Innovative and cutting-edge productions at this year’s Fringe programme of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown will be recognised by the new Standard Bank Ovation awards.
Innovative and cutting-edge productions at this year’s Fringe programme of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown will be recognised by the new Standard Bank Ovation awards.
The awards recognise and celebrate innovation and excellence on the Fringe programme of the National Arts Festival by putting the spotlight on work that is strong, diverse and original.
Veteran Johannesburg-based theater journalist Adrienne Sichel will convene the panel responsible for selecting the winning productions. She is the recipient of the 2009 Alan Kirkland Soga Lifetime Achiever Mondi Shanduka Award presented by the Newspaper Association of South Africa; a 2010 resident fellow in the division of Dramatic Art, Wits School of Arts and serves on the National Arts Festival committee.
The nominations for the Standard Bank Ovation will be made by a panel of Cue reviewers and accredited professional media . A select number of knowledgeable and specialist arts professionals appointed by the Festival will comprise an evaluation panel which will function anonymously. The panellists’ identities will be revealed only after the final announcement of the winners.
The panel will consist of at least one specialist in each of the following genres in which an award will be presented:
– Theatre
– Comedy
– Music (excluding Jazz)
– Dance
– Physical Theatre
– Performance Poetry/Storytelling
– Multi-disciplinary arts
Standard Bank Ovation winners will be publicly announced in the Festival newspaper, Cue.
The following criteria will be considered by the panel when reviewing a production for the Standard Bank Ovation:
– Strength of production (taking into consideration the various creative and technical elements)
– Quality of performances, writing & directing
– Conceptualisation, innovation & originality (does the work create new directions? )
– Potential longevity?: Does the production deserve to have a life beyond the Festival? Will a Standard Bank Ovation place it under the radar of a potential management , funder or festival?)
– Overall Impact of the production
Stickers bearing the Standard Bank Ovation will be awarded to each of the winners for display on their poster and inclusion on their marketing material.
On the last day of the National Arts Festival, the winners of the Standard Bank Golden Ovation awards will be announced for five categories. The authorised representative of each production will receive a prize of R5000, sponsored by Standard Bank. Each of the five winning companies will be invited to submit a proposal for consideration for the following year’s Arena programme.
During the inaugural year, every Fringe production will be eligible to be considered. As from 2011, only fringe productions which have not been staged for more than two consecutive years will be qualify.
See www.nationalartsfestival.co.za for the full programme or pick up a copy of the Booking Kit / Programme at selected Exclusive Books and Standard Bank branches, and Computicket Outlets.
Use your cellphone to find out what Fest events are on the go or coming up in the next few hours: simply visit Grahamstown NOW at ghtnow.co.za
Call the Festival hot line for all enquiries: 046 603 1103.
Twitter: @artsfestival
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