This year’s National Arts Festival opened with the audience getting on their feet in celebration of the
Festival’s 36th anniversary.
This year’s National Arts Festival opened with the audience getting on their feet in celebration of the
Festival’s 36th anniversary.
The Guy Butler Theatre of the 1820 Settlers Monument was filled with song and dance as a vibrant performance from the Eastern Cape SAPF jazz band was followed by Jongisizwe Cultural Group, who entertained the audience with songs like Pata pata of Mama Afrika fame and Lira’s Ixesha.
After the singing of the national anthem, Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet presented her opening speech highlighting that the Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture plans to invest in Grahamstown for the next three years and establish cultural centres and heritage sites.
“A range of activities such as the promotion of indigenous languages in schools will be supporting the National Arts Festival for the next three years,” said Kiviet.
The Minister of Arts and Culture, Lulu Xingwana spoke on the Festival having over 600 events showcased in 15 days.
“Unearthed are outstanding performances on the world stage, giving the world a deeply rooted platform to perform,” Xingwana said.
It was announced that during today’s clash between Bafana Bafana and France, Festival performances will be paused and fans are encouraged to go and watch the game live at the public viewing area at Miki Yili stadium.
Xingwana congratulated the 2010 Standard Bank young artist award winners, Samson Diamond for music, Mlu Zondi for dance, Melanie Scholtz for jazz, Janni Younge for theatre, Claire Angelique for film and Michael MacGarry for visual arts.
The minister said this Festival and the World Cup is about overseas-based South Africans coming back to their motherland.
“Arts is the machinery of our provinces. We still have a huge number of people living in poverty and therefore ngenye imini siyakuyoyisa ingculaza.
One day we will fight HIV/ Aids. And sport is part of our African culture,” she said. Works made by craft women from kwaNdebele who incorporated the Fifa World Cup and produced beaded vuvuzelas and a soccer ball were displayed on stage. The minister conluded by saying “Kenako, now is the time to let South African voices be heard.”
