(Above: Bongeziwe Mabandla performed live at National Arts Festival - credit Mark Wessels)
The National Arts Festival ended on July 3, 2022. and, exhausted and relieved, the organisers have spent some time reflecting on the return of the festival to live stages in their home town of Makhanda.
Despite having been an online festival these past two years, this was a Festival of new beginnings as they ventured back into theatres, galleries and markets. From the start of their planning, they considered that the arts had been side-swiped by COVID, that the economy was fragile and that habits had possibly changed after two years at home.
Jazz-lovers had nothing but rave reviews for the National Jazz Festival as audiences and artists felt the privilege and energy of watching live jazz again. Audiences packed the houses and young jazz musicians at the National Youth Jazz Festival soaked up the energy and experience of seeing their peers and mentors collaborating and performing.
Every Festival there are photographers and writers who interpret the experience through their lenses and pens. Jonathon Rees has been photographing the Jazz Festival in Makhanda for many years and although he's not a professional photographer, Jonathon’s passion for jazz is visible in his powerful portraits.
As the festival organisers say: “We planned for a Festival at 50% capacity. We all had smaller budgets. And honestly, we didn’t know what to expect for this year’s National Arts Festival - but we were in for a surprise.
“While there were fewer productions and smaller crowds than in years gone by, the town's accommodation was reportedly full both weekends and flights from major cities were booked solid. On day one, all COVID restrictions were dropped and we suddenly found ourselves back to 100% capacity. Masks came off, wide smiling faces were unveiled and the atmosphere was exuberant! The joy of being live again fuelled our Festival through Stage 6 loadshedding and sparked our audiences to dance, sing in the streets and climb up on stage.
“This was never going to be a Festival of counting the numbers or going for bigger, better, more. Our 2022 edition was a Festival of spirit. It was a return to our true purpose of creating a safe and inspiring space for the arts and the promise of healing for our arts communities as we reconnect with audiences across the country and the world. We're back and we'd like to thank each and every person for making this, one of our most important and memorable Festivals ever.”
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