KZN PHILHARMONIC 2022 SUMMER SEASON: CONCERT 2

(Boris Kerimov & Maestro Bernhard Gueller)

For the love of Mozart … and Schumann is the theme for the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra’s second concert of the World Symphony Series Summer Season. This will take place in the Playhouse Opera on March 3, 2022, at 19h00.

Maestro Bernhard Gueller returns to the podium and the concert will feature Boris Kerimov, the KZN Philharmonic’s Principal Cellist. A favoured German-born conductor of both players and audiences, Gueller is Music Director Laureate of Symphony Nova Scotia, Halifax and Principal Guest Conductor of Cape Town Phil.

Maestro Gueller ushers in his second programme with one of Mozart’s most iconic works, the Serenade K525, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - without doubt the most delightful of all the serenades this composer wrote purely for the enjoyment of audiences, considers Paul Boekkooi in his orchestra season programme notes. He continues: “Its civilized charms make no demands, but bubbles along its irrepressibly tuneful way in the composer’s most relaxed manner. Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik belongs to the category of music pieces one should classify under the heading ‘deceptive simplicity’.

Completing the first half of the evening’s programme, KZN Philharmonic’s Principal Cellist, Boris Kerimov is the evening’s soloist in Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A minor. Originally considered a Konzertstück (concert piece), this remarkable piece of writing was completed in just two weeks.

Maestro Gueller brings the evening to a close with Mozart’s magnificent Symphony No 39 - a miraculous feat of writing in which the composer seamlessly conceals his art. It is the first of a set of three (his last symphonies) that Mozart composed in rapid succession during the summer of 1788.

“Following the long months of isolation we have all experienced due to the Covid pandemic, we are delighted to launch our 2022 World Symphony Series with a line-up of international and South African guest stars who are set to join us in ensuring we bring our patrons the finest possible concert-going experience,” says KZN Philharmonic Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Bongani Tembe.

There will be Tea and Symphony concerts for the final rehearsal every Thursday morning at 10h00 in the Playhouse Opera. Tickets R50

Complimentary tea and coffee will be served prior to evening concerts and during interval. There is safer parking at the Royal Hotel.

Season and individual tickets for the KZN Philharmonic’s World Symphony Series 2022 Summer Season are available through Quicket.

For more information click on the KZNPO advert at the top right of this page or visit http://kznphil.org.za/, email marketing@kznphil.org.za or call 031-369 9438 (office hours).

(The season runs weekly on Thursdays at this new earlier time, until March 17, 2022)

 

REALNESS AFRICAN SCREENWRITERS’ RESIDENCY

(Left: Selina Ukwuoma, Story Consultant and residency mentor)

Deadline for submissions: March 7, 2022

Once in a lifetime opportunity for African Filmmakers to develop scripts in South Africa, Nigeria and Switzerland

Six African filmmakers will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop their fiction film story ideas and work-in-progress scripts in a three-month residency that includes attending film industry programmes in three countries in the 2022 edition of the Realness African Screenwriters’ Residency.

In its 7th year, the residency takes place from August 3 to November 13, 2022, and is open to any African on the continent or living in the Diaspora.

(Right: Chioma Ude, Founder and Executive Director of AFRIFF)

This year’s exciting news is that the Realness Institute has partnered with the Locarno Filmmakers’ Academy (Switzerland) so that these filmmakers can attend the Locarno Film Festival and the Academy’s creative incubation programme “BaseCamp”. In addition, one of the selected six will also participate in the Academy, the festival’s industry development programme.

Following this, the cohort will spend six weeks at the tranquil and nurturing Nirox and Farmhouse 58 in The Cradle of Humankind, in South Africa, where they will be mentored by Story Consultants Selina Ukwuoma and Mmabatho Kau and Creative Producer at Urucu Media, Cait Pansegrouw. Elias Ribeiro, Executive Director of the Realness Institute, will accompany the group to the Locarno Film Festival. Mehret Mandefro, Director of Development and Partnerships at the Realness Institute, will attend the cohort to the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF).

From November 7 to 13, 2022, they will attend AFRIFF in Lagos, Nigeria. Here they will have the chance to participate in the festival to take meetings and present their project to an audience of potential stakeholders. The Realness team will develop and deliver a two-day programme dedicated to development during AFRIFF’s Industry event.

(Left: Elias Ribeiro, Executive Director of the Realness Institute, will accompany the group to the Locarno Film Festival)

Head of Locarno Filmmakers’ Academy and Project Manager for BaseCamp, Stefano Knuchel, says, “After five years of an inspiring and fruitful collaboration between Realness and the Locarno Film Festival, by selecting every year one Realness talent for our prestigious Filmmakers Academy, we’re happy to deepen our exchanges by welcoming all the Realness participants in our new creative initiative called BaseCamp. 

