TICKLED PINK

Good performances from Darren King and Marion Loudon make for a delightful evening’s entertainment. (Review by Caroline Smart)

Recently seen in a short run at the Rhumbelow Theatre was Tickled Pink, Darren King and Marion Loudon’s sequel to their A Touch of Pink which, unfortunately I never got to see. This was obviously my loss because, if the first show was anything like the sequel, I missed another enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

Tickled Pink pays tribute to the songs of artists who are gay icons and, as the press material states, “a tongue-in-cheek look at many of the questions surrounding a gay lifestyle”. The show also looks at artists who have all felt the benefit of the ‘Pink Rand’ with some fun patter and good music, including songs by Boy George, George Michael, Tammy Wynette, The Pointer Sisters and Madonna, to name a few – even Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland and Shirley Bassey.

The stage setting reflects more than just a touch of pink – with pink draping, outrageous chairs with pink feathers, decorated pouffes and the all-important prop box – also in pink, naturally! - for those quick accessory changes. With Marion in a hectic pink wig, the pair makes a dramatic entrance through a door covered with hearts (pink, of course) and the action is fast from that moment on. There’s a strong visual aspect to the show with a dizzying line-up of costume and wig changes!

Darren is, as always, the consummate entertainer and a good mover. The exciting aspect of the evening was to see how far Marion Loudon has progressed since the last production I saw her in. She is a perfect foil for Darren. Equally long-legged and with a stunning figure, she matches him dance-step by dance-step and her vocal range has matured and expanded considerably. From being an attractive and engaging entertainer, she has now become a major talent to content with on the local musical theatre front!

Numbers that really impressed me were the Cell Block Tango and Razzle Dazzle from Chicago as well as a poignant Cry Me a River.

Expect to hear We Are Family, All Cried Out, You Gotta Have Faith, Let Me Entertain You, a bubbly La Bamba and there was a skilful transition from Bang Bang to Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves. They quip that they’ve discovered how camp Country & Western music can be, proving this with a hilarious rendition of Working Nine to Five and Oh Lord, it’s Hard to be Humble with some traditional hoe-down choreography. We went through Sound of Music and Rocky Horror as well as YMCA and Raining Men but the most amusing highlight of all was Somewhat Over-Indulgent sung to the tune of Over the Rainbow!

I had a problem with the backing being too loud. I wish sound engineers would just close their eyes and see if they can hear the words of the songs before pushing buttons to reset levels. Too often there’s an imbalance with the backing tracks overshadowing the performers who sound as if they’re talking in “cottonwool language”, However, this is an old gripe as regular artSMart readers will know but it really bothers me when performers are articulating perfectly but they are at the mercy of technology.

That out of the way, this is a great show which deserves to be see in a longer run. – Caroline Smart

TIM QUIRKE AT TATHAM

Exhibition of drawings and paintings by Tim Quirke for Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg.

Opening at 18h00 on October 2 in Pietermaritzburg in the Tatham Art Gallery’s Schreiner Gallery is an exhibition of drawings and paintings by Tim Quirke. Seven of Quirke’s paintings are framed in large, gilt Victorian frames that belong to the Tatham and the artist is using them to enhance the meaning of his work, which explores changing perceptions of history.

There is humour in the paintings, and gentle satire - and some recognisable faces for Maritzburgers. Quirke is a full-time artist who lives in Pietermaritzburg. His exhibition will run until November 16. More information on 033 392 2801.

LIONAH CHIMARA’S XYNERGY

Exhibition by Lionah Chimara at artSPACE durban.

The latest exhibition at artSPACE durban is Xynergy from the art studio of Lionah Chimara. Since 1999, Chimara has been painting with hands, face and body. Performances have been filmed and photographed since 2002, made in a shamanistic trance state initiating, cleansing, healing and thanking nature and spirits around us. She has worked in Umlazi Township, in Valley of Thousand Hills, and in the Drakensberg valleys.

The exhibition ends on October 4. More information on 031 312 0793 or visit www.artspacedurban.co.za

BYRNE ARTISTS AT BLU PUMPKIN

Blu Pumpkin Café at Byrne hosts exhibition by local artists.

The Blu Pumpkin Café at Byrne is hosting an exhibition by local Byrne artists – Barbara Rishworth (jewellery); Cedric Nunn (photography); Elizabeth Balcom (sculpture); Hildegard (limited edition prints) and Michael Wessels (poetry with visuals).

To get there, take the R56 to Richmond and follow signs for the Oaks Hotel or Byrne. Drive round the village of Byrne, and follow signs to the Blu Pumpkin Café.

The exhibition runs until October 19. Hours are 10h00 to 17h00 (Friday to Sunday). More information on 033 212 3435 or 079 872 8440.

CONSTRUCT: BEYOND THE DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPH

Durban Art Gallery hosts exhibition curated by Heidi Erdmann and Jacob Lebeko. (Pic: "white stick for the Arctic: inside the house the mother did not build" by Lien Botha)

Running at the Durban Art Gallery until early next year, is Construct: Beyond The Documentary Photograph.

Documentary photography has caught some of the most dramatic moments in South African history. Images have been beamed around the world of some of our best and worst moments. Who could forget Mandela’s triumphant wave from the balcony of the Cape Town City Hall on his release from prison? Or the photo of 12 year-old Hector Pietersen’s body being carried through the bloody streets of Soweto? These photographs have iconic status but it is only recently that the art world has realized the potential of this artform.

Photography has established itself as part of the international art market today and features in the world's main art collections. Global sales at auction hit 75 million euros in 2007, up on 65 million euros the previous year. Global price indexes for photography rose 70% over the last decade, outstripping the 43% rise in prices paid for sculpture and the 15% increase for paintings.

Curated by Capetonians, Heidi Erdmann and Jacob Lebeko, Construct: Beyond The Documentary Photograph shows the works of ten South African artists each of which contributes a unique visual vocabulary. They push the boundaries, are sometimes shocking, sometimes puzzling, sometimes beautiful but always intriguing.

The way in which the photographers use the medium and create works which could not have been made any other way was the primary curatorial focus. An installation that unlocked the potential dialogues between the different works was also imperative.

Artists such as Roger Ballen, Zwelethu Mthethwa and Berni Searle are in constant demand in international circles and it is getting more difficult to view their works in South Africa. This exhibition will provide a fascinating view into contemporary photography in the country. Other artists featured on the show are Zander Blom, Lien Botha, Jacques Coetzer, Abrie Fourie, Nomusa Makhubu, Barbra Wildenboer and Dale Yudelman.

Construct: Beyond The Documentary Photograph runs until January 31 at the Durban Art Gallery which is situated in the City Hall (entrance in Smith Street). More information from Carol Brown on 083 778 1192 or email: carol@carolbrown.co.za

NATIVE BLUES

Musical production by Faca Kulu next up at Catalina Theatre.

Next up at the Catalina is Faca Kulu’s Native Blues billed as “A musical integration of music rooted on the melodies and harmonies conceived by the melting pot of diverse cultures that constructed the walls and the streets of Durban city,” which opens at Catalina Theatre in Wilson’s Wharf on October 7.

Faca Kulu explains it as: “A musical integration of sounds from different walks of life interpreted by the natives dwelling and working the City of Durban in the late 50’s and throughout the decades that follow. This acappella musical comedy is based on the fond reminiscences of two old men who are the former members of an acappella musical group - Native Blues – of the style that was popular in the 50’s. The event that triggers the reminiscences of these two old buddies is the accusation from one, claiming that his friend used the group to win the love of his life, and his still current wife of 44 years. Together, the events unfold in a series of flashbacks. They are joined by other group members who help to narrate the story and provide stunning close part harmonies.

“Back in the day, six youngsters assembled and created a sound of music that was mostly popular with women because of its female oriented lyrical content,” continues Faca Kulu. “They became popular with the social gatherings that were happening mostly in the outskirts of the city. Also, their sound of music became a tool to make ends meet under harsh limitations offered by the regime of the time. Sadly, their music only got credit deserved from the street corners, shebeens and the beer halls of the slum of Umkhumbane. Suddenly, at old age, and in the permanent absence of the other four members, they come into terms with the fact that the Group Areas Act also bulldozed their aspirations of becoming renowned musicians.”

Faca Kulu cut his artistic teeth under the directorship of Gibson Kente in 1987, followed by the Upstairs Theatre Co under Saira Essa in 1988. He joined Committed Artists Arts Academy under the directorship of Mbongeni Ngema, performing in watershed musicals such as Sarafina, Township Fever and the movie version of Sarafina.

He also worked as a freelancing backing singer for recording musical bands like Bayete, Sakhile, Stimela, and Sankomota. In 1993, he was nominated for a Vita award as best supporting actor in a musical category.

In 1997, Faca Kulu was chosen to play a lead singing role in the original production of Walt Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway in New York. While in New York, he taught a master class in African singing and culture which saw him being honoured with a cultural outstanding award in 1999 by the Harlem community.

In 2001 he ventured into music recording and released his debut album titled Uhambo / The Journey under Sony music S.A. This album earned him a SAMA nomination in the best male category. In 2005 he became one of the lead singers in a musical group Bambata, under Gallo Music SA.

Kulu is involved with Ukhozi fm as an actor and a writer. Recently he performed the role of Mingus in the production Sophiatown at the Catalina Theatre in Durban. He also serves on the PANSA KZN Committee.

Natives Blues is performed by Thabani Mhlangu (Sguqa); Bonga Godfrey ‘Mtshotshovu’ Zulu (Mathambo); Sifiso Innocent Mngadi (Nsimbi); Phumlani J Mkhize (Ntwana Khabazela); Sandile Menze (Smakade) and Sikhosiphi Bhuti Manzi (Manzini).

Native Blues runs at Catalina Theatre, Wilson’s Wharf, from October 7 to November 2. Tickets R70 (R35 concessions) with Buy One Get One Free offers for the first week and thereafter on Tuesdays and Sundays. The production is available for corporate block bookings, charity fundraisers and show/meal deals. Bookings through Thandeka on 031 305 6889 or 031 305 7612 or email t74@mweb.co.za or tsibisi@mweb.co.za

The Catalina Theatre is still functioning thanks to the generosity and support from Rainbow Chicken.

