially the ones that came to my briefing) are getting with the program. For me there are already a few leads to clubs and booking agents lots of possibilities to pursue. I think this may work…What strikes me is the people who have signed on are carrying the spirit of real communication. There is a sense of real fun - the choice is to introduce, inspire or interact. The introductions are pretty straight up, people saying who they are what they do - but it doesn’t read like promo or advertising - rather just nuts and bolts of oneself or some fantastic version of what and who one would like to become, like an instant visualization. Then there’s the introduction of ideas or places or organizations eg. an intro to eco papers and printers for the environmentally conscious, a location for photo shoots and videos in Barcelona etc. Some of the inspirations read - sublime and ridiculous security products, new indie fashion designer store near Carnaby Street, an art director from Salvador shares that milk packages are great as insulation for homes, or (I love this) raising funds to convert a boat into an art venue by selling shares in the company at 99 euros a go and so on and so on.

Onto the interactions - a Yemenite astrologer looking to do astrological readings in other parts of the world, someone in Vienna looking to learn African weaving skills, an invite to Friday sessions for exchanging ideas amongst artists, architects and designers in Johannesburg, a Tanzanian fashion designer looking for anyone attending fashion week in Cape Town, a Viennese product development consultant invites viewers to check out an online shop for selling handicrafts, a Buddhist Sri Lankan monk looking for feathers to make hats out of, a writer from Dar es Salaam looking for a publisher, and so it goes on. And best of all - a UK graphic designer looking for footballs made out of socks by streetkids in South Africa & South America.

And then some of the success stories - a newly started scriptwriter gets loads of responses for what books to read, which agent to contact and seems effectively spurred on by the support received for his new endeavour. A product development consultant in Vienna discovers www.architects.com and goes on to attend an earthbuilding workshop, a great opportunity to meet and network with South African architects. By his own admission, Shapeshifters has worked very quickly for him.
A UK fashion designer looking for a fashion contact in Brazil finds exactly what he needs via a South African Shapeshifter. And then there’s a music entrepreneur who has gone on to expand his network of jazz cafes by opening a new one in Johannesburg. And good old me - Shapeshifters has opened up doors to playing in Zimbabwe, Zanzibar and possibly London and Vienna if I can get myself over there someday soon. So some very definite possibilities in all directions…

The next day Eric and Anne and a few others from the briefing come to Betty’s Tea Room to see me and my band play some music in the sun. Kids gather round and sway to the tunes. I’m doing what I know best - playing and singing and disentangling myself from the “real” world. We’re all slightly tipsy from the beer and the boerewors and “shapeshifting” for a week.

A week later Eric and Anne return from Namibia and we meet briefly for a latish snack before they return to Austria. Feels like we’re old friends now - the atmosphere is peaceful, languid, dust settling after all the movement Shapeshifters has created since its arrival. I feel like I just got back from a big trip, met a whole bunch of new friends I can play with, my heart feels wide open and I’m brimming with ideas. I think I’m ready for the new world…