The BaseCamp is a unique space in the context of film festivals, where 200 young talents from very different creative fields and from all over the world gather in a huge ex-military headquarters during the Locarno Film Festival to enjoy privileged access to the content of the Festival and also to create a utopian space, where they give shape to different forms of creations. An innovative concept that allows the experimentation of new languages and new hybrid forms of creation."

"Africa has been at the forefront of storytelling from the very beginning. We are passionate about telling our authentic stories. It is important to script our stories well for the global audience hence the partnership with the Realness Institute," says Chioma Ude, Founder and Executive Director of AFRIFF.

(Right: Creative Producer at Urucu Media, Cait Pansegrouw, one of the mentors during the programme)

Online submissions are now open for this intensive programme offered by the Realness Institute, the South African based NPO that aims to develop African stories created by Africans for a global film market.

Finally, the most promising projects will be awarded participation in the prestigious La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde in Cannes, receive an EAVE Producers’ Workshop partial Scholarship, an invitation to TorinoFilmLab Meetings Event and Locarno Filmmakers Academy.

“We are thankful to our old partners and excited to welcome our new. Nigeria is an exciting market we have long been interested in entering, so it’s wonderful that our writers will get a chance to showcase their projects at AFRIFF,” says Mehret Mandefro, Director of Development and Partnerships for the Realness Institute

The complete application criteria, which is open to anyone who has a valid African passport and how to apply, can be found on the Realness Institute’s website: https://www.realness.institute/realness-residency.

The highly regarded programme is presented in partnership with Urucu Media, Nirox Foundation, Farmhouse 58, AFRIFF, the French Institute of South Africa and Institute Français’ La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde, TorinoFilmLab, Locarno Filmmakers’ Academy, Cocoon, CNC, EAVE, IFFR Pro, IEFTA, Berlinale Talents and Area51.

The deadline for submissions is March 7, 2022.

Follow Realness on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook for up-to-date information.

MICK FLEETWOOD & FRIENDS

Rhumbelow Theatre’s Classics Cinema on The Big Screen programme will screen Mick Fleetwood & Friends on March 4, 2022.

Filmed at The London Palladium in February 2020, the film celebrates the Music of Peter Green & the early years of Fleetwood Mac.

More than a year after Mick Fleetwood assembled a star-studded line-up of special guests to celebrate the music of late electric guitar great Peter Green and the early years of Fleetwood Mac, the one-off concert comes to Rhumbelow Durban on the BIG SCREEN.

The historic show, which took place on February 20 last year at the London Palladium, was originally slated to appear in cinemas around the globe, but will instead be streamed on April 24 via nugs.net in HD and 4K with Dolby Atmos sound.

It will then be available for five days on demand, before being released in physical formats on April 30.

Boasting an all-star, the concert saw a whole host of guitar heavyweights in action alongside Fleetwood, including Kirk Hammett, David Gilmour, Noel Gallagher, Billy Gibbons, John Mayall and Pete Townshend.

Other performers on the night included Neil Finn, Christine McVie, Zak Starkey, Steven Tyler and Bill Wyman, all of whom performed alongside a house band composed of Dave Bronze, Jonny Lang, Andy Fairweather Low, Ricky Peterson, Rick Vito and Mick Fleetwood himsOf Green’s legacy and upcoming concert, Fleetwood said, “Peter Green taught me two unassailable lessons when it came to music: less is more and don’t worry about being clever. He played from his heart, which is why so many people, musicians and appreciators alike gathered in London to pay tribute to him, all of us together earring witness to the magic of Peter’s music.

“He revealed himself in his art, which sometimes happens at great cost, as it was with Peter,” he continued. “He showed so much of himself that he had to withdraw. And he did. May he rest easy. He was loved and he will be missed.”

The film will be screened at 19h00 on March 4, 2022. Running Time: 2 hr 20 min (excluding 20-minute interval). The venue opens 60 minutes before show for snacks/drinks.

Tickets R100. Bring food picnic baskets or buy at the venue. A full bar is available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises).

All seating will be at separate tables and the venue will obviously be seating co-habiting couples and/or family members together.

Limited secure parking available.

All tickets must be pre-booked. No walk-ins allowed.

Booking is essential on email: roland@stansell.co.za or through Computicket.

For more information contact Roland Stansell on 082 499 8636 or visit http://events.durbantheatre.com/

Strict Covid protocols will be observed. Rhumbelow Theatre is situated at 42 Cunningham Road off Bartle Road in Umbilo, Durban.

BBC STUDIOS MARCH HIGHLIGHTS

(Left: Sir David Attenborough)

In the month of March, BBC Studios will continue to offer a selection of great programs to keep viewers entertained.

On BBC Earth legendary broadcaster Sir David Attenborough tunes in to the remarkable sounds of the natural world, to experience an open-air festival of songs of sex and survival on Attenborough's Wonder of Song.