ANDREW BUTLER FOR SASMT CONCERT

Andrew Butler and his parents to present music from Schuber, Schumann and Mendelssohn on October 1.

On October,1, the free lunch hour concert presented by the South African Society of Music Teachers in the Tatham Art Gallery will feature baritone Andrew Butler with his parents John and Shirley, presenting a programme of music from Schubert, Schumann and Mendelssohn as well as more modern ballads. As usual the concert will run from 1.10 to 1.50 pm and all are welcome. For more information, contact Jean Kudernatsch on 033 394 1818.

PEOPLE I MADE MUSIC WITH

Conductor David Tidboald releases book of recollections.

David Tidboald, now retired, is a household name among lovers of classical music – particularly in the Western Cape and in KwaZulu-Natal. He is intimately associated with three South African orchestras: the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra (later to become the CTSO) of which he was resident conductor from 1960 to 1965; and the Capab Orchestra and the Natal Philharmonic (now the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic), both of which he was invited to help form.

People I Made Music With, appropriately subtitled “candid memoirs”, is a book of recollections of many of the fascinating people he encountered during a long and distinguished career in music. It also provides interesting insights into the international music scene in several cities – Berlin, London, Cape Town and Durban – at the time they played a role in his life.

As pianist and conductor, Tidboald worked with many of the greatest artists – conductors, pianists, composers, singers and dancers – of his time, among them: John Barbirolli; Victoria de los Ángeles; Marita Napier; Igor Stravinski; Adrian Boult; Kathleen Ferrier; Birgit Nilsson; Cecilia Wessels; Mimi Coertse; Margot Fonteyn; Anna Russell and Narcisco Yepes.

Readers are given a refreshingly frank glimpse, clad in droll and elegant prose, of his collaboration with these artists and the many other individuals recalled in this book (and listed in a comprehensive index). Although this is not an autobiography, his life in music was one of enviable variety.

Hannah Morris’s delightful drawings at the opening of each short chapter, together with the 12-page photo section, add visual appeal to a book that will be of special interest to music lovers everywhere. As the author rightly says in his introduction, “When one has been privileged to have had a career in one of the arts, which involved working with, and in many cases getting to know, some of the leading artists of the last half century, it does seem something of a waste to make one’s departure from this planet without recording impressions of these remarkable people.”

Born in England in 1926 in the historic naval port of Plymouth, David Tidboald now enjoys his retirement in Simon’s Town, South Africa’s equivalent. Oddly enough, it was while doing national service in the Royal Navy at the end of World War II that he was sent to Berlin, where he was presented with opportunities that led to his career in music.

Published by Umuzi, South African imprint of Random House, People I Made Music With is published in paperback and the recommended retail price is R150. ISBN 978-1-4152-0055-1

Watch this space for review

SILENT LIGHT

Carlos Reygadas’s 2007 film for Pietermaritzburg film club on October 2.

The Pietermaritzburg-based University film club resumes its screenings on October 2 with Carlos Reygadas’s 2007 film Silent Light. The film is set in a remote Mennonite community in rural Mexico, where the devout and hard-working farmer Johan, married to devoted Esther, has to face the fact that he has fallen in love with another woman.

The film is stylised and presented in what has been described as “a superbly controlled cinematic idiom”. Films are shown at 18h00 in the Centre for Visual Arts Lecture Theatre in Ridge Road, Pietermaritzburg. There is safe parking.

THE SUITCASE MAKER

Play by Jacqueline Keevy still running at the Hexagon Studio Theatre.

Still running at the Hexagon Studio Theatre in Pietermaritzburg is The Suitcase Maker, written, directed and designed by Masters student Jacqueline Keevy, following its successful run at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

The play is a story about the small spaces into which we pack our lives. It is a quiet look into the musicality and language of love.

The Suitcase Maker, will have performances at the Hexagon Studio Theatre on September 29 at 19h00 and on September 30 at 12h20 and 19h00. Tickets R35 (R25 students and seniors) available at the door.

More information from the Hexagon Theatre Office on 033 260 5537 or visit www.hexagon.ukzn.ac.za

SHELTER

Mbongeni Mtshali presented new play at the Hexagon in Pietermaritzburg.

Recently seen at the Hexagon Theatre in Pietermaritzburg was Shelter, a production conceived, written, directed and choreographed by Masters Student Mbongeni Mtshali, whose choreography for the Hexagon’s recent Cabaret received particular praise. The play also includes text by playwright Louise Buchler.

It is set “in a time perhaps not too far from our own, in a place not too distant from here (wherever here is…)”. shelter explores ways of making meaning. While seeking on one level to make sense of a night that forever changes the lives of the three characters in the play, it is as much about the very process of telling, about the moments that fall between the cracks, between the words, beneath the silences.

While Emiliah mourns the loss of her child, Stefan wants more than anything to not become his father, a man who bears the ghosts of a war and a life half lived. And the last of a family of migrants, all Andine wants is a place that she can call home.

It begins at the elbow... a word escapes, and with that word, a gesture: of compassion, of love, of hate, of a place remembered.

ENTRIES TO CLOSE FOR MUSHO!

Entries for the 2009 Musho! Festival close on October 3.

A reminder that applications for the third annual Musho! one and two person festival which will be staged in January in Durban, close this week on October 3.

Applications should be sent to Daisy Spencer, PANSA KZN Co-ordinator on email: kzn@pansa.org.za

MICHAEL GREEN’S WINE NOTES #205

Annual Vinimark and Wine Worx trade show visits Durban.

I am always looking for good wines at reasonable prices, but I must admit that very often you get what you pay for. Top quality usually means top prices.

The annual Vinimark and Wine Worx trade show, sponsored by big marketing organisations, visited Durban recently and offered for tasting something like 250 wines from 45 different estates and cellars with which they are associated. Faced with this embarrassment of riches, one has to taste selectively and cautiously, and I restricted myself to a few items that were more or less unfamiliar to me.

The outstanding wines among these were two reds, Jordan Cobblers Hill 2004 and Warwick Trilogy 2006, both of them classic Bordeaux blends, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc.

The Jordan Winery at Stellenbosch is owned by the Jordan family who used to be in the shoe business, hence the “cobblers” name of this wine. This is their top item. The blend is 46 percent cabernet sauvignon, 33 merlot, 21 cabernet franc, and the wine was matured in French oak barrels for two years. It is a rich, dark colour with cherry, blackberry, chocolate and mint features on the nose and palate. Absolutely outstanding, but you have to pay for it: about R190 a bottle.

Warwick is a long-established estate at Stellenbosch, owned by the Ratcliffe family and presided over for many years by Norma Ratcliffe, whom I suppose one could describe as the first lady of the Cape wine industry, or at least one of the first ladies. Trilogy is the estate’s flagship. The blend here is 65 percent cabernet sauvignon, 24 cabernet franc and 11 merlot. The wine has blackberry and raspberry aromas and flavours, plus a delicate and delicious coffee taste on the palate. Lovely now, but it will probably improve with two or three more years of correct cellarage.

The retail price is about R170 a bottle. These two wines are not for everyday quaffing.

Among the white wines I sampled was the Glen Carlou Chardonnay 2007 from the highly regarded Glen Carlou cellar at Paarl, owned by a Swiss company and guided by cellarmaster David Finlayson. This wine was fermented in French oak barrels and matured for ten months sur lie, on the lees, or sediment of dead yeast cells and grape skins. It is fruity and complex, a wine to savour. And, for a white wine, it is not inexpensive: about R80 a bottle.

Moving to more accessible regions, I tasted the Blouvlei Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from the Mont du Toit Cellar at Wellington, which has been bottling wine for the past ten years. This is a crisp, fresh, greenish kind of wine with touches of grapefruit and lemon in the taste. Very pleasant at about R36 a bottle.

A different kind of fruitiness was apparent in the 2007 chenin blanc from Laroche L’Avenir Wines at Stellenbosch. This was formerly known as the L’Avenir estate, and the name has been expanded since its sale in 2005 to a well-known French wine producer, Michel Laroche. The chenin is smooth and well-balanced with flavours of pineapple, melon and apricot. Price: about R45.

There were plenty of old favourites on the show, for example Boland Kelder chenin blanc 2008. I think the wines from this long-established cellar at Paarl offer particularly good value and here is a lovely dry white full of flavour, fig, guava, tropical fruits, and all at about R25 a bottle. – Michael Green

LAMBERT MORALOKI AND BRIGITTE HERTELL

Kizo Gallery to host first KZN exhibition by multi award-winning artists.

Kizo Gallery at Gateway is to host the first exhibition in KwaZulu-Natal of multi award-winning artists Lambert Moraloki and Brigitte Hertell.

Lambert and Brigitte have participated in exhibitions in Japan, Germany, Norway, The Netherlands, London, Italy, Scotland, India, China, Korea, France, Poland, USA and throughout South Africa.

In 2004/ 2005 they were awarded the Grand Prize at The Hyogo International Painting Competition in Japan and in 2001 they won the Grand Prize at The Osaka International Triennial. This is no small feat considering that The Osaka International Triennial had 11,497 entries from 3,821 artists from 99 countries. An international jury selected 133 artworks from different artists including the work by Lambert and Brigitte entitled Marginal Sanctuaries.

Brigitte was born in South Africa. She studied at the University of Pretoria and had tuition at the École des Beaux-Arts, Grenoble, France.

Lambert was also born in South Africa and studied at SDASA College in the Transkei. He trained as a teacher at the MEDU Art Organization and in Pretoria at the Art and Music Association.

“Art lovers are in for a treat of textures, colours and mesmerizing images that these two talented and exceptionally creative artists have become internationally known for,” says Kizo curator Nathi Gumede. “Their works are extremely powerful and often make important social and political commentary that is unique and of extreme relevance to the South African experience.”

