(A
scene from “Birthing Nureyev” at the 2019 National Arts Festival. Photo: Mark
Wessels)
A Special
Announcement received today (March 17, 2020) from Monica Newton, the CEO of the National Arts
Festival, reads as follows:
So here’s the thing – the National Arts
Festival 2020 won’t be cancelled, but it will be different.
We have been worrying, thinking, worrying,
arguing and thinking some more about what we do about the Coronavirus pandemic
sweeping the globe in relation to our very special annual festival.
This our reality:
-Based on the ban on major events we can’t
allow more than 100 people to congregate anywhere.
-Due to the travel ban and recommendations
with regard to domestic travel and the use of public transport, our artists and
visitors can’t get to Makhanda and we can’t get to them.
We don’t want to contribute to the spread
of the virus and fully understand that this is a time for isolation.
That’s not what we do – we create
experiences and celebrate the arts.
So, after more thinking, listening,
reading, arguing and talking, we’ve come up with a plan.
We’ve decided to do something bold, and
something we have never done before. From June 25 to July 5, 2020, the National
Arts Festival will be going completely virtual, for the full 11 days of
Amazing.
Going virtual will mean that the Festival
can continue to support artists and the arts in 2020, by presenting work within
a digital space. This way, we can share some magic and hope with those who may
still be confined to their homes. An opportunity to connect when we are being
asked to distance ourselves from one another.
Artists depend on festivals like ours to
generate an income through selling tickets, getting their work seen and talked
about locally and internationally, and networking with their peers. Rather than
cancel, we aim to create a new opportunity for artists and audiences alike to
celebrate the arts, and to create an accessible platform for artists to share
their work.
Millions of people across South Africa and
the world will be cut off from each other in completely unprecedented ways –
unable to go to church, school or work, or socialise outside of their immediate
family. This is absolutely the responsible thing to do to contain the
uncontrolled spread of COVID-19, but as social beings, it is going to chip away
a little bit of our souls every day the bans are in force.
Why make the decision now and not wait? We
have just over 100 days to our opening day. The reality is that we can’t ask
artists to prepare for a festival that may or may not go ahead; we can’t ask
our supporters to make their plans, book their accommodation and transport,
without the certainty that it will happen; and we can’t ask our service
providers to stand at the ready if it may all come to nothing. The 2020
National Arts Festival will go down in our history as the first-ever virtual
edition.
For Makhanda and the Eastern Cape, this is
going to be a really hard year and we are fully aware of the enormous impact
that COVID-19 will have on our economic stability. We know how much income our
festivals contribute to the infrastructure and economy of Makhanda. We remain
committed to the city and will continue to play our role as good corporate
citizens.
We will let you know more in the next few
weeks about what will be on offer and how this will all work. We are engaging
with our sponsors and donors, the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, Standard
Bank of South Africa, the Department of Arts and Culture and MultiChoice
regarding our plans. Our commitment to the arts remains steadfast and we invite
you to take this journey with us.
We will be engaging directly all artists
and traders who are currently registered to participate in the 2020 Festival.
Here's to a whole new and exciting
experience for the National Arts Festival because if anyone is resilient,
agile, creative and extraordinary - it is our artists.
Postscript:
Scifest Africa will be postponed and take place from September 9 to 15, 2020 –
all being well. The Eastern Cape Schools Festival will similarly be postponed
to September 2020 – dates to be advised.