Much excitement and anticipation abounds with just a few days to go until the 2010 Eastern Cape Schools’ Festival that forms part of the National Schools Festival Series.
Much excitement and anticipation abounds with just a few days to go until the 2010 Eastern Cape Schools’ Festival that forms part of the National Schools Festival Series.
Organised by the Grahamstown Foundation’s Arts Education Projects, over 400 delegates will be treated to two days of unforgettable entertainment and arts-based workshops and lectures at the 1820 Settlers Monument, home of the Grahamstown Foundation on 21 and 22 April.
This year the festival has much to offer in the line of comedy, dance, music and drama. Highlights of the four productions on offer include: Hats, presented by Boschwacked Productions, produced and directed by Pieter Boch Botha, featuring Richard Antrobus and Tristan Jacobs;
So Loop ‘n Volstruis, presented by the much admired First Physical Theatre Company; Hush, presented by Ubom! Eastern Cape Drama Company; as well as The Butcher Brothers, presented by the Dark Laugh Theatre Company, directed by Daniel Buckland and featuring Jaques de Silva and Mongi Mthombeni.
Ubom! Eastern Cape Drama Company will join the schools festival this year, conducting various stimulating workshops as well as their production, Hush, which is a satirical, honest, funny and hard-hitting production that takes a raw look at South African reality.
Athambile Masola will be presenting the keynote address at the official opening. Masola is in her first year of Masters in Education at Rhodes University and has been involved in educational initiatives in Grahamstown since her first year in 2006 with the Student Volunteer Programme and as a member of the Student Representative Council in 2008/9.
Her interests span across education and children’s literacy, philosophy and writing in local newspapers to encourage conversation about critical issues.
With a choice of two mindstretching lectures, delegates will be able to uncover their potential. Choices will include: “Ubuntu” and the Next Generation, presented by Masola.
This lecture will delve into ubuntu and the role it plays in a modern world and to what extent young people are living out this African value, as well as “Some Notes on How to Read a Dance”, presented by Nicola Elliot.
This lecture offers some suggestions on how the keen observer can go about interpreting a dance performance with the use of filmed recordings of various local and international dance productions.
But exciting performances and stimulating lectures are not the end of delegates’ exposure to the arts at this festival.
Delegates are also able to have a hands-on interactive learning experience through various workshops that the artists themselves will be hosting.
They will have the chance to develop and explore their creative potential practically, with the aim of learning how to use the arts to communicate and empower themselves.
With generous sponsorship from The National Lottery Distribution Fund, this year’s Eastern Cape Schools Festival looks set to be an enriching experience for all;
a chance for everyone to think, breathe and be creativity. Contact Benita Rama on 046 603 1122 or email: benita. rama@foundation.org.za for more information.