Lambert Moraloki and Brigitte Hertell’s exhibition runs from October 6 to 28 in the Downstairs Gallery at Kizo Art Gallery which is situated at Gateway. The opening will be at 18h30 on October 6. More information from Nathi Gumede on 031 566 4324, fax 031 566 2494 or email: nathig@kizo.co.za or visit www.kizo.co.za

2009 UNESCO-ASCHBERG BURSARIES FOR ARTISTS

Applications invited for Bursaries for Artists Programme 2009

Call for applications for the 2009 UNESCO-Aschberg Bursaries for Artists.

As an implementation instrument of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Programme promotes the mobility of young artists through sojourns in art residencies abroad so as to foster creativity and cultural diversity. It recognizes the important contribution of artists in the creative process and their central role in nurturing the diversity of cultural expressions.

Artist-in-residence bursaries are being offered in institutions around the world in the following three fields: visual arts, creative writing and music.

To consult the list of bursaries being offered for 2009 visit www.unesco.org/culture/aschberg and follow direct links to institutions which offer full instructions on the application requirements and necessary dates.

For further information contact Aschberg@unesco.org

DR ELSA POOLEY

Well-known KZN botanical artist receives Honorary Doctorate of Science.

Well-known KZN botanical artist Elsa Pooley received her Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in April. Mercury columnist Marianne Meijer paid tribute to Elsa Pooley in a recent article:

It is a well-deserved accomplishment for someone who has spent 30 years exploring the flora of this province. Not only has Pooley pursued her passion for indigenous plants through collection, researching and writing about these specimens, but she is equally recognised as one of the finest botanical artists in South Africa.

Her expertise as a botanical artist is recognised worldwide. She has exhibited extensively in South Africa and has had work commissioned in South Africa and abroad.

Pooley’s early work resulted in a comprehensive collection of the flora of northern KwaZulu-Natal, which is housed in the Bews Herbarium of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, on the Pietermaritzburg campus.

She has also undertaken other research, ranging from vegetation mapping for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to pioneering work on the use of plants by the people of Maputaland, for the Human Sciences Research Council (HRSC).

Pooley is a skilled botanical artist. Her paintings have been published in the National Botanical Institute series, Flowering Plants of Africa, and her limited-edition portfolio, Palms of Africa, was sold worldwide. Pooley also hosts painting workshops and has taught numerous artists the skill of botanical illustration. She also illustrates plants for scientific journals and has taken part in numerous exhibitions.

Since 1993, Pooley has been the sole author of seven major books, as well as having been the author of the section on plants in another.

Her three major contributions are The Complete Field Guide to Trees of Natal, Zululand and Transkei (1992), A Field Guide to Wildflowers: KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Region (1999) and Mountain Flowers: A Field Guide to the Flora of the Drakensberg and Lesotho (2003). These books are used by professional botanists and amateurs. Their high-quality illustrations are invaluable in publications of this kind – they provide not just a means of identification of the varied elements of the local flora, but the well-researched text gives the reader a comprehensive species-by-species background.

The books have played a major role in environmental education. In the art world, Pooley has collaborated with master printer Malcolm Christian, of Caversham Press, on hand-made prints for the Standard Bank Exhibition Science Meets Fine Art - Flowers as Images. That was in 1992.

Botanical art demands the greatest attention to detail to ensure fidelity of reproduction, resulting in the use of such art not only decoratively, but also as a further source of scientific data. The list of institutions commissioning, or otherwise requiring, Pooley’s artwork is impressive. She was also instrumental in starting the KwaZulu-Natal branch of the Botanical Artists Association of Southern Africa (BAASA). This is open to all botanical artists - ranging from scientific illustrators to flower painters.

In 1996, Pooley was voted the KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife and Environmental Society’s Conservationist of the Year and, more recently, was awarded the Marloth Medal from the Botanical Society of South Africa. Her knowledge and versatility bridge the divide between the popular and the academic.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal honoured her for excellence in the enhancement of academic learning and in promoting the advancement of science in the field of botany.”

In her acceptance speech, Dr Elsa Pooley referred to a project related to her books: The Zulu Botanical Knowledge Project or proposed dictionary of Zulu plant names is a collaboration of botanists and linguists from KwaZulu-Natal and the University of KZN. “In 1948, the Doke & Vilakazi Zulu/English dictionary included some wonderful entries on plant names, but nothing has been added since,” Elsa Pooley stated. “My field guides include common names in all local languages. However, these names were mostly collected by English speaking botanists. The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Zulu language department was most helpful in correcting them but in the process it became clear that there was an urgent need for more work in this area. The project is recording Zulu plant names and meanings before this field knowledge is lost.

UKZN COMPOSERS CONCERT

UKZN Music School to present new works by composers attached to the university.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Music School will host a free lunch-hour concert on September 29 of new works by UKZN composers Jurgen Brauninger, David Sprong, Ulrich Suesse, and Fiona Tozer.

The works will be performed by Brett Alborough on clarinet, Jane Baillie on violin, Fiona Grayer on cello, Catherine Morrow on piano and Keri Povall on flute as well as the Flatfoot Dance Company.

The concert takes place at 12h15 on September 29 in Howard College Theatre and entrance is free. More information on 031 260 3353

MIKE ROSSI JAZZ WORKSHOP

Popular jazz personality Mike Rossi to perform and give a workshop at The Stable Theatre.

The Stable Theatre at 115 Johannes Nkosi Street (formerly Alice Street) is now under new management.

One of the first events scheduled in the new way-forward for this city centre-based theatre venue is a performance by well-known jazz personality Mike Rossi, now living in Cape Town, who became well-known on the local jazz circuit when he was affiliated to the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Jazz.

Michael Rossi will perform on October 17 at the Stable Theatre with popular Durban jazz personalities Melvin Peters on piano, Bruce Baker on drums and Logan Byrne on acoustic bass

Prior to his performance he will give a workshop on October 16 from16h30 to 18h30. The workshop is open to intermediary music practitioners including professional musicians. The theme deals with the role of the horns in a quartet and trio set up versus the big band scenario.

Places are limited to 30 people and booking is essential on a first-come-first-served basis. For bookings contact Mandla Mlotshwa on 031 309 2513 or 072 260 0654.

The theme is INVEST IN CULTURE, sponsored by the National Department of Arts & Culture. Watch the press for concerts in other genres as well as visual arts events.

ANNUAL ISICATHAMIYA COMPETITION

Playhouse Company’s 11th Annual Isicathamiya Competition on September 27.

The Playhouse Company’s annual all-night Iscathamiya Competition takes place in the Playhouse Opera Theatre on September 27 as part of the current Celebrate Durban Spring Season festivities. Starting at 18h00 and ending at around 09h00 on Sunday morning followed by the prize giving, the Competition promises to be as big and exciting an event as ever.

The 11th event in this popular series, this year’s Isicathamiya Competition will see some 130 groups from all over KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape converging on The Playhouse in Durban, and keenly competing for the coveted prizes as they pit their skills against their peers. According to tradition, participants in the Isicathamiya Competition fall into three categories, namely Top 20, Section 1 and Open Section. They will be judged by a panel of four adjudicators.

Besides the acapella singing and dancing that comprise this much-loved art form made world famous by the group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the Competition will also feature the traditional Oswenka and Onobuhle sections, in which 25 men and 25 women will display their sense of style and fashion during interludes interspersed between the competition’s mainstream of events.

Tickets R45 booked through Computicket 083 915 8000, or The Playhouse Box Office on 031 369 9540.

SABC TO UP SA MUSIC QUOTA

National broadcaster nails its colours to the mast of South African music.

The national broadcaster has nailed its colours to the mast of South African music.

That was clear during a key presentation by the public broadcaster during the recent Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition in Johannesburg.

In a presentation given by the SABC Head of Group Strategy, Sipho Sithole, the self-imposed new quotas were announced over a three years period. From 2008, the minimum quota of South African music on Public Broadcast platforms will be 60% moving to 65% in 2009 and 70% in 2010.

Sithole also made it clear that simply playing popular South African genres – like kwaito and hip hop – would not suffice in fulfilling the quota. Each of the SABC’s indigenous radio stations would be required to full 40% of their South African music quota with music indigenous to the geographical area they broadcast to.

When it came to Public Commercial Services – like Metrofm and 5fm – the quota would be set at 35% in 2008, 40% in 2009 and 45% in 2010.

Currently the quotas as imposed by ICASA are far lower than the ones that the SABC is now implementing. A presentation from Mamodupi Kgatshe confirmed that PBS stations were required to play 40% South African music while PCS have to play 25%.

Sithole also used his platform to announce that the SABC’s belief in partnership with the likes of Moshito had seen it enter into a three-year media partnership with the conference and exhibition. “We currently have 18 radio stations broadcasting from Moshito which I think shows you how seriously we are taking our support of the South African music industry,” he said.

DKP LAUNCHES ASSOULINE IN SA

David Krut Publishing (DKP) to launch Assouline's fine range of fashion and art titles on October 3.

David Krut Publishing (DKP) will launch Assouline's fine range of fashion and art titles in Johannesburg on October 3.

Lovers of fashion and fine books will be delighted at the news that Assouline books will now be available in South Africa. (DKP) will launch this fine range of fashion and art.

Joining David Krut Publishing for this exciting event will be fashion expert and director of Assouline, New York, Ausbert de Arce. DKP is joining forces for the launch with One on One Antiques in Parktown North who are well-known for their flair for graceful style.

Assouline and One on One make a perfect pair: they are elegant and classical. Bespoke. Eclectic. Rare. Since the founding of Assouline in Paris in 1996 by Prosper and Martine Assouline, the vision has always been to create books that are unique and beautiful objects celebrating international fashion, interior design, art, architecture and travel. Renowned for their highly original graphics and content, Assouline books are works of art that capture culture and bring it to life. The spirit and savoir faire of these books have contributed to the creation of a unique, eclectic and chic brand that is immediately identifiable as the haute couture of publishing. Assouline books, first presented by DKP at the Design Indaba this year, will be available exclusively from DKP bookstores in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The venue of the launch suits the elegance of the Assouline range: One on One is an innovative concept store owned by Riaan de Villiers and architect Joe van Rooyen, specialising in selective European and Victorian lifestyle pieces. Riaan and Joe have distinctive skills and experience and share a passion for the beauty of design, proportion and scale and how this transforms lifestyles.