 Highly acclaimed programme Surgeons: At the Edge of Life, returns for a fourth series to reveal the extraordinary work of some of the UK's top surgeons.

(Right: Amanda Redman plays Dr Fonseca)

 The Good Karma Hospital returns to BBC Brit for a fourth series and the tropical Indian hospital is as busy as ever as Dr Lydia Fonseca continues to juggle her demanding work with her personal problems as she confronts her complex past.

 BBC Lifestyle follows international award-winning chef and TV personality, Lorna Maseko on Homegrown Tastes South Africa as she journeys across the scenic wonders of South Africa, from the City of Gold to the highest town in South Africa, Dullstroom, the Karoo to the breath-taking winelands and fishing fleets of the Western Cape.

DSTV HIGHLIGHTS FOR FEB 25 - MAR 3

(Above:  A scene from “Crisis”)

 Here are some of the DStv highlights for the week February 25 to March 3, 2022:

Crisis

February 26

Movie / Showmax

This drama inspired by real-life events dives into the opioid crisis by weaving together three stories of people affected by it. 

The movie is anchored by a star-studded cast, including Oscar-winner Gary Oldman.

(Right: Melissa McCarthy in “Superintelligence”)

Superintelligence

February 27 at 20h05

Movie / M-Net (DStv Channel 101)

Comedy. A self-aware (and self-important) artificial intelligence programme (voiced by James Corden) selects Carol Peters (Melissa McCarthy), the most average person on Earth by its calculations, for an experiment that will decide the future of humanity.

 

Impossible

February 28 at 18h00

Season 4 / Episode 1 / BBC Brit (DStv Channel 120) /

Game show hosted by Rick Edwards. Thirty returning players compete for the chance to win £10,000 (R210,000). There are three correct answers and if they can find them all, they will trigger a dramatic cascade of £10,000 in coins. But if any of their answers are “impossible”, they win nothing.

 

Proscenium: Valsrivier

February 28 at 20h30

Movie / fliekNET (DStv Channel 149)

A young man’s life is hurtling towards a tragic end during a young democracy’s growing pains. With Tinarie van Wyk-Loots, Anna-Mart van der Merwe and Stian Bam. Proscenium is a collection of critically acclaimed plays filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Pastors’ Wives

March 3 at 17h30

Season 2 / Episode 8 / Honey (DStv Channel 173)

Pastors are often in the spotlight, but in this show we meet the charismatic women holding it all together in their religious households. In new episodes, we follow them to see how unconventionally they live their lives. We also get to witness the dramatic situations the pastors’ wives find themselves in when they clash.

(A scene from “Coroner”)

Coroner

March 3 at 20h00

Season 4 / Episode 1 / Universal TV (DStv Channel 117)

Serinda Swan returns as Toronto-based coroner Dr. Jenny Cooper in this smash-hit Canadian crime drama series. 

The new season kicks off with Jenny, still reeling from her loss in the previous season, taking a much-needed holiday, only to stumble across a dead body that stirs suspicion in a small town

 

 

THE DEVIL’S SEA: REVIEW

Fans of the Dirk Pitt adventure series are sure to enjoy it. I did. (Review by Christine E Hann)

The Devil’s Sea is a Dirk Pitt Novel by Clive Cussler written by Dirk Cussler.

About the Author:

Clive Cussler was an American adventure novelist and underwater explorer. He died in February 2020 at the age of 88, in Arizona, USA. Cussler was the founder and chair of NUMA – National Underwater and Marine Agency, which has discovered over 60 shipwrecks and numerous other notable underwater wrecks. He was the sole or lead author of over 80 books, several of which have been made into action films. Cussler’s son Dirk Cussler collaborated with his father on 8 of the Dirk Pitt adventure series books. For several years Dirk has been an active part of and partner in his father’s NUMA expeditions and has served as president of the NUMA advisory board of Trustees. He continues the adventure series created by his late father.

Review:

The Devil’s Sea is the 26th book in the Dirk Pitt Adventure series. As with the previous books in this series, you quickly find yourself immersed in a fast-paced, action-packed read.

Dirk Pitt (Director of NUMA – always in the field and looking for adventure) and his adult children, Dirk and Summer are offshore near the Philippines busy with a research project, when they discover a sunken ship, along with pieces of a Chinese rocket, that is part of a top-secret Mach-25 experiment that has failed again. The Chinese are on a mission to find their rocket, and work out what went wrong, and how to get the programme back on track – at all costs.

To add to this, the area they are in is suddenly hit by a series of tsunamis, with no real underlying cause. How can this be? Pitt senior finds a plane washed up on a nearby shore, when the family goes to help the locals clean up from the damaging effects of the wave that hit them. A rare Buddhist treasure that has been missing for decades is found on board. The siblings head off on an escape via India to return the artifact to its rightful owner. In the process, the Chinese become part of the mix in the race to get the idol (for the rare material it is made from for their rocket) and to wreak revenge on those against them.

