For the second consecutive year, audiences at the National Arts Festival dipped their hands in their wallets to show appreciation to South African artists who can no longer perform due to illness or infirmity. The National Arts Festival, Grahamstown and the Theatre Benevolent Fund (TBF) partner on the first Monday of the Festival to raise the profile of the TBF and support the work of the Fund. This year, audiences at the National Arts Festival contributed R54 000.00 towards the Theatre … [Read more...] about Supporting those who have taken their last bow
nationalarts2013
National Arts Festival attendance ‘marginally down’ on 2012
2014 will be the National Arts Festival's 40th anniversary. The approximate number of productions on the various stages during the 2013 National Arts Festival were: Main - 50, Arena - 9 and Fringe - 350. A real daunting task for anyone to see all the productions, let alone all the art, free and Village Green activities. The total number of tickets sold can only hint at the total number of people attending the festival. Figures are difficult to ascertain given the free shows and high volumes … [Read more...] about National Arts Festival attendance ‘marginally down’ on 2012
Stuart Reece – a thoroughly nice guy
One of the first music acts that the Apprentice Longhair and I attended at the 2013 Grahamstown National Arts Festival was a 10:00 am (yes - in the morning) gig by, Port Elizabeth based, Stuart Reece Band at the Lowlander on the St Andrews School Grounds. This was their first attendance as artists at the festival. See the review by Brittany here: Stuart Reece Band. After buying their CD at the gig I am happy to report that my initial reaction still holds true and is encapsulated in what I … [Read more...] about Stuart Reece – a thoroughly nice guy
Stuart Reece Band
This year is the first year that I am attending the Grahamstown National Arts Festival and when my Dad and myself were driving down to Grahamstown we sat in his bakkie flipping through the programme and trying to make a schedule for ourselves. Now as I was flipping through the programme I noticed a heading: The Stuart Reece Band. I have heard of them before and have only heard good things so I turned to my dad and said that we must go. So as my dad wanted to support local acts he agreed. Now I … [Read more...] about Stuart Reece Band
Letters from Sive – free entry
Letters from Sive - a Theatre in Education piece produced by UCT and arepp:Theatre for Life targets young learners between the ages 4 and 12. UCT, winners of the 2012 Student Theatre Festival was commissioned by the National Arts Festival to create a production that will raise awareness about the functions of the South African Post Office. The story, devised under the direction of Gordon Bilbrough, revolves around Sive who has to leave her bestest best friend Murray to go stay with her Gogo … [Read more...] about Letters from Sive – free entry
Odeion String Quartet to stun PE audiences
In a partnership between the National Arts Festival and the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) will see the a first of its kind performance by the Odeion String Quartet as part of the Hidden Treasures programme on July 8 at the Athenaeum Little Theatre. Hidden Treasures is a project comprising of compositions by contemporary composers Arvo Pärt, Philip Glass, and John Tavener, who are regarded as the most influential composers in the genre of minimalism. The Odeion String Quartet will … [Read more...] about Odeion String Quartet to stun PE audiences
Monologues in 2nd Gear
Well, we were early for Monologues in 2nd Gear - a Port Elizabeth production at the Kingswood Theatre. It would be unfair of me to say that the production stayed in second gear - each actor penned his or her own monologue and some of them certainly did reach 4th. After the non cerebral fare from Rob van Vuuren at 5:00 pm we went straight into thinking man's performance art at 8:30 pm and I don't think that we represented the target audience. All the actors/dancers were confident in … [Read more...] about Monologues in 2nd Gear
What is What What?
The first show that we saw at the Grahamstown Festival this Wednesday was Standard Bank Ovation Award Winner for Comedy 2011 & 2012, Rob van Vuuren's What What. Now we saw Rob in Port Elizabeth last year and the Mother/Granny came along for the ride - at that time I could feel her cringe every time a blasphemous utterance and that dreaded four letter word beginning with a P and rhyming with cat spewed forth from the mouth of a comedian angry with his futile attempts at having a … [Read more...] about What is What What?