NEW LOOK FOR HALLMARK

Exciting changes to the channel (108) go on air this month (September).

DStv’s Hallmark Channel in South Africa has unveiled a fresh new look which is set to make its television viewers into television stars!

The exciting changes to the channel (108) go on air this month (September) and feature South African people with a passion for the unusual in its new channel idents and fillers.

“We’re renowned for our absorbing and compelling shows on Hallmark and we wanted to find local people with absorbing and compelling lives so we can tell their story,” said Gunn Haglund, Head of Channels for the NBC Universal-owned Hallmark Channel.

“We didn’t realise what extraordinary lives some people lead – and have been overwhelmed by their talents and skills. We feel we’ve captured the amazing diversity of this beautiful country by revealing their hidden depths! We’re also very proud to feature local areas and hope our viewers will enjoy spotting some familiar landscapes.”

Hallmark Channel, which broadcasts award-winning shows including Numb3rs, Cane and NCIS, will showcase 20 South African characters from a whole host of backgrounds but who share a common goal – making the very most of their free time!

These include slender Ntombikayise Masilela who is a systems analyst by day and devotes her free time to car racing and taking on challenges like the Castrol Chicken run.

Then there’s the story of Darryl Shaff, the married electrician from Lindhurst in Johannesburg who plays poker at least three times a week. Shaff, 36, plays one live session at a casino where he spends up to eight hours and then he hopes to get a good hand while trying his luck on online gambling websites. His wife is not too pleased about his “so-called” hobby because it deprives them of family time but “it does bring home a little extra bacon”.

The highlight is undoubtedly Gregory da Silva who has taken busking to another level altogether. Known as Cape Town’s Famous Eggman, he is a comedic artist, dancer and actor. With his distinctive headdress of about 300 eggs and wearing an outfit adorned with feathers, raffia and shellwork, he appears at many festivals and conferences and his work has been featured on numerous worldwide television channels. He was one of the finalists of the Best of Cape Town Awards 2008 in the performing arts category and runs a developmental arts programme in the townships.

Sophia Phirippides, the Modern Times producer and director of the local inserts, said they searched intensively throughout South Africa for amazing individuals whose lives had a touch of the unusual.

“What is so great about this 100 minutes of local production is that it’s not been done before on this scale. It shows the diversity of South Africa and really it is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things,” she said. “This is all about Hallmark Channel using the fabric of South Africa to showcase their passions from car sales to belly dancing to dune boarding. So expect the unexpected.”

Hallmark Channel is broadcast on DStv channel 108, Monday to Sunday.

HELLBOY 2 – THE GOLDEN ARMY

Spanish director Guillermo del Toro clearly has fun with noisy, action-heavy saga (Review by Billy Suter, courtesy of The Mercury)

Spanish director Guillermo del Toro, who gave us the spellbinding fantasy-drama Pan’s Labyrinth, reportedly turned down the chance to direct I Am Legend and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to create this sequel to his Hellboy, a 2004 hit inspired by Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse comic series.

Del Toro is clearly having a lot of fun with it, pulling out all the stops for a sensory overload, relishing his increased budget, as he delivers a noisy, action-heavy saga which, borrowing heavily at times from Star Wars, explodes with fabulously fantastical creatures and weird machines.

A villain with the ability to pose as an old woman to eat cats; a talking infant that is actually a tumour and not a child; a giant beanstalk-like forest God called an Elemental that terrorises a baby; an army of glowing machines able to rebuild themselves after being slain. Not to forget trolls, goblins, a mammoth rock creature, an Angel of Death with multiple moving eyeballs in its wings . . . and nightmare variations of the Tooth Fairy.

All find place in a high-gloss tale of a battle for Earth between humans and elfin inhabitants of a fantasy realm, a revisiting of an ancient battle told to our title character as a boy by his adopted father (John Hurt).

Now, with the red-skinned and yellow-eyed Hellboy (Ron Perlman) an adult and married to fire-generating Liz (Selma Blair), the fantasy realm folk are getting itchy feet to leave their forests and reclaim Earth from humans. Hellboy, Liz, their trusty fish-man sidekick Abe (Doug Jones) and vapour-like adviser Johann Kraus (voice of Seth MacFarlane) decide to sidle with humankind in the battle that ensues with white-haired elf hunk Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) and his golden army of robots.

Del Toro, who is lined up to direct The Hobbit, a prequel to Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, has created a fun romp which fantasy fans are sure to lap up.

He also provides one of the most unexpected, and rather amusing, scenes of the year – the bulky Hellboy and fishy Abe getting tipsy on beer and singing along to, of all things, Barry Manilow’s I Can’t Smile Without You. (7/10) - Billy Suter

MUSIC AT 12TH POETRY AFRICA

Poetry Africa’s Musical Voices include legendary Zimbabwean.

The symbiotic ties between music and poetry are made explicit through several of the participants in this year’s Poetry Africa, the 12th International Poetry Festival held in Durban.

The music on show at this year’s festival includes legendary Zimbabwean musician Thomas Mapfumo, who will be accompanied by members of his band Blacks Unlimited. Mapfumo, who has lived in exile in the USA since 2005, is the originator of the chimurenga beat, which was the definitive people's music of the Zimbabwean liberation struggle in the 1970s.

Truly a massive and influential figure, his music respects traditional culture and the struggle but has since been banned on Zimbabwe radio. Long before any other musician dared, Mapfumo challenged Zimbabwe's ruling party with songs like Corruption (1989) and Jojo (1990) and Disaster (1999) and more recently the album Rise Up (2005). His 1970s songs inspired a generation of people in the liberation war; while his music from the late 1980s has been a thorn in the side of the post-independence Zimbabwean government.

Mapfumo's songs tear away at injustice and tell the truth about the problems of Zimbabwe. The chimurenga sound he invented became the most inspired and important musical innovation in modern Zimbabwean music. Band leader Mapfumo and guitarists Joshua Dube, 'Pickett' Chiyangwa and Jonah Sithole took music in a totally new direction in the 1970s, re-interpreting mbira melodies on guitar and creating a new style of guitar and mbira interplay unlike anything that preceded it. Chimurenga was copied by virtually every Zimbabwean traditional musician; it became almost synonymous with what is "traditional Zimbabwean music".

Mapfumo and members of Blacks Unlimited will give must-see feature performances in the festival programme on 2 October at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre at 19h30 and the BAT Centre on 4 October at 19h30. He will also present a free workshop entitled Chimurenga Music on October 1 at the UKZN’s Music Department at 14h10.

Shameema Williams, Eloise Jones (aka EJ von Lyrik) and Bernadette Amansure (aka Burni) formed the trailblazing hip-hop group Godessa in 2000 and have since continued to break ground as the only recording and performing female hip-hop crew in South Africa. Godessa will perform on October 1 at the Elizabeth Sneddon at 19h30.

Joining them is the equally righteous hip-hopper Jitsvinger, from Cape Town, who released his slamming Afrikaans language debut album Skeletsleutel in 2006. Jitsvinger will perform on 3 October at 19h30 at the Sneddon.

Powerful, fresh and blessed with an enviable stage presence, poet and musician Ntsiki Mazwai has worked with household music industry names such as DJ Mbuso, Zynne Sibika, Bruce Sebitlo, Kyllex Faku and the Kentphonik team. Her single Uwrongo, which featured on DJ Fresh’s Definition of House Volume II, received heavy rotation on YFM and Metro FM and culminated in her SAMA nominated debut release, MaMiya. Described as “a new genre – kwai-hop-soul”, Ntsiki’s unique style of fusing her inspirational poems with beats has proved immensely popular. She will perform on October 3 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre at 19h30.

The full programme of activities, plus participant bios and photos, is available on www.cca.ukzn.ac.za More information on 031 260 2506.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), the 12th Poetry Africa festival is supported by the Department of Arts and Culture, Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS), Royal Netherlands Embassy, Stichting Doen, National Arts Council, Pro-Helvetia Arts Council of Switzerland, French Institute of South Africa, African Synergy Book Café, and the City of Durban.

AS YOU LIKE IT

Large cast gives a lively, entertaining, modern performance of Shakespeare's much loved tale of family feuds, courtship and love. (Review by Maurice Kort)

Presented by the University of KwaZulu-Natal Drama & Performance Studies Department and directed by Tamar Meskin and Verne Rowin Munsamy, As you Like It, one of William Shakespeare’s most popular and often-performed comedies, with a large double cast of students, opens in the court of Rowland de Boys although most of the action takes place in the forest of Arden. The sets, designed by Mervyn McMurtry, are very attractive and most effective, much use being made of back projection for the forest scenes.

For those not familiar with the well-known plot, it concerns the feud between two brothers, Orlando and Oliver, the youngest and oldest sons of Rowland de Boys, respectively, and the love and courtship of Orlando and Rosalinda, daughter of the banished Duke Senior. She has to flee from the court of her nasty cousin, Duke Frederick, to the Forest of Arden, accompanied by her cousin, Celia, daughter of Duke Frederick. For her safety, she disguises herself as a man, which obviously leads to many complications.

The theme of the play being love and marriage, the path of true love never running smoothly, there are three subplots of the loves of three other couples - Oliver and Celia, a case of love at first sight; Touchstone, the clown, and a not-too-bright country wench, Audrey; and a couple of simple shepherds, Silvius and Phebe. Adding much to the complicated plot is Phebe's absolute disdain and scorn for Silvius and complete infatuation and love for Rosalind in her guise as a man.

The production, running at three hours which includes a fifteen minute interval, could do with some judicial pruning, especially as it includes musical interludes, for example an opening song with beautiful tableaux of the cast principals but which doesn't add much to the plot, a dance sequence which includes bop, the twist, the shuffle and several other dancing styles, which make it rather a hodge-podge, a rap number, original and fitting the modern age but rather jarring in a Shakespearean production, and a big finish musical number, starting with Mamma Tembu's Getting Married the choreography of which needed more co-ordination and polish. Such finales belong more to Broadway musicals and, although it might be a good idea to cross cultures to attract young audiences, it must be extremely well done to achieve its purpose.

