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11 May 2023 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Eco-vehicle Race
Join the UFS on 13 May 2023 at 09:00 (student performances at 09:00 and race at 10:15) on the road around the UFS Odeion School of Music for the annual Kovsie ACT Eco-Vehicle Race. Don't miss out on this incredible display of endurance; support your favourite team to victory!

Kovsie ACT at the University of the Free State (UFS) is presenting the sixth Kovsie Eco-Vehicle Race this year.

Come and show your support for our students who will be representing our colleges and three campuses, along with the Central University of Technology. Be a part of the action:

Date: Saturday 13 May 2023
Time: 09:00 Performances by student artists
Time: 10:15 Official start of Eco-Vehicle Race
Venue: UFS Odeion School of Music parking area

The Eco-Vehicle Race represents the last phase of a nine-month co-curricular skills programme, providing our students with a set of skills that prepare them for the world of work. 

In this programme where students are equipped with basic knowledge and skills on sustainable energy, they get the opportunity not only to race the eco-vehicles, but to also understand the workings of the vehicle, which is critical for repairs done by the team during the race. 

Our students will be competing in three events:

  • Obstacle course: Teams will be challenged by obstacles to test their control over the car.
  • Smart lap: A timed lap in which the drivers take the main track for the first time.
  • Endurance race: The teams need to finish as many laps as possible using the least amount of energy in 45 minutes. 
The winners of the three events will each receive a trophy. There will be a trophy for the best pit stop as well as a spirit cup for the team with the best energy and support from the audience.

Come and support our students as they showcase their ingenuity and endurance. Don't miss out on the action! For more information, click here to contact Jady Carelse.

Car manufacturers will also exhibit hybrid/electric vehicles; come and view the exhibition and learn more about how these cars work and their benefits.

News Archive

Art2 + x [science] = 2 continents fused
2014-04-02


Left: Diamandini by Dr Mari Velonaki. Right: 'Muslim Hairdrying' by Cigdem Aydemir.

Mzanzi resistance art is set to fuse with Australian interdisciplinary art in an experimental ‘boiling pot’ – right here on our Bloemfontein Campus.


Program for Innovation in Artform Development (PIAD)

Kovsies and the Vryfees forged a highly-innovative link between South African and Australian artists by establishing the Program for Innovation in Artform Development (PIAD). Together we are embarking on a three-year collaboration to see what happens when experimental and community arts are fused.

The project includes intercultural laboratories, art and science exchange programmes, public forums as well developing and presenting experimental art.


Art(ist)s meet science(tists)

For the first time, two Australian artists will visit our Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences in an exchange programme. The one is Dr Mari Velonaki, director of the Creative Robotics Lab at the University of New South Wales. The other is Dr Nigel Helyer, an honorary research fellow at the SymbioticA biotechnology lab at the University of Western Australia.

Dr Velonaki will explore new links between humans and computers that are community orientated. She will work closely with Prof PJ Blignaut and the Department of Computer Science and Informatics. In turn, Dr Helyer will investigate genetic coding and intercultural musical compositions. He will collaborate with Prof J Albertyn at the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology.

Vryfees 2014 and 2015 will also see contemporary and highly-experimental works from renowned Australian artists Cigdem Aydemir and Jess Olivieri. In addition, the festival will present OPENLab – a new national laboratory for early and midcareer artists and creative practitioners interested in making art in the public realm.

The programme is the result of a close partnership between the Vryfees and Situate Art in Festivals, managed by Salamanca Arts Centre in Australia (www.situate.org.au).

It also enjoys the support of:

  • Australia Council for the Arts;
  • NSW Artists Grant Scheme administrated by the National Association of the Visual Arts LTD;
  • Situate Art in Festivals;
  • National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund and
  • Modern Art Project SA.

For more information on Piad visit www.vryfees.co.za or https://www.facebook.com/pages/PikoPiad/1435158293383474.

 

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