Registration forms are now available for organisations who wish to attend an arts consultative summit organised by the National Arts Festival and Makana Municipality.
Registration forms are now available for organisations who wish to attend an arts consultative summit organised by the National Arts Festival and Makana Municipality.
During the summit, which will be held in City Hall next month, a forum representing a broad spectrum of local arts practitioners will be elected. According to Festival director Ismail Mahomed, the Makana Arts Festival Forum will identify the needs and programmes of local arts and culture organisations which can be advanced by the National Arts Festival. "The forum will offer information and serve to enhance the relationship and development agendas between the National Arts Festival and Makana-based arts and cultural organisations," he told artists at a meeting on Friday.
The forum will also be charged with the task of devising ways of unlocking the economic value of the Festival for a broader spectrum of local people while offering skills and training to its members and their associate organisations through the Hands On Masks Off programme.
After scrutinising the initiative, artists who were present at the meeting agreed that there is a need for such a forum as its establishment will not only facilitate interactions between themselves and the festival office but also between themselves.
During the Makana council’s economic development, tourism and heritage portfolio committe meeting last week, municipal economic development director Riana Meiring reported that in an attempt to "maximise the economic benefit for residents" a strategic partnership between the municipality and festival office was established.
While Makana Arts Council (Mac) secretary Luvuyo Pongolo was impressed with the direction of discussions at Friday’s meeting, he told Grocott’s Mail that he would like to see artists being engaged more about their developmental needs. "Previously, the Festival office has been marginalising the Mac; for instance they have developed their plans for the 2010 Festival and the Mac does not know what is entailed in such plans," he added.
Completed registration forms must be submitted to the municipality’s Economic Development Office or the festival office not later than Wednesday, 18 November. The summit will start at 9am on Saturday, 21 November.