That said, these modern innovations were enormous hits with the younger members of the audience. The costumes, designed by Tamar Meskin, Rowin Munsamy and Kirsten Tait, were also very modern but were in too many varied styles which, to my mind, jarred, contemporary as they might have aimed to be.

As to the performances, as it was a double cast, these comments apply to the actors in the performance I saw and it was a stout effort. Fezeka Mbona as Rosalind, who carries most of the action, impressed with many delightful body moves and there was good rapport between her and Tamika Sewnarain as Celia, especially in the first act and with Grant Jacobs as her love interest, more so later in the play. David Wilson impressed as Touchstone, the clown, as did Farai Nigel Gwaze as Jaques, a nobleman, who has that well-known speech "All the World's a Stage and All the Men and Women Merely Players" which he did most energetically and well. Xolile Gumede was a standout bouncy performance as Phebe, Brett Collopy was a suitably subservient Silvius, and Zanele Thobela was Audrey, Touchstone’s love interest. The wrestling match early in the play between Orlando and Charles, a wrestler at Duke Frederick’s court, was very well done. - Maurice Kort

WRITING BEYOND THE FRINGE

National Arts Festival announces launch of new initiative.

South African writing is due to receive a fresh injection of inspiration from the National Arts Festival with the launch of a new initiative, Writing Beyond the Fringe. Writers who have written at least one script that has previously been staged on the Fringe programme of the National Arts Festival qualify to participate in this exciting project.

Four writers will be given the opportunity to take their literary works beyond the South African borders. The project is a partnership between the National Arts Festival and the deBuren and Passa Porta literary projects in Belgium and The Netherlands.

Four writers will be selected to each write a new story that reflects on the theme, Remapping the World. The focal point of the story should be a character whose life has been remapped by either local or global changes of the last decades. The writers will be invited to read the stories in front of an audience at the 2009 National Arts Festival. In addition, the Brussels-based deBuren Project will pay the four writers three thousand Euros each. The works will also be translated into French, Spanish and Dutch.

The four stories will be broadcast by Radio Netherlands Worldwide on Radio Books, a series of recorded stories specially written to be listened to and not to appear in print. The stories, which should last between 20 - 30 minutes (approximately 5,000 words), are read aloud by the authors in front of an audience once only. After the reading, they are broadcast on the radio and distributed via the Internet, where they can be listened to or downloaded free of charge.

"Storytelling is one of our oldest traditions. Distributing South African stories which have a strong continental and global resonance through the World Wide Web is a product of our present age", said Festival Director, Ismail Mahomed. “This project allows writers to think of the World Wide Web as a stage which will allow them to engage with an international audience."

One of the four writers will also be considered for an invitation to participate in a fully sponsored one-month writer’s residency at the Passa Porta Writer's Festival that will take place in Brussels during 2009.

This opportunity is available to South African citizens or those with permanent residency in South Africa. It is confined to new writers who have had a maximum of one publication in book form, or whose work has not previously been published in book form, although it may have appeared in magazines, journals, or newspapers.

Application forms and more information on how to participate in the "Writing Beyond the Fringe" programme can be downloaded from the National Arts Festival web-site www.nationalartsfestival.co.za

For more information, contact the Fringe Festival Manager, Kate Axe Davies, on 046 603 1163 or the Festival Director, Ismail Mahomed, on 046 603 1149. Closing date for submission of application forms is September 30 2008 and the deadline for receipt of the completed work will be November 24, 2008.

The 35th National Arts Festival runs from July 2 to 11, 2009, and is sponsored by The Eastern Cape Government, Standard Bank, The National Arts Council and The Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund.

LIGHT OF HOPE

DUT Dance Drama 2008 offers season of contemporary dance.

The Durban University of Technology’s Drama Department presents a season of cutting edge contemporary dance titled Light of Hope at the Courtyard Theatre from October 1 to 4.

Light of Hope is a dance production performed by second and third year dance specialists, directed by dance lecturer Mdu Mtshali.

Showcasing dance works by Durban choreographers Mdu Mtshali, Musa Hlatshwayo, Sanele Mzinyane and Neliswa Rushualang, the production was initially inspired by real events and current political, social situations in the whole of Africa including the recent xenophobia attacks which left thousands of men, women and young innocent children homeless with no food and shelter.

Light of Hope runs from October 1 to 4 at 19h00 at the Courtyard Theatre on the DUT Berea Campus in Mansfield Road. For bookings contact Ronicka Sirputh on 031 373 2194.

DURBAN DANCE AWARDS 2008

Durban dance community honours top performers on September 28.

The Durban dance community celebrates “a fresh start” at the Durban Dance Awards at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on September 28.

Presented by KZN DanceLink, the awards salute the achievements - under difficult circumstances due to lack of funding - of dancers and choreographers in the last year.

Acknowledging the “contribution of the old guard to the development and support of the new generation”, KZN DanceLink chairman Lynn Maree said the awards honoured the hard work and dedication of the dance community.

“Dance in Durban used to include The Playhouse Dance Company, a well-paid and housed professional ballet company,” said Maree. “Then Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre was created and trained, also by The Playhouse Company. When the Playhouse Company stopped funding and housing its own companies, the city experienced a sudden flurry of a growth in dance companies and in the training of dancers for the professional stage.

“Sadly some of that energy has been lost to Durban,” Maree continues. “But some of the old guard is still here, doing great stuff. The University has a dance company, Siwela Sonke has trained a new group and there are new young dancers and choreographers beginning to find their voices.

“One could almost say there is a fresh start, but it builds on the old, and there is a strong continuity and a genuine wish from those who were involved ten years ago to support that fresh start.”

The Durban Dance Awards 2008 will be presented after the final performance of the Flatfoot Dance Company’s new season of dance work entitled Six – groundbreaking dance by six choreographers presenting six new short works – at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on Sunday September 28. Tickets from Computicket or at the door.

Nominees for the Newcomer Award are Nhlakanipho Cele, Sibusiso Gantsa, Nkanyiso Kunene, Nobuhle Khawula Sandile Mkhize, Ngcebo Nzama and Thobeka Quvane.

Nominees for the Dancer Award are Desire Davids, Louise Fraquet-Golding, Zinhle Gumede, Quinton Ribbonaar, Liselle Sproull, Sifiso Khumalo, S'fiso Magesh Ngcobo, Vusi Makanya and Mxolisi Nkomonde.

Nominees for the Choreography Award are Desire Davids (Floating Outfit Project), S'thembiso Gcabashe (freelance), Sifiso Khumalo (Flatfoot Dance Company), S'fiso Magesh Ngcobo (Flatfoot Dance Company) and Vusi Makanya (Flatfoot Dance Company).

A special Abalolongi Award for services to dance in KwaZulu-Natal will also be presented.

Certificates will also be presented to those who attended the ChoreoLab in 2007, the Professional Development Course in 2008 and all the participants in Giyani Lusha 2008.

PRINTS & POTS

Colbert Mashile, Clive Sithole, Ian Garrett and John Newdigate for Artisan exhibition.

The current exhibition at the Artisan Contemporary Gallery, run by the owner of the now defunct Bayside Gallery, offers an exhibition of fine prints and pots.

Alongside burnished pit fired ceramics by Clive Sithole and Ian Garrett, are fine art prints by Colbert Mashile and porcelain functional vessels by John Newdigate.

Prints & Pots runs until October 24. Artisan Gallery is situated at 344 Florida Road in Morningside. More information on 031 312 4364.

2008 ARTS & CULTURE TRUST AWARDS

Celebratory 10th anniversary Arts & Culture Trust Awards.

In recognising that the arts play a crucial role in improving the quality of life of every South African, the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) awards celebrate the achievements of individuals and organisations who have contributed to the development of arts and culture in South Africa.

The celebratory 10th anniversary ACT Awards ceremony saw awards presented by Nedbank and supported by CLASSICfeel Magazine and Fine Music Radio 101.3. Categories were sponsored by the Vodacom Foundation, Distell, Sun International and Exclusive Books.

Past ACT award winners Georgina Thomson, Michelle Constant, Themba Ka Mathe and Lusanda Zokufa, together with well-known stage and television personality Tselane Tambo, presented the various category awards.

Arts Management: Bernard Jay. With a long and comprehensive career in entertainment administration, Bernard Jay learned his craft in management positions at such British government-subsidised theatres as York Theatre Royal, Malvern Festival Theatre and London’s Hampstead Theatre. In 1997, he joined promoter Attie van Wyk’s Big Concerts as Deputy Managing Director and in 2000 he was appointed CEO of the Johannesburg Civic Theatre where his contract has been extended to 2012. Other finalists in this category were Daphne Kuhn, owner and producer of Theatre on the Square; Nonkululeko Thabede, manager of the Dance Forum’s annual Dance Umbrella Festival and Roz van der Vyver, operations manager of the Baxter Theatre.

Arts Media: Artslink.co.za. Launched in January 1997 Artslink.co.za is South Africa’s largest arts and culture website, specialising in connecting audiences to artists via technology. Over a period of 11 years more than 20,000 and press releases have been disseminated and archived by Artslink, creating a unique South African database of arts and culture news. Artslink is also an Internet Service Provider and weekly wraps of film and theatre news and headlines keep potential audiences in touch. Other finalists in this category were the new arts magazine Applause, and SABC2’s arts and culture television magazine programme produced by Engage Entertainment, Artcha.

Arts Education: Thandi Arts Project. Through the Thandi Arts Project, one woman has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the development of Arts and Culture in South Africa. From humble beginnings in the dusty streets of Gugulethu, Nomthandazo Swartbooi has gone on to travel the globe performing, teaching and conducting workshops in traditional music and dance in schools and at universities. The Cape Town based Amy Biehl Foundation, the Johannesburg based Cultural Development Trust and the Bloemfontein based Mangaung Drama & Dance Group were the other finalists in this category.

