(“DEURnis
– Droom” at the National Arts Festival 2019. Pic by Nardus Engelbrecht)
Creativate
Digital Arts Festival deadline now extended to May 15, 2020.
The Covid-19 pandemic has put the arts
sector and all related events under tremendous strain. As public health
concerns became a priority, it became clear that the National Arts Festival
could not proceed in its traditional format. However, instead of cancelling the
event outright, the Festival’s management made the bold decision to take the
event online this year.
“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,” CEO Monica Newton said in her
announcement.
Artists, technicians and other related
industries “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”.
The Festival is committed to its role as a
form of revenue for the arts and downstream industries, especially in Makhanda
and the Eastern Cape, as far as it can.
The Virtual National Arts Festival will be
available online on the National Arts Festival’s website for 11 Amazing days,
from June 25 to July 5, 2020. The idea will be for audiences to browse the
online programme and buy single day or Festival packages, which will allow them
to view the new content that will appear each day.
The National Arts Festival is a non-profit
organisation with a mandate to grow and support the arts and audiences. As a
result, there will be some content offered free for all to enjoy.
The National Arts Festival is the country’s
most important platform of the arts – a place where artists present
multidisciplinary works on a variety of platforms. Despite its shift to the
virtual realm, this remains its aim, with the Festival’s artistic team working
with artists and creative communities locally, in Africa and across the world,
to devise a rounded programme that will be entertaining, stimulating and
challenging.
Audiences can expect live and pre-recorded
content including music performances, poetry and stage readings, theatre,
visual art, comedy and interactive experiences – remixed and reimagined to
exist online. The team is investigating ideas for live performances to create
immersive performances and to translate visual art into digital exhibitions.
Traditional musician Madosini, this year’s Featured Artist, will be part of the
Festival though a documentary about her life and work. The Critical Thinking
platform will be made up of workshops, webinars and podcasts.
Plans are to transport the Standard Bank
Village Green market online and for the ‘Virtual Green’ to showcase the
beautiful work of local and other vendors.
The primary way into this experience will
be through the NAF’s website, which will be the portal to amazing digital
content – from videos of pre-recorded content and streamed performances, to
podcasts, workshops and webinars. The NAF will be redeveloping and
conceptualising the website as this will be where audiences will be able to
engage with content, with each other and with the NAF.
Artists, creatives and entrepreneurs are
invited to get in touch with by filling in the online Ideas Form on the website
at https://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za
Artists wanting to be part of Creativate
Digital Arts Festival should also fill in the Ideas Form. The deadline has been
extended to May 15, 2020.
To link direct to the NAF site, click on
the large banner that runs across the top of this blog or visit
https://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za or visit Facebook:
www.facebook.com/nationalartsfestival; Twitter: @artsfestival or Instagram:
nationalartsfestival
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