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In constant redefinition of itself, gusher* is… curating and creating work within independent film, music and art at-large by connecting artists & defining independent creative scenes in South africa and beyond—this timeline traces where we’ve been, where we went and where we’re headed, building a future for alternative music, film, and art.
over the years
GUSHER* began as an open submission platform in 2020, archiving and sharing a diverse range of music, art, and video. The project quickly grew into a vibrant creative community, offering emerging artists a space to connect and showcase their work. Through a curatorial approach, GUSHER* redefined traditional media formats, presenting experimental visuals and collaborative projects that blurred the lines between art and culture. Over the years, the platform evolved, expanding into music curation, film production, live events, and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Looking ahead, GUSHER* aims to further bridge fragmented creative scenes in South Africa, with plans for a physical space and major events that will continue to push the boundaries of independent culture.
2020: The Beginning
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GUSHER* was founded as an open submission platform, using Instagram, SoundCloud, and YouTube to archive and publish a diverse range of music, art, and video submissions. The project fostered a growing creative community, allowing emerging artists to share their work, connect, and engage locally and globally.
Through a curatorial approach, GUSHER* challenged traditional ideas of art, presenting photographs, obscure visuals, selfies, and experimental media with titles and mediums, mimicking gallery exhibitions. Community-driven content expanded into album reviews, artist recommendations, and G-FLIX, a collaborative film and series recommendation project that gained traction during lockdown. This laid the foundation for GUSHER*’s future engagement with film culture.
2023: Music Releases & Expanding Not School*
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GUSHER* released its first official compilation album, Memory Disk Vol.1*, accompanied by a listening party in collaboration with The Other Records (the now-closed sister company of The Other Radio). This event solidified GUSHER*’s presence in the independent music scene, offering a space for artists and audiences to convene.
The second iteration of Not School took place in June 2023, in collaboration with Common Propaganda, a research facility documenting Africa and diaspora communities. This edition shifted Not School into a participant-driven format, where learning became a shared experience rather than a traditional top-down approach. This informed GUSHER*’s current approach to co-learning, integrating open contributions, collective participation, and experimental pedagogy.
GUSHER* also MADE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE 2023 SEARCH FESTIVAL, COLLABORATING WITH SNIFF TO PRESENT A LIVE DRAWING EXPERIENCE. ADDITIONALLY, WE PREMIERED A DRAFT OF OUR first FILM AND SCREENED WORKS BY SEVERAL INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS. THIS EVENT MARKED THE FINAL PROJECT OF 2023.
2021
Expanding into Music Curation
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GUSHER* continued as an open submission platform, further solidifying its role in alternative curation and community-building. The focus on independent alternative music deepened, with regular SoundCloud picks and digital compilations spotlighting emerging artists.
The launch of GUSHER FM* marked a significant milestone. The first episode aired on Hamshack Radio, featuring 20+ independent artists. This initiative later expanded to The Other Radio and Lilies Radio, with a total of eight episodes forming the first season—featuring approximately 120–150 artists from South Africa and beyond. Each episode delivered almost an hour of curated music, blending an ironic twist with larger-than-life radio host characters, playfully reinterpreting traditional broadcasting.
2024
Cinema & Cross-Disciplinary Collaborations
To extend access to its growing film community, GUSHER* re-premiered the short film in early 2024 at the Gorgeous George Hotel in Cape Town, creating a space for filmmakers and audiences to engage in discussions. This experience ignited interest in developing Cinema Labs—a space for writers, directors, and actors to workshop scripts, explore DIY filmmaking, and hold discussions around independent cinema.
Additionally, GUSHER* released a fundraising compilation album for Palestine, Congo, and Sudan, featuring artists like Kujenga, Desire Maria, Lover Buffet, and Sonder the Africanime. The album premiered on Radio Alhara, a Bethlehem-based station, marking GUSHER*’s first international radio feature.
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2026
A New Era — The launch of our Physical Space, music and
film Festivals
With the support of The Index network, GUSHER* aims to open it’s first physical space in October 2025, leading to a formal launch on it’s sixth anniversary in 2026 (13 January 🥳).
GUSHEr HQ* will serve as:
A venue for live music, film screenings, and exhibitions.
A hub for co-learning and creative workshops.
A network, community and meeting point for alternative creative communities in joburg.
A self-sustainable studio for music and film production.
one of our main goals is to host our first annual music festival ‘the third place festival’ By july/august 2026, through the Ballantine’s true music fund, incorporating live-streamed performances, interdisciplinary collaborations, independent film screenings and ‘not school sessions':and experimental staging.
With support from the index nodes, initiatives like these, GUSHER* holds immense potential to be a defining force in South Africa’s alternative creative landscape, and the global south’s, bridging fragmented scenes in music, film, and art, and offering a sustainable space for collaboration, education, and artistic growth.
2022: Website Launch & Diversification
March 2022 marked the launch of the GUSHER website*, coinciding with a GUSHER FM episode premiere* on The Other Radio. This milestone introduced a publishing platform, expanding GUSHER* into editorial work, music curation, and alternative journalism.
• G-FLIX evolved into a weekly film recommendation series, led by a team of eight writers, who also contributed to a total of 40–50 published articles exploring alternative music, film, fashion, and culture.
• The first iteration of Not School was introduced, furthering GUSHER*’s role as a co-learning facilitator.
• GUSHER* transitioned away from fully open submissions to a more curated selection process, refining its identity in alternative art and music curation.
• The record label was born, laying the groundwork for physical and digital compilation album releases.
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2025: Deepening Film & Music Curation
GUSHER* kicked off the year with its first solo artist release, marking a shift from compilation projects to fully supporting individual musicians. The first release came from Uncle, a GUSHER* co-founder, with plans to launch his full EP, alongside music videos, marketing campaigns, and collaborations with emerging filmmakers. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between music and film, providing young directors with opportunities to experiment with visual storytelling through music videos.
GUSHER* also publicly released it’s short film, experimenting with alternative distribution models via Instagram, streaming platforms, and curated screenings.
To further engage the film community, GUSHER* launched its Letterboxd List Series, inviting filmmakers and film enthusiasts to curate theme-based film lists, creating an ongoing conversation around cinema culture. This digital foundation prepares for future in-person discussions, reinforcing GUSHER*’s role in film community engagement.