Cultural Development: Moving into Dance Mophatong. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, MIDM has used dance to make a direct difference to hundreds of lives. Since its inception in 1978 it has developed into a nationally-acclaimed professional contemporary African dance company, as well as a training organisation which has produced a multitude of award-winning and productive dancers, choreographers, arts administrators and teachers throughout South Africa. The other finalists in this category were Khumbulani Craft and the 20–year old Sibikwa Community Project.

Creative Industries is Gumbo. Produced by From the Hip: Khulumakahle (FTH:K) Gumbo is South Africa’s first full-length deaf and hearing production. The story is told using FTH:K’s unique blend of physical performance, clowning, story-telling and work with integrating Deaf and hearing performers. The Gumbo Tour and the accompanying workshop programme they present to deaf and hearing people in South Africa and abroad, promotes cultural diversity in the creative arts and also encourages tolerance and understanding on many levels. The other finalists in this category were Mother City Queer Projects and Reggie Legoale Creative.

Lifetime Achievement awards were presented to three industry veterans, David Koloane, Miriam Makeba and Lynette Marais. Veteran actor Robert Whitehead and Mr David Shoko Chairman of the Vodacom Foundation presented the Lifetime Achievement Awards for 2008, sponsored by The Vodacom Foundation. These awards are awarded at the discretion of the ACT Board of Trustees.

The judging panel for the ACT Awards 2008 was convened by Brenda Devar, a trustee on the ACT Board and included George Mxadana, musical director and conductor of Imilonji KaNtu Choral Society; journalist and writer Mandla Motau; artistic and executive director of the Tribhangi Dance Theatre Jayesperi Moopen and internationally acclaimed playwright, choreographer and director, Welcome Msomi.

“These awards provide the opportunity for colleagues and associates to acknowledge the professional excellence and dedication of their fellow colleagues by nominating them for acknowledgment. Great vision and leadership distinguished our list of finalists and ultimately the winners”, said Brenda Devar after the ceremony.

"Congratulations to all the Winners and finalists in each of the categories. On behalf of our Patron, Athol Fugard and the ACT Board of Trustees I thank the principal sponsor of the Awards, Nedbank, the media partners, CLASSICfeel Magazine and Fine Music Radio 101.3, and all the sponsors and supporters of the various categories“, said outgoing ACT chairman Kutlwano Masote.

Through the Awards, principal sponsor Nedbank continues to highlight its commitment to arts and culture development, promotion and preservation in South Africa. "Nedbank is immensely proud of the role that it plays in the arts through its support for the Arts and Culture Trust. This event reminds us, yet again, of just how many reasons we have to be proudly South African " said Tom Boardman, Chief Executive: Nedbank Group.

The Department of Arts & Culture, Nedbank Sun International and The Vodacom Foundation are the Founding Trustees of ACT. The Royal Netherlands Embassy is a Founding Sponsor and Athol Fugard is Patron of the Trust. For more information visit www.act.org.za

DREAM OF THE DOG

Powerful drama at Hilton Arts Festival is edgy, poignant and superbly presented. (Review by Caroline Smart)

One of the highlights of the drama productions of the 2008 Witness Hilton Arts Festival was the Market Theatre’s Dream of the Dog, written and directed by Craig Higginson based on the original direction by Malcolm Purkey.

This edgy, poignant and superbly presented piece of theatre reminds us how powerful a drama can be, given the right ingredients. The script is succinct and solid with disturbing moods on several levels, while allowing for eloquent sections of poignancy and sadness. The action allows for much ironic humour but leaves no room for confusion in what could be a convoluted interpretation of a complex story.

The well-chosen cast members glide easily into their characters – each clearly interpreted. Diminutive Vanessa Cooke gives a beautiful performance as the feisty Patricia. A 60 year-old farmer’s wife, she is a birdlike figure, bowed down by fear, a delusional husband and the immediate prospect of leaving her remote KwaZulu-Natal farm which has been sold to make way for new development.

Into her life comes a figure from her past who is also a major role-player in the property’s future. This is Look Smart, who grew up on the farm during which time he and Patricia had a warm and trusting relationship. Towering above Vanessa Cooke, Mncedisi Shabangu exercises the right control over the varying moods and unpredictable tensions of the play.

As audience members, we are on the edge of our seats wondering what Look Smart’s purpose is and whether violence and revenge is on his agenda. Memories are seen from different perspectives. He presents an ominous presence – she firmly stands her ground. Their scenes are electric.

Peter Terry is forthright as Patricia’s vague – or is he? – husband and she handles him with a laconic forbearance, the way one would a wayward child. Short-tempered and impatient, he unwillingly sets out to do Patricia’s bidding which is to head for an outlying area of the farm to exhume some precious remains.

Playing the part of the loyal and gentle Beauty, Given Lunga provides a luminous character who also carries the burden of a terrible secret. There is an endearing moment when – on exiting a scene - she casually removes from the surrounding chaos an object which Look Smart could possibly use against her mistress.

Hats off to stage management and whoever was in charge of sourcing props – the set is a logistical nightmare! The stage is strewn with old trunks and suitcases amid the chaotic muddle of belongings that a couple such as Patricia and her husband would have amassed over the years.

Considering its setting, it would be good to see this production have a longer run in KZN – Caroline Smart

For more information on “Dream of the Dog” contact Craig@markettheatre.co.za

DR L SUBRAMANIAM

KZNPO to host renowned musician in Durban City Hall on October 2 2008

The KZN Philharmonic Orchestra proudly hosts the highly acclaimed Indian musician and composer, Dr L Subramaniam, in concert with the Orchestra on October 2, 2008.

A distinctive collaboration between the Consul General of India, prominent businesses in the Indian Community and Africa’s premier orchestra, the KZNPO, this event is the pinnacle of four auspicious celebrations: the 25th Anniversary of the KZNPO, Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday, the birthday of Mahatma Ghandi, and the United Nations International Day of Non-Violence.

Dr Subramaniam, acknowledged as a child prodigy and later acclaimed as a master of the violin, obtained a Masters Degree in Western Classical Music in California and has received numerous internal awards and honours. He has performed, composed and recorded music across all genres from jazz and world music to Karnatic Classical Music and, of course, classical orchestral music, working with some of the great and diverse names in music today, such as Yehudi Menuhin, Herbie Hancock and Al Jarreau.

To date, he has produced, performed, collaborated, conducted and released over 150 recordings and has composed music for a select few films. He is the founder/director of the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival, the biggest global music festival in India.

Two of Dr Subramaniam’s compositions will feature on the programme: the appropriately titled Freedom Symphony, which enjoys its second performance since its premiere in 2007, and the Fantasy on Vedic Chants, which was written for the New York Philharmonic and premiered by Zubin Mehta, as well as being performed by the KZNPO in 1994. Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien will frame these two works.

The concert also features a special appearance by versatile and technically gifted singer Kavita Krishnamurthy, Dr Subramaniam’s wife, for whom he has written a part in his Freedom Symphony. Kavita has made an impressive career in the Indian film industry and has also performed with her husband in various contexts.

“It is a privilege not only for our Orchestra but also for our City, to welcome back Dr Subramaniam,” says Bongani Tembe, Chief Executive & Artistic Director of the KZNPO. “This concert is yet another example of how diverse cultures can find common ground in musical celebration and it is indeed gratifying to know that there are those in the business community who recognise this and support it so generously. We are indebted to all those who have made this event possible and hope that we can count on the support of Durbanites to make this a night to remember.”

Dr Subramaniam’s performance is part of the Shared Histories, the Indian Experience in South Africa festival that has been running in cities throughout South Africa and which encompasses a variety of cultural events. Mr Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Consul General of India in Durban, said: “The Indian Experience festival that has taken Durban by storm over the past five weeks was an effort to portray the best, most qualitative and representative version of India’s vibrant contemporary cultural scene. The Concert for Freedom performance by Dr L. Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurthy with Africa’s premier orchestra, the KZN Philharmonic, will be the grand finale of this magnificent festival - a unique experience not to be missed.”

The business community has come out in strong support of the festival and this particular event, with New National Assurance Company, iTalk Cellular and Mando’s Used Spares generously providing sponsorship for the Durban concert. Mr Mamoo Rajab, CEO of New National Assurance, said: “I can speak for all the sponsors of this event when I say that it is an honour to be a part of something that promotes sharing our heritage and cultural ideals. It is the responsibility of the business sector to ensure that we do not lose opportunities such as this because of a lack of funding. With our combined support, we can bring communities together to celebrate our different cultures and thereby promote tolerance and unity to build a stronger nation.”

Forming part of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra’s World Symphony Series Spring Season, the concert takes place at 19h30 at the Durban City Hall on October 2. Tickets, which range from R60 to R173, are available through Computicket and patrons are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. Contact Computicket on 083 915 8000 or visit www.computicket.co.za

KZNPO CONCERT: SEPTEMBER 25, 2008

Boris Kerimov steps in at a few days’ notice and triumphs in Lalo’s Cello Concerto. (Review by Michael Green)

A sparse audience attended this Durban City Hall concert, at which the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra presented three works by relatively little performed French composers of the nineteenth century.

The visiting French composer Francois-Xavier Roth is obviously an admirer of Cesar Franck, Edouard Lalo and Ernest Chausson --- he spoke from the platform more than once to comment on their virtues --- but, alas, his enthusiasm did not seem to be shared by Durban concert-goers.

Artistically the concert was without question a success, and it was a triumph for the orchestra’s principal cellist, Boris Kerimov. It sounds hardly believable, but the scheduled soloist in Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D minor, Tatjana Vassiljeva, from Russia, could not get a South African visa in time for her Durban engagement. She is a widely-travelled musician and one would have thought that she or her agent would have sorted out the red tape well ahead of the appointed time.

