National Arts Festival Launches its Virtual Digital Festival The National Arts Festival has made history today with the launch of the first ever digital iteration of South Africa’s major arts festival. The 46th National Arts Festival was unable to go ahead as a live event when COVID-19 shuttered theatres, cultural spaces and festivals globally. Rather than cancel the event, the organisation decided to take the experience online, a transition that took place in just over 100 days. The … [Read more...] about NAF Goes Online
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Rich programme of talks and workshops at 2019 NAF
Much of the action at the National Arts Festival, which runs from 27 June to 7 July in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown), takes place on the stages but there’s a lot going on off-stage too, with an exciting programme of thought-provoking talks and workshops to enrich and complement every Festival-goer’s experience. Interactive audience experiences are spread across ‘artist walkabouts’, where the artist, curator or an art expert leads a discussion around an exhibition; visual art workshops; … [Read more...] about Rich programme of talks and workshops at 2019 NAF
Jazz Festival marks memorable musical milestones with iconic performances
The 2018 Standard Bank Jazz Festival in Grahamstown presents a programme of exciting performances to mark key milestones for iconic jazz legacies. Savvy jazz lovers are in for exciting musical treats, with performances marking the impact of The Blue Notes, led by trumpeter Marcus Wyatt; 50 years of Yakhal’inkomo, the historic record by Winston Mankunku Ngozi; 30 years of the collaborative relationship between McCoy Mrubata and Paul Hanmer; 30 years of Mike Campbell at the helm as founding … [Read more...] about Jazz Festival marks memorable musical milestones with iconic performances
3 More Years for Arts Festival
GRAHAMSTOWN – Standard Bank has renewed their sponsorship of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, one of the country’s longest and highest profile sponsorship investments, for a further three years. Standard Bank’s partnership with the iconic event will run until the end of 2020. “Our partnership extends back to 1984 and has endured ever since – most recently as the title sponsor of both the Jazz Festival and the Young Artist Awards, two flagship properties in the Festival stable,” … [Read more...] about 3 More Years for Arts Festival
SAPS Presence at National Arts Festival
Enhancing the SAPS Back to Basics principle on the Policing of major events, over 80 additional police officers from within the Eastern Cape Province including K9 have been deployed to police the National Arts Festival. This is to ensure that locals as well as our guests from all over the globe feel safe whilst enjoying the internationally recognised festival. Several measures have been put in place to make access to the SAPS easier should any need arise. The following 7 mobile points will … [Read more...] about SAPS Presence at National Arts Festival
A ‘curious, furious and poetic’ dance line-up
Bringing together different aesthetics, contexts and languages, the dance programme at this year’s National Arts Festival interrogates and celebrates questions of identity, culture, spirituality and sensuality. From brand-new works by well-known choreographers and dancers, to reinterpretations of classic works, the 2017 programme represents a “curious, furious and poetic game of different aesthetics, contexts and languages, oscillating between perception and attribution, between history and … [Read more...] about A ‘curious, furious and poetic’ dance line-up
Avoiding Arts Festival #FOMO
To avoid a big dose of Festival #FOMO, it’s time to start planning for a trip to the country’s biggest bucket-list cultural and social celebration, The National Arts Festival. This year’s Festival takes place from the 29th June till 9th July. Spanning eleven days, the Festival is held in the Eastern Cape city of Grahamstown, the population of which is boosted by tens of thousands of visitors who buy around 220 000 tickets. For many it’s an annual pilgrimage and with so many artists, crews and … [Read more...] about Avoiding Arts Festival #FOMO
Grahamstown’s 11 Days of Amazing
The world’s arts spotlight will fall once more on Grahamstown from 29 June – 9 July 2017 as the National Art’s Festival’s presents a ‘window into the soul’ of South Africa’s artists through a varied and exciting programme of performances. The Festival has long been a cultural pilgrimage for artists and audiences wanting to immerse themselves in multiple genres of theatre and art, soaking up the small-town atmosphere and passionate post-theatre debates. And this year organisers are flagging a … [Read more...] about Grahamstown’s 11 Days of Amazing
National Arts Festival 2017 Main Programme submission deadline
Artists interested in taking part in South Africa's National Arts Festival (29 June to 9 July 2017) have just weeks left to submit their proposals for the Main Programme. The Festival is accepting proposals for work across all genres - theatre, dance, music, public art, installations, performance art and exhibitions - until 2 September 2016. Fringe applications will open in October 2016 and run until mid-January 2017. The 2017 National Arts Festival is looking for bold, courageous work … [Read more...] about National Arts Festival 2017 Main Programme submission deadline
South Africa’s Top Six Events
Above many other things, South Africans are known for their culture of celebration. Remember the 2010 Soccer World Cup? Of course you do! The African soil was burning with enthusiasm and celebration, with various festivities taking place in every city during the event. If one thing stood out back then, it was our sense of celebration and camaraderie, a flame that still burns within each and every one of us. We caught up with entrepreneur JP Prinsloo from events company, Prifactor, to find out … [Read more...] about South Africa’s Top Six Events
National Arts Festival Opinion: Grahamstown, we have a problem
The following piece, written by Festival CEO Tony Lankester, was featured in Grocotts Mail on Friday 16 July 2016: Dear Grahamstown Firstly – thank you to everyone who played a role in making this past National Arts Festival a success. From those who worked in our guesthouses, taverns and restaurants, who opened their homes to friends, those who cleaned and prepared the streets, to those who sat in our darkened theatres and allowed themselves to be swept away by the imagination of our … [Read more...] about National Arts Festival Opinion: Grahamstown, we have a problem
Top 30 grossing productions on the NAF Fringe
The National Arts Festival reported "solid and consistent" support for the arts in a tough economic environment, as it announced its 2016 attendance and sales figures today. "We've seen a slight flattening of our numbers over last year's record-breaking attendance figures, with ticket sales and attendance at Festival events totalling 227 524. While this is around 5% down on last year, it exceeds sales from our 40th anniversary edition the previous year, in 2014. The long-term trajectory is … [Read more...] about Top 30 grossing productions on the NAF Fringe
All the Winners from National Arts Festival
Artistic excellence was celebrated at the National Arts Festival this morning when the winners of the 2016 Standard Bank Ovation Awards were revealed at a ceremony which also honoured outgoing National Arts Festival Artistic Director, Ismail Mahomed. Commenting on the impact of the awards, Mahomed said, "The Ovation Awards have earned a significant gravitas in the arts sector. They have become a barometer for audiences and visiting arts managements about productions that should not be missed. … [Read more...] about All the Winners from National Arts Festival
Final Three Days for Festival
Those who are 'allergic' to the cold may want to head on out to Grahamstown today as temperatures in the City of Saints will reach a 'balmy' 20 degrees at 2:00 pm today, although the wind chill from a 20 knot west south west may be a deciding factor. On Saturday and Sunday the wind will peak at 10 knots with a peak temperature of 16 degrees centigrade on Saturday and 18 degrees centigrade on Sunday - good weather for a last minute shop. The closing weekend of the National Arts Festival sees … [Read more...] about Final Three Days for Festival
Visionaries, mavericks and disruptors at NAF 2016
South Africa's visionaries, mavericks and disruptors headline this year's National Arts Festival, which runs from 30 June to 10 July in Grahamstown. The programme taps into the national mood with fierce, feisty and funny productions that both celebrate South Africa's vibrant contemporary culture as well as tackle the wounds of the country's traumatic and violent past. Visitors to Grahamstown can look forward to world-class performances from local and international theatre companies, … [Read more...] about Visionaries, mavericks and disruptors at NAF 2016
