THE FRESHA THEATRE FESTIVAL

(Pics supplied)

The Fresha Theatre Festival has been resurrected post-Covid, and this time emerges as three mini street festivals to be held in Umlazi on Saturday January 28; Edendale, Pietermaritzburg, on Sunday January 29 and Manguzi, Kosi Bay, on Friday February 3, which will be facilitated by three Twist graduate theatre groups, mentored by Twist Projects and will be held as three free open-air community festivals.

After successful versions of the annual Fresha Al-fresco Festival which took place on Durban’s North beach promenade before Covid – the concept of outdoors theatre is being taken to the streets of hometown communities of three of the graduate theatre groups who have been working with the Twist Theatre Development Projects which is a dynamic networking project that focuses on the development of community theatre groups in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, and on the creation of sustainable relationships and networks for theatre development, both locally and abroad.

The mini festivals take place as follows:

-January 28 (Saturday): Urban Arts Entertainment presents their festival at Umlazi Mega City Parking Mall (special guests: Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre)

-January 29 (Sunday): Unyezi Theatre presents a day long festival on at Kwa Dambuza / Eringini by Edendale in Pietermaritzburg

-February 3 (Friday): Nansi Impumelelo Arts and Culture initiative presents their festival in Manguzi / Kosi Bay (special guests Flatfoot Dance Company).

(See full details below)

Street theatre professional, and Fresha regular, Gerard O from the Netherlands, is out working with all the groups, and performing and participating at all festivals. All festivals have compiled an extensive full-day’s programme for each festival day – comprising local acts all trained and mentored in street theatre.

“We are delighted to be creating festivals again after the Covid break, and we are exceptionally proud to be taking festivals to the hometowns of three of our Twist graduate theatre groups,” said Twist facilitator and festival director, Dr Emma Durden.

For more information, visit www.freshafestival.co.za

Find Fresha Festival on Facebook and @freshafest on twitter.

The festival series is sponsored by NAC, DSAC and Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme.

 

FULL DETAILS:

 

UMLAZI FRESHA FESTIVAL EXTENSION (UMLAZI)

Date: January 28, 2023. 10h00 to 16h00

Venue: Mega City Mall Parking - Umlazi

Hosts: Urban Arts Entertainment

Programme line-up

-Parade

-Open dance class – Free open workshop (Spakeme) Dance for everyone!

-Grateful Singers - Music (Grateful Singers) Acapella music with the sweet melody to touch your soul

-Boy and the dog – Performance (Rooted Twins Productions) A dog teaches a boy about responsibility

-Karate – demonstration and open class (Tholinhlanhla) An open karate class for everyone

-Ant zombies – Performance (Nansi Impumelelo) The movement of the ant zombie generation back to their ancestral land.

-Smile Maroro – Performance (Brightness productions) A man waits for a girl does not arrive for a date because it is her wedding day

-Usiko Mpilo – Traditional dance (The Living Culture) Traditional dance

-The Goal – Performance (Township Arts) A soccer match without a ball between boys and girls

-Inkilo Le – Performance (Inyathuko Arts Development) A story of a pastor who is a con artist with extraordinary powers

-Ikhehla Elingembethe – Dance (Siwele Sonke Dance Theatre) Contemporary dance about knowing yourself and your roots

-Samora – Stilt Walker (Samora Nkundla)

-One Room Problems – Performance (Agaduzela Production) One man with an unexpected visitor starts to cause problems at midnight

-Zebra – Street performance (Gerard O): Sometimes you just have to walk the line.

-Crazy man – Performance (Unyezi Theatre) An old karate teacher tries to instruct his community – but who is the protector now?

-Iqiniso – Music (Iqiniso Gospel Group) Gospel music to close the festival

-Fire-fighters – Performance (Urban Arts Entertainment) Three fire-fighters are trying to impress a woman

 

EDENDALE FRESHA FESTIVAL EXTENSION (PIETERMARITZBURG)

Date: January 29 ,2023, 09h00 to 16h00

Venue: Dumbuza Eringini - Pietermaritzburg

Hosts: Unyezi Theatre Project

Programme line-up:

-Street parade

-Imap Band – Music (Impap Band) Traditional instruments fused with contemporary music

-Umuntu – Performance (Afika Ziqubu) Two young man of different backgrounds trying to find the balance in life

-Fire-fighters – Performance (Urban Arts Entertainment) Three fire-fighters are trying to impress a woman

-Underpants - Street performance (Gerard O) Uncovering the point of a poem

-3 Chairs – Performance (Khulekani Mtshali) For us to change who we are…who are we waiting for? We can make a different in our lives on our own.

-Amapiano – Music (Emmanuel Mkhize) Amapiano music

-Crazy man – Performance (Unyezi Theatre) An old karate teacher tries to instruct his community – but who is the protector now?

-Ant zombies – Performance (Nansi Impumelelo) The movement of the ant zombie generation back to their ancestral land.

-Hang-up - Street performance (Gerard O) Everyone has problems

-Purified Zulu Dance – Dance (Ofeleba) A mixture of traditional dance and modern dance

-Street magic – Magic (Lindo the street magician) Amazing audiences with magic

-Dustbins – Performance (Thandimpilo Theatre) When your garbage fights back …

-DH Wha – Music (DJ Wah) Street music to celebrate the festival!

(Left: Pic from "You for Me" by the Flatfoot Dance Company. Photo Val Adamson)

MANGUZI FRESHA FESTIVAL EXTENSION (KOSI BAY)

Date: February 4. 10h00 to 14h00

Venue: Isibani Sasekhaya - Manguzi

Hosts: Nansi Impumelelo

Programme line-up:

-Street parade

-Unicorns – Dance

-Bathabile – Dance

-Overload – Performance: an unknown tribe journeys to an unknown place (Ibika drama)

-Fire-fighters – Performance (Urban Arts Entertainment) Three fire-fighters are trying to impress a woman

-Crazy man – Performance (Unyezi Theatre) An old karate teacher tries to instruct his community – but who is the protector now?

-Classical corner - Classical music interlude

-Performance (Sibambo) A celebration of fishing culture

-Me for You – Dance (Flatfoot Dance Company) A journey into celebrating male friendships and proposing a kinder and more supportive way for men to connect. choreographed by Sifiso Khumalo, this work is also a celebration of the real and lived friendships between the three dancers. The trio offers some dangerous and gravity defying partnering and will leave you breathless at the sheer skill of this trio of male dancers.

-Ant zombies – Performance (Nansi Impumelelo) The movement of the ant zombie generation back to their ancestral land.

-Zebra – Street performance (Gerard O): Sometimes you just have to walk the line.

Izembe group 12h55: 15 minutes. Flatfoot Dance open dance workshop: A chance to get everybody moving!