Whatever the reasons, she cancelled at the last minute and Boris Kerimov (who is himself originally from Siberia) stepped into the breach at a few days’ notice. In these awkward circumstances he gave a convincing and eloquent account of Lalo’s difficult and demanding work, which runs for about 25 minutes. This is an impressive composition, one of only two by Lalo (1823-1892) which are still regularly played, the other being his Symphonie espagnole. The cello role is forceful, with many solo passages that expose the player to public scrutiny. Boris Kerimov met all these challenges successfully, and was at his best in the unusual and varied slow movement, especially in his lively dialogue with the woodwind instruments.

The audience recognised his achievement and gave him warm applause as the conductor embraced him at the end. And the presentation of a flower from the KZNPO was made by his wife Elena, who is a senior violinist in the orchestra.

Cesar Franck (1822-1890) is another composer whose reputation rests mainly on a slender sheaf of works: the Symphony in D minor, Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra, the A major violin sonata, a piano quintet, that’s about it. His Le Chasseur Maudit (the accursed huntsman), written in 1883, must have been an eye- (and ear-) opener for the Durban audience. It is a symphonic poem based on a lurid tale of the supernatural, and it is as brilliantly scored (and noisy) a piece as one is likely to hear in the concert hall, with resounding blasts from the brass and the percussion. It was very well played and, I think, much appreciated by the audience.

The final item on the programme was the Symphony in F flat major by Ernest Chausson (1855-1899), who was one of Cesar Franck’s pupils. An expressive work by an elegant composer. - Michael Green

STONE ANGEL

Compelling superbly written two-handed drama in English and Afrikaans directed and performed by award winning actresses. (Review by Maurice Kort)

Several award winners have collaborated to present an evening of superb theatre under the auspices of Diplomatic Corpse Productions where Kobus Moolman's Stone Angel is brought to the stage by Janna Ramos-Violante and Josette Eales under the direction of Clair Mortimer - all multiple award winners.

Stone Angel was the joint winner of last year’s National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund / Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA) Festival of Contemporary New Writing and this was the second time Kobus Moolman won a prestigious award for new South African dramatic wring as he received the Jury Prize for Best Script in 2004 for his play Full Circle.

The stars of this lyrical and moody two-hander are two award winning very versatile actresses. Janna Ramos-Violante was a standout as Adelaide in Guys and Dolls last year and has appeared in Boston Marriage, Oleanna and 'night Mother while Josette Eales will be remembered for her performances in The Lover. Putting it all together, is the award-winning Durban director and performer, Clare Mortimer

The play is part historical drama and part ghost story and weaves stories of past and present together by referring to historical moments from South Africa's history such as the Great Trek and the Anglo-Boer War of 1899 to 1902 and using them to create issues of nationalism and cultural identity.

Janna Ramos Violante is Poppie, a simple minded, dysfunctional, present-day woman eking out a living as a car-guard at a Boer war cemetery on a northern KwaZulu-Natal battlefield and she is seen energetically performing her occupation, when she is not nursing her foot which has a suppurating septic abscess (excellent make-up) and conversing with her boy-friend, whom she also voices.

Josette Eales, splendid in black, is a young Boer woman, Dollie, considered by her family to be a freak as she was allergic to the sun and rarely went outside in daylight. She died during the second Anglo-Boer war and a stone angel guards her grave. The Boer woman 're-appears' from the dead to tell Poppie the tragic but fascinating story of her death. Special mention must be made of the vocal soundtrack by Iain "Ewok" Robinson as the letter from the British soldier and vehicle noises. They are so good one can imagine him in the wings. The play is in English and Afrikaans. Although Josette Eales is not Afrikaans-speaking, under the superb tuition of actor Thomie Holtzhausen, her Afrikaans accent as Dollie is excellent and very accurate.

A commonality between these two strong minded women is their clear and all-seeing eyes which witness the death, decay, manipulation and exploitation all around them.

Stone Angel is compelling drama, spanning over a century and can be seen at the Square Space Theatre, KwaZulu-Natal University Durban Campus, where there is secure parking from September 23 to October 5 2008, Tuesdays to Sundays at 20h00. Tickets are available online at www.strictlytickets.co.za or by calling 073 725 7381. – Maurice Kort

ROOM 13 ART PROJECT

Silwane S.P. School relaunches successful project.

The Silwane Senior Primary School in Verulam relaunched their successful Room 13 Art Project on September 18 in a day filled with entertainment alongside the artworks on display which were also for sale.

Room 13 is an art studio run by learners for learners, supported by an artist-in-residence, within a school environment. Learners manage the studio as a business, electing their own management team each year. The artist in residence is their employee, not their teacher.

Room 13 seeks to unlock children’s imagination by developing their artistic expression across various art forms, in particular visual arts and literature. At the same time, Room 13 also seeks to teach these children essential business skills, as they run the studio as their own business, taking full responsibility for the sustainability of project.

Contact Silwane S.P. School through Mrs Ngubane on 078 107 6289 or Mr Mkhize on 073 284 1026 or e-mail hlalanami@webmail.co.za The school’s address is PO Box 31101, Verulam, 4340.

THEMBA SHIBASE: THE SKEPTIC

Exhibition at KZNSA by 2008 MTN New Contemporaries Award finalist.

Themba Shibase is one of the four finalists selected for the prestigious 2008 MTN New Contemporaries Award. The award selects artists who are considered to produce some of the best of the country’s contemporary work; artists who develop new visual languages that explore current issues with fresh media, materials and ideas. For Themba Shibase: The Skeptic, his exhibition at the KZNSA Gallery, he is showing work produced for the award, and first presented at the UJ Art Gallery, Johannesburg.

Three bodies of work make up the show. In the first, a diptych on canvas, Shibase juxtaposes large-scale oil on canvas portraits of extremist former Afrikaner nationalist leaders with Africa’s renowned advocates of Afrocentrism. The posing of these figures in a singular piece is intended to illustrate the obvious, i.e. the contrasting theories advocated by these figures who have had such great influence on Africa, its people and its history. The personal inflection of these seemingly political paintings reflect the artist’s attitude of ambivalence and scepticism related to divergent and disparate notions of purist identity.

The second body of work, comprising four smaller canvases, takes an anecdotal view of the question of cultural identity, and the artist highlights the often-overlooked importance of an individual experience within grander, collective experiences. In this way, he questions concepts such as whiteness, blackness, Zuluness, masculinity …

The final component is a video piece where Shibase makes his private and intimate environment the subject of scrutiny.

Themba Shibase: The Skeptic runs at the KZNSA Gallery until October 12. More information on 031 277 1703, fax 031 201 8051, email: curator@kznsagallery.co.za or visit www.kznsagallery.co.za

ULTRA-RED: SILENT LISTEN

Art collective’s sound-based research directly engages political struggle.

The art collective Ultra-red utilises sound-based research to directly engage political struggle. Ultra-red members in North America and Europe pursue a dynamic exchange between art and political organising in radio broadcasts, performances, recordings, and installations. Founded in 1994 by two AIDS activists in Los Angeles, the collective has performed internationally as well as exhibited with such institutions as the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), Schirn Kunsthalle (Frankfurt), and, most recently, Tate Britain (London). Ultra-red have released recordings on labels such as Mille Plateaux (Frankfurt), FatCat (Brighton), Beta Bodega (Miami), Soundslike (London) as well as their own fair-use online record label, Public Record (www.publicrec.org) Ultra-red is the cover feature in the September 2008 issue of Wire, a publication devoted to experimental music and sound art.

Ultra-red is currently exhibiting three installation works at the KZNSA Gallery. These works are part of the group’s SILENT | LISTEN project, a public record of today's AIDS epidemic in North America and globally. The record is composed of statements by AIDS activists, organizers, researchers, artists and people living with HIV/AIDS.

SILENT | LISTEN: A Record of the AIDS Epidemic. "Silence=Death" - ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), an AIDS activist organization founded in New York in 1987. "Silence is the condition for listening" - Paulo Freire, Brazilian educator and social theorist.

In 2005, Ultra-red launched a series of AIDS activist performances at arts institutions around North America. Titled SILENT | LISTEN, the performances brought together people living with HIV/AIDS, service providers, researchers and activists in seven North American cities. In performances staged in museums, galleries, and art schools, Ultra-red invited audience members to have a set at a table and enter statements into the record of today's AIDS crisis.

In August 2006, Ultra-red organized a large-scale version of SILENT | LISTEN to coincide with the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada. Bringing together participants from each of the previous performances as well as nearly 30 delegates from the Conference, Ultra-red opened the record once more. This time, instead of one table, the performance featured seven tables. Presented at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the performance invited conference attendees from around the world to enter their reflections on today's crisis into the record and to listen to statements made by others.

With references to John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, and the activist art collective Gran Fury, SILENT | LISTEN invokes the vital role played by the arts in HIV/AIDS education, cultural critique, political organizing and direct action. Ultra-red’s work illustrates how rigorous aesthetic practices (e.g., conceptualism and minimalism) may be used to critically investigate the conditions of contemporary experience. It is in the spirit of that legacy of inquiry and reflection that Ultra-red invited communities affected by the epidemic to participate in the SILENT | LISTEN performances.

The three installations on exhibit at KZNSA apply a variety of analytic procedures to the SILENT | LISTEN record.

1. SILENT | LISTEN: The Record (2006). This sculptural and sound installation investigates how feelings about the AIDS crisis possess their own analysis of the pandemic. Visitors are invited to be seated at one of seven tables and to listen to statements extracted from SILENT | LISTEN performances held in seven cities in North America. Suspended at the end of each table is a reproduction of Robert Rauschenberg’s White Painting, the visual equivalent of John Cage’s 4'33" composition for silence. The white surfaces and periods of silence included in the sound elements of the piece establish the conditions for dedicated listening and critical reflection. Each table represents one of the cities visited by Ultra-red. Statements played through speakers placed on each table, document a broad range of feelings. Few statements express anger, which is considered necessary for action to redress social suffering. What kind of mobilization, Ultra-red ask, is possible with emotions such as bewilderment, confusion, or sadness? SILENT | LISTEN: The Record was commissioned by the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada.

