HILTON FESTIVAL FRIEND

An invitation to become a Festival Friend!

The Witness Hilton Arts Festival is entering its 18th year. It is the premier arts festival of KZN and one of the leading festivals in South Africa.

“Throughout its existence it has had generous business partners. We salute The Witness, Hilton College, Spar KZN, Nedbank, SA Breweries, Budget Car Rental, Production Projects, XPR Sound and a host of companies giving us support,” says festival director Sue Clarence. “Being a proudly KZN festival, we are very grateful for the ongoing support of the KZN Department of Arts & Culture who regard us as their provincial platform.

“In the past, the festival has received significant funding from the National Lotteries Board and hopes to do so again. However, the difficultly in dealing with such bodies and extricating promised money from them is well-documented in the national media. Such vagaries cause problems in the budgeting and planning of an annual festival. The fact remains that the arts have, since time began, relied on the generosity of patrons. We have the de Medici family to thank for Michelangelo’s David, the Hapsburg emperors for Mozart’s music and Standard Bank for the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

“We wish to invite you to become a patron of the arts, in this time honoured tradition, thus ensuring that the festival remains a high quality, enjoyable event for everyone and that the arts continue to flourish in KZN,” Sue Clarence concludes.

By becoming a Festival Friend at an annual cost of R5,000 (plus VAT) patrons will receive an advance format programme, by email only, before the official programme is released publically, enabling them to book in advance of the general public. Festival Friends also get a 10% discount on two tickets per Main festival production booked, as specifically indicated in the advance format programme as well as a Festival Friend parking disc enabling the vehicle to pass through security quickly and on to a designated parking area.

“Friends will also have access to a brand new Festival Friends reception area throughout the course of the weekend, where there will be tea and coffee, comfortable seating, an escape from the madding crowd and the opportunity, at specified times, to meet some of the performers and directors,” adds Sue Clarence. “Leave all your craft market shopping here, instead of lugging it around with you!”

Festival Friends and/or their company will be listed in the programme and on the festival website as generous patron/s of the arts. For a membership form, email: theatre@hiltoncollege.com and join the prestigious ranks of the world’s art patrons!