Who succeeds in their respective missions, who is thwarted, and suffers a miserable death? Read on to find out what happens in this fast paced, if a somewhat unlikely adventure. Or is it so unlikely in this world we live in? Fans of the Dirk Pitt adventure series are sure to enjoy it. I did.- Christine E Hann

Other series by the author: Oregan Files, Kurt Austin Adventures (NUMA Files), Dirk Pitt Adventures, Isaac Bell Adventures.

The Devil’s Sea is published by Penguin Random House UK – 2021 ISBN: 978-0-241-55236-0. 

DSTV SHOWS BAG 14 NOMINATIONS AT 28TH SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS

As the only televised awards ceremony that exclusively recognises performers, the Screen Actors Guild Awards is one of the industry’s most anticipated events. Be a part of the 28th award ceremony by tuning in to M-Net Movies 1 (DStv channel 104) at 03h00 on Monday, February 28, 2022, to witness the presentation of prestigious awards for outstanding performances in film and television for the year.

Standout nominated content includes King Richard, which is mentioned in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category, and for which Will Smith is mentioned in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role category. It is available to rent on DStv’s BoxOffice.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the other quality international shows that have been nominated, such as Succession, Hacks and The Handmaid’s Tale, by streaming them all on Showmax. Premium subscribers can add Showmax to their bill at no cost, and if you’re part of the Compact family, keep up with streaming for R49 – that’s half the regular price!

Here are the categories and nominees that you will find across DStv platforms and Showmax.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role and Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Will Smith – King Richard on BoxOffice

 

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

Succession on Showmax

 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale on Showmax

Sarah Snook – Succession on Showmax

 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

Brian Cox – Succession on Showmax

Kiaran Culkin – Succession on Showmax

Jeremy Strong – Succession on Showmax

 

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Hacks on Showmax

 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Jean Smart – Hacks on Showmax

 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Evan Peters – Mare of Easttown on Showmax

 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Cynthia Erivo – Genius: Aretha

Jean Smart – Mare of Easttown on Showmax

Kate Winslet – Mare on Easttown on Showmax

 

Stay tuned to DStv for world-class entertainment.

 

ROCK GUITAR LEGENDS II: REVIEW

(Above: Andy Turrell, Barry Thomson, Mali Sewell & Dawn Selby. Pic by Val Bottomley)

This is a fabulous rock and roll party of a show featuring great music played with spirit and skill. (Review by Keith Millar)

Durban’s premier tribute band, The Reals, is appearing at the Rhumbelow Theatre this weekend with the sequel to their marvelous show Rock Guitar Legends.

Aptly named Rock Guitar Legends ll, the production follows the same theme of honouring the great guitarists and their groups from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s.

There are a few numbers repeated in both shows but this matters not at all. This is a fabulous rock and roll party of a show featuring great music played with spirit and skill.

There is little doubt that the two years of the Covid pandemic along with its lockdowns and restrictions has influenced all of us. This was no different for a group such as The Reals. As professional as they were and as well as they performed on the rare occasions they could over this period, the prevailing conditions was always a dark cloud which seemed to hang over the proceedings.

So it is with great happiness that I can say after their performance last night that the real Reals are back.

They produced the sort of performance of energy, synergy, elation, and talent that one had come to expect of The Reals of old. They displayed their ability to get into the soul and move an audience.

Front man is guitar wizard Barry Thompson. He also looks after most of the vocals and provides his own style of humorous and quirky links between the songs. However, it is as a guitarist that he really shines. Replicating the style of so many legendary performers from over the years with consummate skill.

He is wonderfully supported by the massively talented keyboardist and music director for the group, Dawn Selby. She also does her fair share of vocals.

On drums is the inimitable Mali Sewell. He never seems to slow down or tire and remains one of the best.

Bass guitar was handled by the inscrutable Andy Turrell. A quiet man but with a character all his own.

There are a few mega hits in the programme. Such as Mark Knopfler’s Sultans of Swing (the earlier version), Pink Floyd’s (David Gilmour) Another Brick in The Wall, and Comfortably Numb, Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Pride and Joy and Jimmy Page’s Whole Lotta Love.

All the others are easily recognisable numbers with wonderful guitar work played with astounding expertise and energy by The Reals.

Included is everything from the Shadows to Jimmi Hendrix and includes the likes of Eric Clapton, Queen, Splash (Guns and Roses), Santana, Ritchie Blackmore, Gary Moore, and Joe Walsh along the way.

Rock Guitar Legends ll is a show chock-full of wonderful music. Filled with memorable guitar licks and riffs and solos and not forgetting the inspiring contribution from the bands themselves.