2. SILENT | LISTEN: The Minutes (2007). This installation is an archive of the minutes from the seven iterations of SILENT | LISTEN. The minutes take the form of electro-acoustic compositions made entirely from the sound texts recording during performances at the Baltimore Museum of Art in Baltimore, USA, the Armand Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, USA, the Walter Philips Gallery in Banff, Canada, the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, USA, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, USA, and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, Canada. The compositions are heard through headphones installed below posters of the protocol used to facilitate each of the events. An eighth poster, printed in an unlimited edition, contains a generic text for the minutes. SILENT | LISTEN: The Minutes (2007) was first exhibited in the group show From Fluxus to Techno Noise at La Casa Encendida, Madrid, Spain.

3. Untitled (for six voices) (2008). This work draws on the formal features of the SILENT | LISTEN events and the installations SILENT | LISTEN: The Record and SILENT | LISTEN: The Minutes. Untitled (for six voices) asks six performers to enact brief excerpts from statements entered into the record during Ultra-red's performance series SILENT | LISTEN (2005 - 2006). To perform the excerpted statements with their accompanying choreography, Ultra-red invited six individuals from a nascent coalition of activists working at the intersection between HIV prevention in prisons, human rights for the incarcerated, prevention justice, and the abolition of prisons. Untitled (for six voices) was commissioned by Fowler Museum at the University of California in Los Angeles for the exhibition Make Art | Stop AIDS.

SILENT|LISTEN has included the participation of the following Ultra-red members:

Taisha Paggett has an MFA in choreography from UCLA and a BA in Art History from UC Santa Cruz. She joined Ultra-red in 2006 to work on Untitled (for six voice), which was commissioned for the exhibition Make Art | Stop AIDS. She is co-founder of the dance journal project, ITCH. She has performed with Moving and Storage Performance Company/Crash, Burn and Die Dance Company. Her work and collaborations have been presented in several California venues including Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica, Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, and at the San Francisco Art Institute.

Transplanted from Florida’s electronic music scene, EDDIE PEEL collaborates with Ultra-red for the first time on SILENT|LISTEN. As half of the duos Sony Mao and Needle, Peel has released projects on Beta Bodega (Miami), Ritornell (Frankfurt) and Public Record (LA). In 2004, Peel joined other Los Angeles AIDS activists to initiate a new chapter of ACT UP helping to coordinate the organizing workshops.

Dont Rhine co-founded Ultra-red in 1994. As an activist, Rhine has worked with a variety of social movements including ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), Clean Needles Now (needle exchange), and Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project. Rhine is a visiting faculty member at the Vermont College of Fine Art and was a 2007 recipient of a California Community Foundation Mid-Career Artist Award.

Robert Sember joins Ultra-red for SILENT|LISTEN. For 10 years he was a researcher and teacher in the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, New York, and now teaches at the School of the Arts and Architecture at the University of California, Los Angeles, Sember has brought his background in performance studies to numerous AIDS / HIV community initiatives in New York, Brazil and South Africa. His international perspective on the pandemic informs his work in public policy as well as collaborations with artists and curators.

ULTRA-RED: SILENT LISTEN runs at the KZNSA Gallery until October 12. More information 031 277 1703, fax 031 201 8051, email: curator@kznsagallery.co.za or visit www.kznsagallery.co.za

TAXI ART FILMS

New initiative by David Krut Publishing celebrates South African visual arts, artists and culture.

The TAXI Art Films series, a new initiative by David Krut Publishing (DKP), celebrates South African visual arts, artists and culture.

By way of introduction, the ethos of the TAXI Art Films project can be summed up with a brief explanation of the origin of its name:

TAXI, as a brand, first emerged via a series of books, the first major series by a South African publisher on contemporary South African artists. The ever-growing series aims to improve visual literacy in South Africa and provide both educators and the general public with much-sought-after material on contemporary South African art.

Dubbing these books the ‘taxi’ series was highly appropriate, owing to various connotations of the word in our South African context: taxis (passenger-carrying mini-buses) provide affordable transport to the general population of South Africa. The taxi industry, fed on the diverse energies it encounters on a daily basis, has developed a reputation for frenzied liveliness and creative chaos; all the while the vehicles are propelling people from the place they are at to the place at which they need to be. The metaphorical extension of this, and the idea of moving people forward through education, made TAXI a fitting name for the series of books.

Attaching the same brand to a series of films extends the metaphor even further of a resource available to all that is capable of moving one forward. By utilising a medium that is more direct and immediately expressive than print, the project embraces the fast-paced vitality of the TAXI concept.

As an extension of the TAXI metaphor, film is an appropriate medium with which to move beyond print. Unlike the TAXI Art Books series, the content and format of which were quite uniform across the series, the films are not bound in this way by particular content restraints. Content decisions are based on the integrity of the material and its value in terms of exposing South African creativity and culture.

Its painful history and its development as a young democracy has led the South African society into an interesting interstitial space in which past failures come face to face the possibility of future successes in a diverse cultural landscape that is constantly shifting and changing according to different views of transformation. One has to admit that the transition South Africans have had to make from the past into the future is always complex and often uncomfortable and traumatic. However, the diversity of cultural heritage that exists in South Africa can not be found anywhere else. The potential for inspired art-making that arises out of these circumstances is great, and TAXI Art Films has embarked on the ongoing adventure of capturing part of this process for the benefit of South Africans and an international audience alike.

The first films of the TAXI Art Films series are:

TAXI Art Films 001: Touring the Constitutional Court with Justice Albie Sachs

TAXI Art Films 002: Friedrich Danielis in Conversation with David Krut

TAXI Art Films 003: Spier Contemporary 2008 with Andrzej Nowicki, Andrew Putter, Peter van Heerden and Leila Anderson

TAXI Art Films 004: Spier Contemporary 2008 with Ruth Levin et al.

TAXI Art Films 005: Pancho Guedes

IT’S A WOMAN’S WORLD

Exhibitors invited for inaugural exhibition and show at ICC Durban early in 2009.

It’s a Woman’s World is an exciting inaugural exhibition and show coming to the Durban International Convention Centre from January 30 to February 1 2009, promising a multi-layered experience which talks particularly to issues and themes of interest to women without alienating male visitors.

The up-market event will have separate sections that appeal to every facet of the women’s market separately packaged under the themes of Uniquely You, Comfortably You and Dynamically You.

Uniquely You will focus on the self: fashion; health and beauty; baby and child care; pampering; bridal; gifts and jewellery; spirituality; women’s interest magazines; arts, crafts and hobbies and pleasures (naughty and otherwise!).

Comfortably You takes in the home environment and will look at trends and innovations in home décor; home finance; food and drink; gardening; furnishings and fittings; Do-It-Yourself; For the Other Half and Antiques and Collectables

Dynamically You moves outside the home and looks at women as decision-makers. It covers areas such as Women in Business; Holidays and Travel; Cars and Transport; Adventure and Sport; Technology and A Greener World

But that’s not all! There is also the Bargain Hunt section, where exhibitors will be offering great deals on excess and end-of-range stock. This should be the January sale to end all January sales!

There is over 1600m2 of very affordable exhibitor space available for It’s a Woman’s World, the space being themed according to the specific sections. Two entertainment areas form part of the show. The first is the Life & Style Arena, a self-contained 600-seater area which will host all-day shows, talks and discussions on subjects relevant to visitors. The luxurious Launch Lounge will be a relaxing area featuring unstructured fashion shows, book and product launches, and offers a wonderful place for like-minded women to interact and network.

The show’s by-line is It’s All About You! and the women of South Africa are being given the opportunity to have their say in the make-up of the event by suggesting topics for inclusion in the “Life & Style” discussion listings. (On the website under the Visitors section, where discount tickets are also available to those who want to surprise their friends with an entertaining day out.)

Discount tickets are also being offered to corporates who want to surprise their staff with a day out at the show. They can also assist previously-disadvantaged entrepreneurs participate on the Show, as part of their Social Responsibility programmes. (“Corporate Options” on the website)

It’s a Woman’s World runs at ICC Durban from January 30 to February 1. Exhibitors are advised to book early as space is selling fast. For more information contact Devra on 031 266 9828 or 083 259 1481 or visit www.womansworld.co.za

SUGAR SAMMY

Canadian comedian back by public demand at Sun Coast.

Back due to public demand after a record-breaking season in Durban in 2006, Canadian comedian Sugar Sammy is due to hit Durban’s ‘Golden Mile’ again from September 24. The exhilaratingly hilarious set of shows, following his spectacular appearances at the Cape Town Comedy Festival at the Baxter Theatre, will take place at the Sun Coast Casino & Entertainment World.

Dubbed the superstar of comedy in his native Canada, his charming good looks and easy charisma contradict the lethally funny interior life of this exceptional comic artist. Sammy has enjoyed considerable success around the world, setting attendance records and receiving outstanding reviews in comedy clubs, theatres and university campuses across North America, Europe, South Africa, and Asia. Critics are undivided in their praise of his hilarious material and his to-the-point deliveries.

A relentless provocateur, Sugar Sammy stirs up and samples the multi-cultural melting pot that epitomizes life in most urban centres today. He presents hilarious scenarios and comments on global society's inherent contradictions in a brilliantly entertaining way, ranging from arranged marriages in his Indian ancestry to his views on sex, drugs and modern-day relationships. He has also set himself apart from the rest in that he is able to perform in four languages English, French, Punjabi and Hindi!

Sammy has just completed a successful tour across Canada promoting his new comedy CD Down with the Brown. Promising audiences that he will have them laughing, thinking, and seeing life in a whole new way, Sugar Sammy is gearing up for a Canadian Concert Tour in early 2009.

Sugar Sammy has appeared at the Just for Laughs Festival four years in a row and was the first comedian to perform in the English, French and Toronto editions of the festival. He has also appeared at the Sydney Comedy Festival, the recent Cape Town Comedy Festival and has been invited to the inaugural Johannesburg Comedy Festival. The personal highlight of his career was opening for Dave Chappelle in Toronto and has worked with comedy greats George Lopez and Damon Wayans

Sugar Sammy runs at Suncoast from September 24 to October 12. Tickets booked through Computicket. For more information, visit www.sugarsammy.co.za