By Devon Koen (Cue)
For fifty years, the town of Makhanda has been home to the annual winter showcase of arts and creativity, with the National Arts Festival paying homage to a thriving arts industry since its inception.
Founded in 1974, the Festival has become the destination for established artists, new and emerging talent, and a space for producers, writers and creators to network and make connections.
Festival CEO Monica Newton said the annual 11-day event was a space of an infinite co-creation, and utterly dependent on partnerships between hundreds of people who believe in its value and ideals.
“Although it turns 50 this year, it is new every year, composed of the ideas and creativity of artists – and a reflection on our society now.
“This has always been so, but during the brutal years of oppression during apartheid, the National Arts Festival (NAF) was alive with untold ideas, unheard voices, powerful networks, storytelling and truth.
“After our country became a democracy, it felt its way into a new reality, discovering and uncovering a new identity, and it was the arts that helped us shape it.
“As that reality evolved and discontent grew, the Festival once again became a valve for the boiling beneath the surface.
“And now, as we reach 30 years of democracy and a time of massive local and global political, cultural, economic and social shifts, the arts help us make sense of it all,” Newton said.
A recent addition to NAF this year is new branding incorporating the image of the sociable weaver bird and nest.
“Behind this story is a bigger one.
“The Weaver Work Scenario is the most positive outcome of the 2035 Indlulamithi Scenarios.
“This deep study of the complex possibilities for a future South Africa imagines the best way to build a healthy, positive society.
“In the Weaver Work Scenario, the country’s evolution and cohesion are deeply enhanced by sporting and arts experiences, mobilised social movements and a strong sense of protest culture, among other things.
“As we look back through history and into the mirror of today, these are the values that NAF holds dear.
“Our long collaborative relationship with our partners, the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, the National Department of Arts and Culture and Standard Bank in particular have held these values alongside us.
“Our context in the town of Makhanda and a host of other contributing and collaborative partners all contribute significant value to our mission.
“They include the National Lotteries Commission, Sarah Baartman Municipality, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, HEINEKEN Beverages, National Arts Council, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, the Social Employment Fund and Business and Arts South Africa, as well as our media partners SAfm and Radio2000, The Herald and Daily Dispatch.
“We would also like to celebrate the immensely valuable project that is Cue. Rhodes University is integral to the story of the Festival, and it is in this project that it finds great expression.
“Through the eyes of a new generation, we hear and see ourselves anew.
“We would like to wish the journalists the best of luck. Thank you for being the storytellers of the 50th NAF,” Newton said.
Apart from the festival offering audiences a wide variety of options to enjoy, from music, theatre, comedy, jazz, and more – this year will also see the creativity of the Eastern Cape coming to the furore with crafts and other wares created by local artisans being displayed and on offer for sale at the Village Green.
While the festival’s Curated Programme promises to be a source of well-crafted and intriguing content, the annual Fringe programme is a hotbed of creativity where anyone, from students to established performers, can showcase their work.
It is also the place to see new and emerging artists find their voice.
For full details of NAF visit nationalartsfestival.co.za.