Arts Journalism Award Gold Awards announced
The Gold Award winners of the inaugural National Arts Festival/BASA Arts Journalism Awards were announced at a function at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown yesterday. The 2013 National Arts Festival Arts Journalist of the Year is Charl Blignaut. Blignaut was the standout arts journalist in 2012, not simply because his writing informed and responded to national debates but because of the sheer scope and vigour of his output. Whether writing about theatre, dance, visual arts, … [Read more...] about Arts Journalism Award Gold Awards announced
Thenjiwe Stemela at the PE Opera House
Thenji spent a week at the Port Elizabeth Opera House as a consultant director for one of six plays showing on the Main Festival in Grahamstown. She is one of six young theatre makers engaged by the National Arts Festival and the PE Opera House to feedback and build on the progress of one of the six plays going to Fest. She worked on the play Truck Driver, which is directed by legend Nomhle Nkonyeni. In this insert, she uncovers the aim of consultancy project born of the partnership between PEOH … [Read more...] about Thenjiwe Stemela at the PE Opera House
Ik-stingkt exhibition celebrates collaboration between conservation and kids’ creativity
The Ik-stingkt exhibition aims to raise awareness and funds for the Forever Wild Rhino Protection Initiative through a partnership between the Wilderness Foundation and the Ron Belling Art Gallery, proudly sponsored by Coca-Cola Sabco and Investec. The exhibition will take place in two parts. The first is as a fringe event to the Grahamstown National Arts Festival where work from primary school youth will be showcased. The second phase will take place in September with the gallery's Spring … [Read more...] about Ik-stingkt exhibition celebrates collaboration between conservation and kids’ creativity
Nelson Mandela Bay National Arts Festival promo
Nelson Mandela Bay's Visual and Performing Arts are poised to shine on centre stage as an official 2013 National Arts Festival Fringe Programme Partner. Positioned as the Gateway to Grahamstown, the Nelson Mandela Bay Arts Journey offers a full festival line-up of over 30 visual and performing arts events, artists and venues in the city's flourishing central arts, culture and heritage tourism hub, running parallel to Grahamstown's main programme from 18 June -- 12 July … [Read more...] about Nelson Mandela Bay National Arts Festival promo
Modern Miniatures Exhibition
Art Gallery Owner, Curator and Fine Artist, Anthony Harris conceptualised a first of a kind national cross-disciplinary contemporary art exhibition, entitled Modern Miniatures, to show in Nelson Mandela Bay from 28 May to 15 June, then moving to Trinity Hall, Grahamstown from 27 June to 7 July 2013 at the National Arts Festival. "There has been an overwhelming response from 128 leading fine artists, ceramicists, photographers and sculptors nationwide who are keen to participate in this … [Read more...] about Modern Miniatures Exhibition
The Purple shall govern
In her new solo exhibition headed for the Grahamstown Arts Festival and titled 'The purple shall govern', Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art Mary Sibande draws inspiration from a specific incident in South Africa's history where, in the late 1980s, people were marching for equality in Cape Town. During the march, the police sprayed everyone with a water cannon laced with purple dye to enable them to identify and arrest anti-apartheid protestors. This act motivated Mary's interest in the … [Read more...] about The Purple shall govern
Roger Ballen at the Athenaeum
Nelson Mandela Bay's Visual and Performing Arts are poised to shine on centre stage as an official 2013 National Arts Festival Fringe Programme Partner. Positioned as the Gateway to Grahamstown, the Nelson Mandela Bay Arts Journey offers a full festival line-up of over 30 visual and performing arts events, artists and venues in the city's flourishing central arts, culture and heritage tourism hub, running parallel to Grahamstown's main programme from 18 June - 12 July 2013. Nelson Mandela Bay … [Read more...] about Roger Ballen at the Athenaeum
