In 2018 MAP embarked on a new cross-cultural collaboration between UK and SA connecting professional artists and students from Nelson Mandela University, Jazzart Dance Theatre and Rambert School. MAP supported a team of UK artists including a student from Rambert School to travel to South Africa and join an expanded Moving Assembly teaching team made up of students and professional Artists in South Africa resulting in the creation of new work and the delivery of free workshops in dance and photography.

The expanded artistic team facilitated MAPs programme workshops with 160 inexperienced youth in the northern areas of Port Elizabeth leading to a stage performance, alongside the professional artistic team. The photography workshops lead to the exhibition of photographs in the Foyer of the Port Elizabeth Opera House featuring photographs of the students in rehearsal as well as the students’ own photography.

The assembly team were a diverse mix of artists, musicians, students and a spokenword artist. The overall project, multi-layered in scope, afforded a creative and cultural learning experience as well as provided a platform for the artists to research, create and perform alongside on stages in Grahamstown at the National Arts Festival of South Africa and on the oldest Opera House stage in Southern Africa, the PE Opera House. The performance was awarded a Standard Bank Ovation Encore award in recognition of its merit.