Afda launches two cutting edge, collaboration-driven courses for 2021

Afda, The School for the Creative Economy, is proud to launch a one-year, full-time, collaboration-driven postgraduate diploma in innovation for 2021 on our Johannesburg and Cape Town campuses as well as a three-year cutting edge bachelor of creative writing degree course.

Postgraduate diploma in innovation

The diploma will provide students with a rigorous education in convergence of business and technological innovation, equipping students with the necessary skills to identify a business opportunity, apply innovation theory and launch a new business venture using new technology.

The intent of this qualification is to economically boost the creative economy, by hosting an innovation incubator that develops tangible businesses through a diverse cohort of students. As is standard for postgraduate level of studies and will be in this qualification, there is a greater focus on research along with learning outcomes in innovation and entrepreneurship to follow an undergraduate degree. Our understanding in developing a collaboration-driven postgraduate diploma, which can be filled with students from undergraduate degrees of various specialisations and electives, whether in business, entertainment or otherwise, is that diversity enhances innovation. Students will not necessarily learn the foundations of business as an undergraduate BCom may teach, however, should enter the programme with a keen interest in business and entrepreneurship. Students will learn about generating new ideas, researching, innovating and look at applying their previous area of specialization (discipline) or an area of great interest to them into their role as part of a dynamic and diverse group of individuals. This group will collaborate to develop a business model that harnesses their collaborative disciplines.

The campus facilities will offer these business groups a dynamic office space/ innovation lab cultivating a prime environment for start-ups and entrepreneurial development. This includes access to equipment and new technologies such as VR and AR to leverage business opportunities utilising these or other technological mediums.

Core areas of learning:

Ideation studies: Not only will students be taught the rich diversities of theories surrounding business innovation, they will also learn how these contribute to the development of business models that make use of exponential technologies. During this learning process, students will develop the concepts necessary to develop their own innovative business models that can exploit the analogue-to-digital value gap through technological innovation opportunities. They will also be provided with knowledge of the context of business practices in the creative industries, and the role of the creative industries within society at large, with the intent to inform the potential business opportunities they wish to explore.

Discipline studies: Concepts explored in ideation studies will be realised through students' discipline studies where students apply their discipline skills of choice in syndicate groups around a proposed business venture. They research the required discipline skills to enable the innovative business model in the most cost effective and productive manner.

Contextual studies: Driven by the need for critical thinking, collaboration and investing in the world, as well as by the importance of developing rewarding careers and a sense of personal fulfilment, students will lead their own learning in these key 21st century skills required to develop their innovative businesses in productive teams.

Business model studies: Here, students are given the opportunity to systematically apply the concepts and theories explored in ideation studies, the goals they have set for themselves in contextual studies, as well as their chosen discipline, in order to realise a new entrepreneurial venture. They will develop the idea of their business concept, research and test it, activate their business model for market feedback, and then reflect on this feedback, adapting their model in order to prepare for its launch into the real world. This project-led approach to learning allows students to develop a meaningful and productive relationship with the acquisition of new knowledge. Their project is assessed through the student's performance in ideation studies and their navigation of contextual issues during the business development process.

Reflection studies: The project process culminates in reflection studies, guiding students to critically reflect on their experiential project-led learning as the means to evolve their business. Here, students are encouraged to link their theoretical learning and the application of their discipline to the creation of their business, mapping their growth, and deciding how what they have learned will inform their career development, their investment in the world and their own personal fulfilment.

Bachelor of creative writing degree

The South African and global creative industries are undergoing massive growth and diversification, and there is a clear need for creative writing programmes to address and respond to the vast growth of new platforms and media technologies.

The new three-year Afda BA creative writing programme will be structured to be responsive to this rapidly changing landscape, while offering integrated, rather than isolated creative writing projects. It will deliver multi-skilled writers that can create content for a variety of existing and emerging media platforms.

The degree will integrate with other creative economy disciplines like film, television, new media, live performance and music.

Afda's bachelor of creative writing is one of the few fully-fledged undergraduate degrees in this field on offer in South Africa and will supply students with a broad-based skill set and a network of creative practitioners that will increase options for content production and provide career possibilities in the following fields of profession:

• Screenwriting
• Television series writing
• Short story writing
• Playwriting
• Documentary writing
• News and actuality writing
• Copywriting
• Commercial writing and much more

The entry requirements for the bachelor of creative writing is a minimum of a grade 12 bachelor pass with a minimum of 60% for English, and will be offered in full-time and part-time studies.

We're looking forward to having you on board and growing the creative economy with you!

Find out more and apply here: www.afda.co.za