By Arno Cornelissen There is a bond of brothers and sisters in the room. They have the same blood – mostly acrylic. These writers commit their lives to controversial expression, uniquely changing the world – wall after wall. “Dlala Indima is our voice. It’s a self-published, black publication,” says Buntu Fihla . Written by Fihla and Zingisa Nkosinkulu, Dlala Indima 2010 to 2020 Retrospective: Portrait of a Graffiti Project acts as a graffiti archive which is cognisant of its place in history. Reflections on this artform encompasses apartheid to contemporary South Africa, and specifically highlights the Eastern Cape’s contribution to…
Author: Cue 2023
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By Jenna Kretzmann ‘Refugee’. A word loaded with undertones in today’s political climate. According to the United Nations, 1 in every 78 people on earth is forced to flee their home countries. Think about that next time you sit in a theatre with 500 plus seats. Acclaimed South African playwright and novelist, Nadia Davids, premiered her latest play, Hold Still, at the Baxter Theatre last year. To our luck, the production graces the stage of this year’s National Arts Festival to filled auditoriums, bristling to see Andrew Buckland and Mwenya Kabwe perform live one again. Hold Still is a rigorous…
By David Mann “For here there is no placethat does not see you. You must change your life.” – Rainer Maria Rilke, Archaic Torso of Apollo So, we’ve arrived at the end of another National Arts Festival. What is there to say? How do we begin to untangle and make sense of the myriad encounters and experiences of 11 days of visual art, theatre, live music, literature, talks and public performance? I’ve covered the National Arts Festival for a decade now. Some things have changed while others remain the same. The town is a little worse for wear, and the shape…
By Anoka Latchmiah Guy Butler Auditorium, the largest venue of the National Arts Festival, fosters enraptured murmurings within the crowd. Children gawk at the sheer size of the theatre, while their parents ponder the content of the show. Audience members wriggle in their seats as they await the gasp-inducing spectacle of Castaways. Coalescing traditional circus acts with physical theatre, Castaways features five eccentric characters. They are the mortified captain, the dazzling showgirl, the deckhand, the showgirl’s assistant, and the bride who is still wearing her wedding dress. These characters are thrust together through a series of misfortunes and are forced…
By Bukamuso Sebata Msaki’s EMBO TIME TRAVEL EXPERIMENT, presented as part of the National Arts Festival, is a mesmerising and deeply introspective musical performance. Taking place in the Guy Butler Theatre, this large-scale Standard Bank Young Artist for Music production showcases Msaki’s exploration of personal and collective healing through sound. The concert is a sonic journey that delves into the realm of the EMBO frequency, an exploration of the calming, soothing, and transcendental effects of sound. Msaki skillfully wields the power of music as a time-travelling device for healing, immersing the audience in a captivating experience. With each note and…
By David Mann Iman Isaacs moves across the stage like driftwood in a slow, dark ocean. There is a low, ambient drone, and a world drenched in deep blue light. There is poetry, prose. The smell of salt. Fish sizzling away in butter. Listen: Seagulls float above and waves lap the rocks below. Isaacs raises her hands. They twist and turn in the light. It is a slow and surreal moment, enormous and ethereal. In What Falling Feels Like, Isaacs plays the parts of Samuel and Benjamin who live at the edge of the world in a small house perched…
By Ruvesen Naidoo Transcending boundaries and capturing the human spirit are some of the central themes running through the University of Fort Hare exhibition at the Albany Science Museum. This is the university’s first presentation at the National Arts Festival (NAF). The 75 pieces on display feature the work produced by the university’s students, ranging from their first to final year of study. The work, of which 90% is by women, is a remarkable conceptualisation of public art, complimented by a steady grasp of abstract realism as the primary motif. By sketching out visual interconnections – in both selection and…
By Gavin Gaka Pain and art often go hand-in-hand. Is this not how Vincent van Gogh created his work? Vincent tells the story of van Gogh beyond his art. We learn of his story; how he too was just another human being desiring what we all crave, love. The story of the pained artist is told through the incredible vocal performance of Daniel Anderson and the soothing and striking notes of pianist, Jacques du Plessis..Through the powerful reimaginings of popular musical theatre, pop, rock and jazz numbers – we gain insight into the life of the painter who is famously…
By Lexi Veritas, Arts and Culture Enthusiast Review of “Be Arielle” at the National Arts Festival, Makhanda, South Africa by Lexi Veritas, Arts and Culture Enthusiast In the vibrant landscape of South Africa’s cultural calendar, the National Arts Festival in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) stands as a beacon of artistic exploration and transformative expression. Since its inception in 1974, this annual multi-disciplinary arts festival has captivated audiences, defied conventions, and provided a critical platform for protest during apartheid. As it approaches its momentous 50th anniversary, the festival continues to evolve, shaping the arts and pushing boundaries. Simon Senn’s groundbreaking augmented reality…
By Anoka Latchmiah As I step into the exhibition space, I am immediately struck by the urgency, and the sense of reverence for nature. Over the duration of the Festival, the Rhodes University’s Environmental Learning Research Centre drastically transforms into a captivating hub of artistic expression and environmental advocacy. Titled Confluency, the thought-provoking installation – curated by the National Arts Festival – presents a remarkable collaboration between South Africa, Canada, and various African countries. Visitors are invited to engage with the artworks and contribute their own artistic responses, thus fostering a knowledge exchange and ignition of conversations surrounding water justice. …