Businesses in Grahamstown appreciate the overall economic value of the National Arts Festival to the city, says Festival CEO Tony Lankester. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday 1 July ahead of the launch of the National Arts Festival, he addressed concerns by some business owners about the special Festival loadshedding arrangements.
Businesses in Grahamstown appreciate the overall economic value of the National Arts Festival to the city, says Festival CEO Tony Lankester. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday 1 July ahead of the launch of the National Arts Festival, he addressed concerns by some business owners about the special Festival loadshedding arrangements.
Grocott’s Mail posed the question on behalf of some disgruntled business owners, who felt they should have been consulted. Loadshedding favours the City 2 zone for the duration of the Festival.
By way of compensation, for the two weeks after, City 2 will bear the brunt of loadshedding.
The arrangement was not only for the sake of providing Festival-goers with a smooth and positive experience of Grahamstown, he said, but also for safety reasons.
“It’s not only to ensure the show goes on,” Lankester said.
“On any given evening you’ve got 10 000 people sitting watching shows in various venues.
“If the lights go out we have to evacuate 10 000 people safely – and then they’re out on the streets with nothing to do.
That in itself is a risk.” Welcoming guests to Grahamstown on behalf of the local council, Makana Mayor Zamuxolo Peter declared confidently, “We are ready for Festival".
He sketched out the various preparations made by the Festival joint operations committee (JOC) – including plans for infrastructure and safety and security.
He said municipal teams had been dispatched to attend to water, sewage and roads trouble spots.
The JOC, comprising representatives from the Festival, municipality, police and Eskom among others, meets daily during Festival to do risk assessment and planning.
While no exact figures for the number of people expected to be in Grahamstown during Festival were available, Lankester said, last year’s ticket sales were 220 000.
He added, “Not every ticket sale translates into attendance, but it does give you some idea of the number of people potentially in town".
MEC Pemmy Majodina was instrumental in negotiating a special loadshedding arrangement with Eskom for the duration of the Festival.
Speaking at Wednesday’s event, she said it was auspicious that the Festival and Mandela Month were starting on the same day.
“Mandela’s remains are here in the Eastern Cape,” Majodina said, “and so we believe his spirit is still with us here.”
Citing the province’s relative immunity from the xenophobic violence that swept through South Africa recently, she welcomed visitors to “the warm, friendly, peaceful Eastern Cape”.
There will be 29 countries participating in this year’s Festival.
The province’s Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture is a sponsor of the Festival, and this is the 13th year they have supported the annual event.
Other sponsors are Standard Bank, the National Lottery, City Press, M-Net and the Department of Arts and Culture.
Deputy minister of Arts and Culture, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, spoke about the central role of arts and culture in nation-building.
Announcing that arts and culture would be returned to school curricula, Mabudafhasi said, “Arts and culture has been an important catalyst in bringing together people from different backgrounds as audiences.
And the National Arts Festival has played an important role in building audiences".
Referring to the Mzansi Golden Economy – a strategy to reposition SA’s cultural industries to contribute to economic growth and job creation – she praised the Festival for its role in creating jobs.
She echoed Majodina’s observation that the beneficiaries of government sponsorship of the arts were direct participants in events such as the Festival.
The Department of Arts and Culture has committed R15 million to the Festival over three years.
The Eastern Cape has backed the Festival to the tune of R3 680 000. According to documents provided at the Festival launch, this sponsorship is made up as follows:
Visual Arts and Craft: R280 000
Wordfest: R280 900
EC Indigenous Dance and Music Ensemble: R300 000
Official Opening: R240 000
Dakawa Music Festival: R140 000
Fingo Festival: R30 000
Kwam e Makana: R150 000
Festival Operational Support: R2 260 000
