ABSA

THE CHALLENGE

As South Africa becomes increasingly polarised, so do work environments, which ultimately disconnects us from one another and our customers.

In some cases we develop a complacent and reactive corporate persona.

We needed to introduce an experience that encourages bold, industry-defining steps toward innovation. The risk of failure and a very uncertain climate should be embraced to build confidence in decision-making.

WHAT WE CURATED

The setting for an uncertain environment was created when we immersed predominantly analytically minded bankers in a creative space. We curated an immersion of the inner-city of Johannesburg through the Creative Arts.

We produced a list of notable South African authors, locations around the inner-city for props, and strict appointments with mentors. The groups had half a day to produce a theatrical, spoken word performance to a theatre full of children in The Hillbrow Theatre.

The added pressure set the scene for a proactive engagement. The performances were amazing and exceeded everyone’s expectations. The debrief not only illustrated greater confidence but also grew theatre appreciation.