(Cargo Precious: Nosiphiwo
Samente & Fana Tshabalala. Pic Suzy Bernstein)
Tracing heritage and legacies and looking
back to South Africans’ roots are themes that come up strongly on the programme
at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown this year as 20 years of democracy
in South Africa come into focus.
In 1993, then-President Nelson Mandela called
on the arts community to “look at the ways in which this torn country can be
reconstructed in part through the rich threads of culture”. South Africa’s
artists responded loud and clear – and the Festival this year reflects on the
creation of a nation and the celebration of nation-building through the arts.
Artist Jenna Burchell, who comes to the
Festival for the first time, tempts the audiences to talk about home - and what
home means to them - in her exhibition Homing.
She explains, “I have worked with hundreds of strands of copper wire strung
hung from the ceiling where each strand becomes a touch-sensitive instrument
which, when touched, yields sounds that remind one of home. My intention is to
beckon the audience/viewer to interact with the work and allow them to hear
barking dogs and sounds and encourage them to talk about what home means to them
in the context of diaspora.”
“My vision was to create an opportunity
which moved diverse people to interact and exchange stories, embracing the
differences and similarities that unite us” Burchell adds. “I sourced unique
soundscapes from the surrounds of Grahamstown to create this hand-built
interactive environment intending it to be an accessible and exciting meeting
of contemporary art, sound and live interactive participation.”
From exhibition visuals to theatre set
somewhere in Africa, multi-award- winning Lara Foot (Standard Bank Young Artist
for Theatre in 1996) presents Fishers of
Hope. Foot teams up with researchers Nina Swart and Masai warrior Miyere
Miyandazi to bring to life this African tale of hope, choices and upliftment. The
dynamic cast is led by Standard Bank Young Artist, Mncedisi Shabangu (winner
for theatre in 2004). Acclaimed for her productions of Tshepang, Karoo Moose, Woyzeck and Solomon and Marion, Foot returns to her signature style through
magical realism, physical theatre, textured imagery and a richly entwined
soundscape and score with authentic African music.
“I was inspired by the documentary Darwin’s Nightmare - as a cast we
examined the prospects of hope and livelihood within the African continent,” says
Foot. “This capacity of hope remains at the heart of all the relationships
building the drama that unfolds throughout the production. Subtitled Taweret, after the protective ancient
mythological Egyptian goddess of childbirth and fertility, the play is layered
with metaphors as it delves into the social and environmental effects on a
family and community in a fishing village.”
Cargo:
Precious is a unique collaboration between four Standard
Bank Young Artists. Directed by Sylvaine Strike (Theatre 2006) and
choreographed by PJ Sabbagha (Dance 2005), the piece is an imagined account of
the ocean crossing undertaken by Saartjie Baartman and features Fana Tshabalala
(Dance 2013) with music by Concord Nkabinde (Jazz 2006). Referring to the
themes of ‘homecoming’ and African legacies, Strike recalls:”After two
centuries, Saartjie Baartman’s remains were returned to her country of birth. The
horrific stories of scientific experiments remain basically unanswered but what
is undoubted, is that she was stared at, stripped, painted, worshipped and
ridiculed.”
Focusing on the plight of African women is
Ugandan-based writer/actress Kemiyondo Coutinho’s who features a stirring new
play, Kawuna... You're It! Courtinho
embarked on an investigation into why Ugandan women have the highest HIV/AIDS
rate in the world. She exposes the stories behind the statistics and provides a
deeper understanding of the factors surrounding HIV. With HIV spreading across
all levels of the social hierarchy and African women being at the bottom of the
social ladder, Courtinho intends to give voice to the silenced women affected
by this disease. Kawuna ... You’re It!
was performed at The Sky Festival at the American Conservatory Theatre in San
Francisco and was also chosen to be part of the New York Global Spotlight
Reading with Hybrid Works.
Challenge your intellect at Think!Fest
where Adam Habib’s South Africa’s
Suspended Revolution: Hopes And Prospects engages with the country’s
transition into democracy and its prospects for inclusive development. In What Is It To Be A South African Citizen
Dr Habib, anthropologist Dr Joy Owen and Prof Laurence Piper discuss the
complications and challenges of being a South African citizen. The discussion
will be chaired by Think!Fest curator Prof Anthea Garman.
Include the youngsters, too, with Ilifa – The Inheritance, an interactive
show for the whole family which celebrates the 20th anniversary of South
Africa’s constitutional democracy and South Africa’s triumphant liberation.
Stuart Palmer, scriptwriter and director is
quoted as saying, “I was inspired by all the anniversaries being celebrated at
the Festival this year. The 40th anniversary of the National Arts Festival and
the 20th anniversary of South Africa’s constitutional democracy and have
incorporated dance, song, physical theatre and interactive storytelling to
unite these themes that appeal to all ages.” These take place on the Drostdy
Lawns and are free.
Lionel Newton brings Strategy of Grey, a carefully-crafted piece set in a small Karoo
town where two post-Struggle individuals find themselves connected by a thread
that goes intricately deeper than they could ever imagine. “I found myself
reflecting on relationships of our tragic past and cast Tau Maserumule and
Robyn McHarry in these challenging roles”, Newton added.
Squaring
The Circle is an exhibition curated and produced by
the Apartheid Museum in association with the National Arts Festival. It is a
challenging collection of how the arts have played a crucial role in shaping
the socio political landscape of the country over the last 20 years of its democracy
and over four decades of the National Arts Festival’s history.
Tony Lankester, the Festival’s CEO
commented: “This exhibition is a reflection of the creative and cultural
expression of this country and how the arts assist in celebrating diversity and
social cohesion. It is critical to our underlying theme of The Creation of a Nation.”
Highlighting the importance of celebrating legacy
and heritage through visual arts is future – past, a series of murals and
installations that beckons the audience to ‘look’ at the arts through a window
pane. It pays homage to four decades of the Festival, acknowledging visual
artists, theatre-makers and musicians from the Eastern Cape. To mark South
Africa’s 20 years of democracy, the Wall of Remembrance pays respect to past
political leaders born in the Eastern Cape.
The National Arts Festival in association
with Mehlo-Maya commissioned future-past as a public artwork to show how the
arts and the Festival play a role in the Creation
of a Nation.
The rich creative heritage of the Festival’s
host province will be demonstrated in the Eastern
Cape Provincial Handmade Collection and the East Cape Visual Arts
Exhibition, presented in association with the Eastern Cape Department of
Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
The 2014 National Arts Festival takes place
in Grahamstown from July 3 to 13. Booking is open, and tickets can be purchased
through the website www.nationalartsfestival.co.za
or 0860 002 004. Programmes can be obtained through selected Exclusive Books
and Standard Bank branches. The National Arts Festival is sponsored by Standard
Bank, The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Eastern Cape Government,
Department of Arts and Culture, City Press and M Net.
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