The remaining performances this weekend are booked out so your next chance of seeing this great show is when it performs on March 13, 2022, at 14h00 at the Allan Wilson Shellhole at 5 Durban Road in Pietermaritzburg. Worth the drive up if you’re from Durban!

Tickets R180. Booking is essential on email: roland@stansell.co.za or Computicket.

For more information visit https://events.durbantheatre.com/ - Keith Millar

 

KZN PHILHARMONIC: SUMMER SEASON FEB 24: REVIEW

 

(Left: Conductor Bernhard Gueller)

All in all, this was a most enjoyable and memorable concert and bodes very well for the rest of the Summer Season! (Review by Keith Millar)

 I was not exactly sure of what to expect from last night’s concert. The Playhouse Opera Theatre is not the best venue for classical music and, let’s face it, our beloved orchestra is not quite the “mighty” KZNPO it once was.

However, and I am not sure to what extent the pure excitement of seeing a real, live orchestra on stage after so long contributed to this, but I felt that the concert was simply splendid.

The KZNPO has been considerably reduced in numbers over the past two years, Covid and financial restrictions being the main causes. No fewer than 18 additional players had to be brought in to make up numbers at last night’s concert.

Despite that, the orchestra played with a vigour and verve which brought the beautiful music to life. Almost as if they were saying “we are back – and we will show you what we can do”.

Of course, the conductor for this concert, the renowned and well-travelled, Bernhard Gueller, must take a lot of credit for this performance. The orchestra responded wonderfully to his precise and neat conducting.

I would also like to suggest that Concertmaster for the evening, Ralitza Macheva, had something to do with the energy and spirit evident on the stage. Few musicians show more enthusiasm for their craft, and this must be infectious for the rest of the orchestra.

And so, to the music. The entertainment started with Beethoven’s moving Leonore Overture No.3 Op.72b.

Beethoven wrote four overtures for his opera Fidelio. However, it is this one which is now generally used as a prelude to his opera. It is a powerful and moving piece.

(Right: Hyeyoon Park)

The soloist for this concert was Korean violinist Hyeyoon Park. She played German romantic composer, Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1, Op. 26 in G minor.

This is one of the most popular and frequently played violin concertos in solo violin repertoire. It is appreciated especially for its lyrical melodies, which span nearly the entire range of the instrument.

Miss Park is an elegant and graceful player who tackled this work with considerable skill and aplomb. She was very well received by the audience.

Completing the programme was Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No 2, Op73 in D Major.

Composed in 1877, it is a grand and cheerful work which was the composer’s own favourite symphony.

The orchestra performed this work with exciting vigour and character under the direction of conductor Bernhard Gueller.

All in all, this was a most enjoyable and memorable concert and bodes very well for the rest of the Summer Season.

The fact that the Playhouse Opera Theatre is the venue for the three remaining concerts is less of an issue with me after last night’s event. The orchestra sounded brighter and better balanced than I remember. Maybe I have found the sweet spot at the Opera Theatre (Row N).

Be that as it may, it was a great pleasure to welcome back the KZN Philharmonic and I certainly look forward to next Thursday. – Keith Millar

 

To link direct to the KZN Philharmonic’s website to find the rest of the Summer Season’s concerts, click on the orchestra’s banner advert on the top of the page or visit kznphil.org.za

OVER 100 WRITERS FOR TIME OF THE WRITER

Line-up of over 100 writers for 25th Time of the Writer festival

More than 100 writers have been assembled for the 25th edition of the Time of the Writer festival that will be presented online for the third consecutive year by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal from March 14 to 21, 2022.

Inspired by Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, Chief Albert Luthuli, the Festival with its theme, Beyond Words: Memory, Imagination & Conscience, will honour his legacy and commemorate the 60th anniversary of his autobiography, Let My People Go, which was published in 1962. The festival will also critically reflect and engage with its participants to discuss whether Luthuli’s vision for a better South Africa has been served or been betrayed.

(Right: Dr Nokuthula Mazibuko Msimang)

Writer, academic, producer and broadcaster Dr Nokuthula Mazibuko Msimang will deliver the keynote address at the festival's opening.

“Dr Mazibuko-Msimang’s incredible writing talents in print and for film cover a diverse range of social issues. She is a formidable South African writer and public intellectual to be the worthy choice for delivering the keynote address for the opening of the 25th edition of the Time of the Writer Festival; and to speak to the theme, Beyond Words, Memory, Imagination & Conscience”, says Ismail Mahomed, the Director of the Centre for Creative Arts.

