The Village Green, the buzzing fair at the
heart of the National Arts Festival in Makhanda (Grahamstown), will this year
become an online treasure trove of crafted wares and savvy finds.
“We decided that the show must go on this
year, which has meant that the Festival has pivoted into the digital realm,”
says Monica Newton, the CEO of the National Arts Festival. “We are determined
to bring our audiences a very special experience and what would the Festival be
without the Village Green to shop all your souvenirs – so we are inviting our
traders to come and join us.”
The Virtual Green will be housed on the
Festival’s website,
https://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/?utm_source=National%20Arts%20Festival&utm_campaign=9edb2a0d3d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_3_5_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d2398227f0-9edb2a0d3d-259175121
This is being upgraded to present
much-loved Village Green finds such as woolly beanies, handmade jewellery,
paintings and carvings and textiles. The Eastern Cape’s local craft and design
will form part of the offering, too – expect intricate beadwork, colourful
traditional clothing, carved bowls, vases and toys, and much more.
The Festival is also working with the Craft
and Design Institute to bring traders from across South Africa into the space
through links to their Peek pages. Shoppers wanting to buy from crafters will be
able to transact directly with traders to ensure a personalised experience.
“This is the time to support local small
businesses and we would like to urge Festival visitors to visit the site and
buy something – even if it is something small,” says Newton.
NAF and CDI will be bringing a wide range
of exciting goods to a screen near you during the Virtual National Arts
Festival, which runs from June 25 to July 5, 2020.
MAKE ART WITH US
Send in your monuments!
Is there a monument in your country, city,
village or backyard you think should be contested? If so, this open call is for
you.
Portuguese artist and curator Marcio
Carvalho is inviting South Africans to collaborate with him on his new project,
WHO DO WE COME TO H(A)UNT. “The idea is to create a pool of drawing-collaborations
between the artist and audiences to share alternative stories and build a
healing site to critically engage in re-interpreting the histories behind those
objects,” Carvalho explains.
To participate, all you have to do is send
a photograph of the statue/monument/memorial and a single paragraph of text
explaining why a forum should be opened to contest it to marcionomundo@gmail.com.
WHO DO WE COME TO H(A)UNT is an interactive
art project that is on the Creativate programme of this year's Virtual National
Arts Festival, which will open on June 25.
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE
We received more than 80 designs for our
vNAF t-shirt competition. Four designs have been shortlisted – let us know which
one you like best by voting at Facebook and Instagram
VIRTUAL GREEN
Meet the team behind our new online
marketplace:
Three strong-willed women keep the Village
Green fair wheels turning. This year, without the sawdust and tents, Director
Selina White and her assistants Clarissa Carolus and Rene Engelbrecht are
polishing their online skills to help create digital stalls for the crafters,
creators and resellers that have become part of the NAF family over the years.
They look forward to welcoming new traders to the fold – as well as showing the
audience around the Virtual Green. Find out more about the 'Green Team' here
https://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/virtual-naf/virtual-green-team/?utm_source=National+Arts+Festival&utm_campaign=9edb2a0d3d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_3_5_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d2398227f0-9edb2a0d3d-259175121
Traders wishing to participate in this
year's Virtual Green can sign up here.
https://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/artist-zone/standard-bank-virtual-green/?utm_source=National+Arts+Festival&utm_campaign=9edb2a0d3d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_3_5_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d2398227f0-9edb2a0d3d-259175121
There is no registration fee.
NAF is hosting a webinar on Wednesday June 10
at 16h00 that focuses on the Virtual Green. It will be facilitated by Village
Green Director Selina White, who will introduce the Virtual Green, share a
sneak peek of the new website and explain the process of submitting work.
Crafters and other experts will talk about getting the most out of having an
online presence. Register here
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/8015899062465/WN__fQaZoQbRa-Mynoe3WsN6w?utm_source=National+Arts+Festival&utm_campaign=9edb2a0d3d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_3_5_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d2398227f0-9edb2a0d3d-259175121
PARTNERSHIP
Showering love on local craft and design.
The National Arts Festival has partnered
with the Craft and Design Institute (CDI) to create new connections between
crafters and markets and bring their work to a whole new audience in South
Africa and beyond.
The CDI is a non-profit company with over
19 years of success in developing creative people, small businesses and the
craft and design sector at large in South Africa. It currently supports more
than 5,600 businesses and individuals in the South African craft and design
sector. CDI’s services help these businesses develop the right product or
service for the right market using appropriate business and production systems;
and facilitates national and international market opportunities to help them
grow.
CDI’s online digital platform
www.peek.org.za is dedicated to showcasing beautiful craft and design products
made in South Africa and has been made possible thanks to funding by the
Department of Small Business Development. Read more at:
https://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/news/partnership-cdi/?utm_source=National+Arts+Festival&utm_campaign=9edb2a0d3d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_3_5_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d2398227f0-9edb2a0d3d-259175121
(To
link direct to the National Arts Festival 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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