Fingo Festival organisers say the project has been successful since its inception in 2011, but it could be better if people stopped seeing it as a township initiative.
Fingo Festival organisers say the project has been successful since its inception in 2011, but it could be better if people stopped seeing it as a township initiative.
Founders Xolile Madinda and Bulelani Booi are eagerly seeking investors and volunteers to work with them but, “it’s difficult to get people to invest in a township initiative,” Madinda said.
Initially criticised for trying to compete with the National Arts Festival (NAF), most people now see Fingo as complementing rather than countering the NAF.
In the hope of creating an interconnected community brought together by visual art, drama, music and edutainment “unconditional of race, creed or class,” Madinda shed some light on this year's programme.
From 1-6 June a repeated daily programme will offer the following in three segments:
Children’s Festival (9am-12am) where kids can enjoy storytelling and face painting; Dialogues (12am-2pm) where members of the community are given a platform to discuss issues relevant to their circumstances; and performances by local and NAF artists to close the day.
While middle-class residents pay to see shows and shop at stalls on the western side of Grahamstown, township residents will also have a chance to tuck into a festival experience, free of charge.
Although actual shows and items are yet to be finalised, organisers hope to bring some acts from the NAF to Fingo. These performances, along with performances from local and national artists, will supplement the Festival’s set programme.
The Fingo Festival emerged in 2011 from a group of individuals who saw a need to bring the creative spark into the township during the NAF. What started as a small initiative has grown to be a prominent business supporting the arts in Grahamstown’s townships.
For more information contact Madinda on 082 591 5612 or Booi on 072 774 6952, or email fingofestivalsevents@gmail.com.
To view archived footage of past Fingo Festival artist works go to www.fingofestival.com.
