The festival endeavours to offer an overall all-encompassing festival
experience – so not only is what happens inside the theatre venues a priority,
but what happens outside the formal programme is important as well. To this
end, the festival selection of art, crafts and food are being constantly
reconsidered and repositioned to ensure a fresh new look every year.
“Our yard-stick was to create a craft platform to enable our visitors to
do their entire Christmas and birthday shopping between shows,” explained
Festival Director, Sue Clarence. “We wanted to offer gift ideas for the most
fussy spinster aunt, boisterous toddler, bored teenager or eccentric grandpa!
“Our focus on craft this year means that we will have a Craft Marquee,
called the Wild Garden, which will host up to 33 crafters. So, if you add the
crafters to be in the marquee to those who operate on the festival lawns, it
means that visitors will have close on 200 craft stalls to explore at the festival,”
said Clarence.
“The idea is to create what we have dubbed as ‘pause areas’ in and
around the festival - which are nodes of things to do in between festival
shows: craft, food and places to relax. Due to abundance of visual artists we
have at the festival this year, we have joined all three arts and craft tents
for easier flow, and have included some foodies and a ‘pause area’ in-between.
“There is a larger variety of crafters than previous years: with stalls
offering jewellery, African and Kashmir creative and decor products; wood decor
and craft items; clothing; Christmas and teachers gifts; swimwear; shoes and
bags; biltong; seeds; aloes, plants and plant products; ceramics; kids’ toys
and the usual metalwork.
“We are applauding the loyalty of our regular crafters – with some of
the craft-makers having attended more than 10 to12 festivals,” she said.
The festival will have art and craft tents alongside the Bell Tower
which will be part of the free public spaces that festival-goers are invited to
enjoy. There will also be a brand-new exhibition area in the Campbell building.
The festival celebrates a quarter of a century sharing the best of South
Africa’s magnificent art, theatre, music and so much more.
For more information visit www.hiltonfestival.co.za or contact the
Festival Office on 033 383 0127.
The festival would not be possible
without the generous support of Hilton College, Tiso Blackstar Group, Grindrod
Bank, Black Coffee, DWR, PWC, Bidvest Car Rental, Indwe Risk Services, Assitej
South Africa, Loud Crowd, Sappi, Redlands Hotel, Zultrans, KZN Dept of Arts
& Culture, BASA, Castle Lite, Maritzburg Sun, Caxton
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