The festival’s featured author is one of South Africa’s most prominent writers, and also a poet and cultural activist, Mandla Langa, whose novel The Lost Colours of the Chameleon won the 2009 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize

(Left: Mandla Langa)

The daily prime evening slot at 19h00 will feature authors whose recent publications have tried to make sense of State Capture, corruption, racism, gender-based violence and several other challenges. These publications have made the vast cracks in South African society visible and revealed the threats to South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

It won’t be all gloom at the festival. The cocktail hour at 17h00 will bring together writers in a lively and more relaxed discussion during which they will share anecdotes from their lives and careers as well as snippets from their writings. The coffee hour at 15h00 will offer more informative and intimate conversations with writers.

The breakfast hour at 09h00 gets into the heartbeat of the isiZulu language, while the 11h00 brunch hour focuses on creative writing and skills training. The lunch hour at 13h00 will offer a series of one-on-one interviews with leading South African authors.

During the festival, the organisers will announce a yearly literature champion, with which they honour an individual or organisation at the coalface of broadening access to books.

On Monday March 21, the Festival will present a special programme to mark UNESCO’s International Poetry Day and Human Rights Day in South Africa.

The festival will be live-streamed and can be viewed on www.facebook.com/timeofthewriter or www.youtube.com/centreforcreativearts

 

The Time of the Writer festival, now celebrating its milestone 25th edition, was the first South African festival to venture into the virtual space in March 2020, two days after President Cyril Ramaphosa had declared the national lockdowns to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The Centre for Creative Arts scooped two nominations and an award in the Best Digital Creations category at the 2021 National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences Awards ceremony.

 

FISHERS' TALES AT KZNSA

KZNSA is pleased to present Fishers' Tales, opening March 2, 2022.

Fishers’ Tales is an arts-based storytelling project that collects the wondrous tales that fishers enjoy telling about their ocean adventures. This project explores fishers’ connections and emotional bonds to the ocean using a visual storytelling approach. Each story is accompanied by a unique artwork. 

The Fishers’ Tales exhibition also provides a platform to showcase the work done by young and emerging artists in Durban, as the project is specifically aimed to support creative students studying in the city.

The project contributes towards a bigger One Ocean Hub project for inclusive and transformative approaches to ocean governance. The project is managed by the Urban Futures Centre in partnership with the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), and it is funded through the Deep Emotional Engagement Programme (DEEP) Fund (administered by the One Ocean Hub programme).

For more information and for sales queries, contact gallery@kznsagallery.co.za

Fishers Tales runs until April 3, 2022. For more information visit https://www.kznsagallery.co.za/Exhibitions/View/1005/fishers-tales

 

The KZNSA Gallery is situated at 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood, in Durban. More information on 031 277 1705 or cell 082 220 0368 or visit www.kznsagallery.co.za

WINDERMERE ANTIQUE FAIR

The Windermere Antique Fair will take place on March 5, 2022, from 08h30 to 14h00 on the lower level of Windermere Centre in Durban.

Around 20 dealers will be selling a wide selection of antiques, vintage and collectibles.

Goods on sale will include: porcelain, glass, crystal, jewellery, silver, records, books, paintings, linen, old toys etc. There will be interesting treasures of yesteryear at prices to suit all pockets.

For more information contact Helen Clementz on 084 241 0241.

 

GERARD BHENGU: TRADITION & MODERNITY

(Above: “The Bird Chaser” by Gerard Bhengu)

The Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg will host an exhibition by Gerard Bhengu titled tradition & modernity.

The exhibition will be opened on February 27 at 11h00 and the speaker will be Juliet du Toit as a curator.

Among South Africa's and the region's well-known artists, Gerard Bhengu has become widely recognised for his role in establishing a thematically African but European-derived stylistic representational pictorial idiom. This idiom, sustained throughout his long artistic career (c1925-1985), comprised known and nostalgically recalled themes - an ethnically specific portrait genre, landscapes and culturally sourced historical and narrative scenes.

This comprehensive exhibition of works by Gerard Bhengu, curated by Juliette Leeb-du Toit, supports a researched publication, and indicates how the historical background to Bhengu's work is more layered and inflected than has thus far been realised. Bhengu's works remained marketable mainly to select patrons and ethnographers and to a popular and tourist market. However, given his increasing and simultaneous significance to a black audience and peers, as well as an emerging modernity among a politicised black South African populace that renewed their embrace of culture and tradition, and a painter of modern life.

The exhibition will take place in the Tatham Art Gallery’s Main Room (2^nd floor).

The Tatham Art Gallery is situated opposite the Town Hall in Chief Albert Luthuli Street, Pietermaritzburg. It is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 10h00 to 17h00. Café Tatham is open on Saturdays. Safe parking with a car guard available. More information on 033 392 2801 or visit https://www.tatham.org.za/

 

 

KZNSA AT INVESTEC CAPE TOWN ART FAIR 2022

As the leading contemporary art gallery in KwaZulu-Natal the KZNSA Gallery is excited to announce their participation in the 2022 Investec Cape Town Art Fair, February 18 to 20 2022, Cape Town International Convention Centre, booth H2.

