By Luvuyo Mjekula
The National Arts Festival, South Africa’s longest-running arts festival, is going nowhere, and its 50th edition in the past couple of weeks was a success, CEO Monica Newton said this week.
Newton conceded that the National Arts Festival has had its fair share of challenges over the last 50 years and will no doubt continue to face more.
“But it is resilient and works hard to rise above them in service of what we all believe is a truly important project for the country. We see ourselves remaining in Makhanda and feel very aligned to the fortunes and identity of the town.”
Newton said preparations for the next festival will begin shortly and dates are currently being set.
She called out those who cast doubt on the sustainability of the festival and called on the community of Makhanda to continue showing support for the popular event.
“We would like to call on the people of Makhanda to work with us in promoting and supporting the festival as an asset to the city of Makhanda. The negative impact created by naysayers who publicly cast doubt on its sustainability and those who suggest that it may leave Makhanda are stimulating negative and untrue narratives that spreads well beyond Makhanda.”
The internationally renowned annual multi-disciplinary arts festival celebrated 50 years of existence this year. Newton said: “We do think [the festival]was a successful event, particularly in light of South Africans’ constrained budgets and the considerable uncertainty that gripped the country post the elections. Many shows were sold out and we had a lot of positive reviews and feedback.”
One artist whose two shows were sold out was Afro-Soul-Jazz artist Mandisi Dyantyis. He repaid his fans with four hours of riveting performances.
This year’s event also featured other award-winning acts such as Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse, Zoë Modiga and actor Sello Maake kaNcube. Well-known anti-apartheid activist and former Constitutional Court justice Albie Sachs also made appearances at the showpiece.
However, as it came to a conclusion on Sunday 30 June, the festival received mixed reviews from a wide section of the local and visiting communities.
As many of them packed their goods early on a wet Monday morning, getting ready to bid Makhanda farewell, Grocott’s Mail caught up with some visiting traders who spent the full two weeks selling goods at market stalls in rented spaces.
One common complaint stood out among a few – the timing of the National Arts Festival this year.
Many of the traders felt that the timing was not well thought out. The festival ran from 20 to 30 June.
“We spent the first few days just sitting idly, unable to make money because people had not been paid,” said one trader.
They said had the festival started after 25 June, they would have made more money simply because people would have been paid their salaries.
Newton responded to the traders’ concerns.
She said the festival dates are determined by the school and university holidays as the large majority of its shows take place in these venues. “This year’s dates were earlier than usual but many of the people visiting the festival had budgeted to enjoy it and did spend on the first weekend.”
Some traders alleged that the public toilets were locked and they had to pay R2 to use bathrooms elsewhere. Others complained of sleeping out in the cold and called on the festival’s organisers to help secure some form of shelter for them.
However, Newton said the Makana Municipality provided a number of public toilets at Church Square in accordance with SASREA requirements. “Unfortunately, the festival cannot provide accommodation for all artists and traders who choose to attend the festival. There are numerous accommodation offerings listed on the NAF website, as well as a programme of Home Stays facilitated by the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and Makana Tourism. If there is a demand for reasonably priced accommodation from traders, there may be an opportunity for an entrepreneurial business person to capitalise on!”
Asked when preparations for the next Festival begin, Newton said: “Almost right away! The dates for 2025 are currently being set and the call for applications for next year’s programme will soon go out.”
On whether there any specific changes or improvements that the visitors and Makhandans can look forward to at next year’s event, Newton asserted: “We would like to engage with the Makhanda hospitality sector to encourage the offering of more accommodation (there wasn’t enough in the second weekend of the festival) and definitely more affordable accommodation as the price of festival accommodation excludes many people who would otherwise come to the festival.”
The festival attracts artists, performers and businesspeople from all over the continent of Africa, and the world.