Their presentation includes the works of three KZN-based artists; Sphephelo Mnguni, Siphesihle Ntsungwana and Siobhan Doughty.

Investec Cape Town Art Fair showcases a diversity of work that represents the forefront of contemporary art from Africa to the world, and the world to Cape Town. It is the ‘largest art fair on the African continent, showing cutting edge contemporary art. The fair provides a platform for galleries, collectors, curators and artists from around the globe to engage in cultural and economic exchange.

For more about the KZNSA presentation and to preview their artists' work, visit https://www.kznsagallery.co.za/Exhibitions/View/1004/kznsa-at-investec-cape-town-art-fair-2022

STUDIOK OPENS IN DURBAN NORTH

(Shaun Burgin heads up StudioK now operating in Durban North)

World-class e-commerce photography studio opens in Durban

StudioK, an all-in-one compact photographic studio for professional e-commerce shoots, officially opened for business in Durban North in February 2022. The studio, which is supported by the well-known Studio[K]irmack in Cape Town, brings best-in-class automated product photography technology to the port city, including the advanced Orbitvu Alphastudio XXL - the first of its kind in South Africa.

Co-founders Shaun Burgin, Lance Howarth and Craig Bellingham are “beyond excited” about the launch of StudioK, and ready to assist businesses with their e-commerce product photography needs. “Setting up shop here makes a lot of sense, given that Durban is where you find so many of the country’s major import warehouses,” says Burgin. “It means quicker - and more affordable - turnaround for photography projects since the assets are often close at hand.”

“We aim to become the e-commerce photography and content solution of choice in KwaZulu-Natal,” adds Bellingham whose company has done numerous projects for clients including work for Adidas, Puma, Pick ‘n Pay Clothing, Jeep, Dunns, Sealand, HiTec and many leading brands - since opening Studio[K]irmack in 2008. “StudioK will offer world-class technology and services, with technology that offers automatic background removal, so that clients can create ready-to-use on-model, packshots, 360-degree spins and videos in a matter of minutes.”

The day-to-day running of StudioK operations will be in Burgin’s hands, as the managing director and majority shareholder. Bellingham, who is CEO of Studio[K]irmack, will work closely with StudioK from the Mother City, providing guidance and assisting with overflow work and specialist production requirements as needed. “As their business partner, our robust design and video capabilities underpin what StudioK has to offer,” he explains. “And vice versa, of course.”

“It’s absolutely essential for anyone with an online retail presence - whether they are a large or small company - to have high-quality visuals today,” says Burgin. “To put it simply: great photos get conversions, while those of a lower quality do not. Web customers can’t physically touch your products, so you need to make sure you are giving them as full of a virtual experience as possible.”

It was the idea of this optimal experience for the end user, together with efficiency and versatility for businesses, that informed the design of the StudioK facilities. Over four months, the studio came to life in Kensington Square; all clean lines and neat features, and soon to include a 5m x 4m infinity wall (making it one of the largest in Durban and also a rarity in the region, and something that Bellingham believes will excite Durban photographers) and the first Orbitvu XXL machine. Orbitvu has a global footprint and is used widely for automated product photography in the United States, Europe and Japan. Bellingham is an official agent for the brand in South Afric“StudioK is fully equipped to handle both small and large products, as well as live models,” says Bellingham. “The tech has a built-in backlit turntable and full-sized powerful LED lights, and allows us to upload the end images directly to a retail website, or wherever else the client needs them to go. Basically, if they send it, we’ll capture it - and fast, too.”

In 2022, StudioK will be focused on establishing itself as Durban’s leading e-commerce photography and content studio. Looking further ahead, Bellingham and Burgin have even bigger plans - including exploring interactivity and user experience in the rapidly evolving world of eCommerce.

StudioK is situated in Kensington Square, 51 Adelaide Tambo Drive, Durban North. For more information contact Lisa Pellatt - lisa@marvelloandmill.co.za or 084 553 4629

RENEE LESLIE LARGE CANVASES AT ELIZABETH GORDON GALLERY

(Left: "The Long View" by Renee Leslie. Acrylic on Canvas. 1600 x 1600 mm framed. R44,000)

The Elizabeth Gordon Gallery is currently showing large canvases by Renee Leslie.

Joy Reynolds, owner of the gallery, states: “Renee Leslie, our Plettenberg Bay artist, is very versatile in all mediums of art, and particularly enjoys the challenge of large-scale canvases. Big canvases are so popular in the more minimalistic décor style at the moment and one good piece can be all that is needed in a room to create drama and impact.

“The Long View is about one’s perspective of things and being able to see something from a different angle, or the idea that what’s better in the bigger picture is usually the best.” 

(Right: "Bits and Pieces” by Renee Leslie. Acrylic on Canvas. 1500 x 1200 mm framed. R44,000)

“In Bits and Pieces, Renee states that during COVID our lives have become so fragmented, broken into bits and pieces, and with these many challenges, we long to become healed and ‘whole’ again.”

Both these are framed in a narrow black box frame and, as this week's Featured Artworks, qualify for 10% off.

The Elizabeth Gordon Gallery is situated at 120 Florida Road in Durban. For further information phone 031 303 8133, email: joy@elizabethgordon.co.za or visit www.elizabethgordon.co.za

CENTRE FOR JAZZ AND POPULAR MUSIC PRESENTS BANDLESS

(Above: Blessing Twala, Sibusiso Shabalala, Dimitri Barry, Hlubi Vakalisa Jele, Oudskul Omello, and Damien Roodt)

The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music proudly presents Bandless, an enterprising group of talented musicians on March 2, 2022, at 18h00. Doors open at 17h30.

Bandless is made up of musicians who played together in different situations and eventually formed a comradery called Bandless. Led by Hlubi Vakalisa Jele on Reeds, Sibusiso (Mabulal’umthakathi) Shabalala on keys and vocal, they are joined by Dimitri Barry on guitar, Damien Roodt on guitar, Blessing Twala on bass and completed by drummer/percussionist Oudskul Omello.

Although some of the group members are academically studying jazz, they offer a wide spectrum in their music varying from Afrobeat, traditional music, house, progressive rock, hip hop etc. The group has been infamous for having a broad repertoire of rearranged classics and original.

Thulile Zama, Concert and Jazzcentre Co-ordinator says: The resumption of the Centre’s popular Trios concerts, took place in November 2021 with three concerts after a 20-month hiatus due to the Covid -19 pandemic. The Centre for Jazz is looking forward to hosting their exciting line up of musicians over the next few weeks. Please note that we are practicing social distancing, hand sanitizing and the policy of ‘’no mask, no entry’ in accordance with government regulations. Consequently, we can accommodate 90 people in the venue only, and patrons are advised to book in advance to avoid disappointment. Tickets will be available for sale at the door, but only if and until we have sold 90 tickets.”

Tickets: R100 (R70 pensioners and R40 students). Booking is essential: zamat1@ukzn.ac.za

The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music is situated at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Howard College Campus, Dennis Shepstone Building, level 2.

THE WHICKERS NEW DOCUMENTARY FUNDING AWARD FOR AFRICAN FILMMAKERS

 (Above: Sam Soko (producer of “No Simple Way Home”) and Akuol de Mabior (Director of No Simple Way Home and 2020 Whicker Award Winner) at the World Premiere, Berlinale 2022. Image courtesy of The Whickers.)

 Applications deadlines:

DFM applications - February 25, 2022

Talents Durban applications - March 4, 2022.

The Whickers are creating a brand-new documentary funding award for African filmmakers in partnership with Durban FilmMart Institute.

The Whickers international documentary fund is targeted at emerging documentary makers. It is now extending its highly successful bursary award, previously limited to India and East Asia, for the development of new projects at the Durban FilmMart. The first scheme, aimed at helping those in regions of the world where access to film development money is limited, has been running at Docedge Kolkata for three years. It has led to award winning films such as Children of The Mist, which won a director’s award for newcomer Diem Ha Le at IDFA.

This new fund will be available to all participants in Durban FilmMart from the Talents Durban programme to the main market. This bursary was announced the week after 2020 Whickers’ winner, South Sudanese filmmaker Akuol De Mabior premiered her first feature documentary No Simple Way Home at Berlinale 2022.

Jane Mote, Editorial consultant for The Whickers said: “The Whickers is so excited to be deepening its relationship with DFM and offering a chance to African filmmakers from across the continent to win some early support to develop their projects. We are looking forward to helping the amazing work DFM does to nurture the next generation of documentary filmmakers.” 

Magdalene Reddy, General Manager of the Durban FilmMart Institute added: “The Whickers Bursary is a valuable contribution to the financial support system for filmmaking in Africa, and we are thrilled to welcome this new partnership. The Whickers support will provide crucial momentum at a key stage of the birthing process of an African documentary.  Adjudicated by jurists appointed by The Whickers, the £3,000 bursary, will be selected from projects participating in the DFM 2022 programme.” 

The award will kick off this year at the 13th Durban FilmMart taking place on July 22 to 26. 

Applications for DFM and Talents Durban are currently open.  DFM applications close this Friday February 25 and Talents Durban applications close March 4, 2022. For full submission criteria and details visit www.durbanfilmmart.com

 

About The Whickers

The Whickers were established in 2015 to fund and recognise original and innovative documentary. They seek to use the generous legacy of pioneering broadcaster Alan Whicker, to support emerging film and audio documentary-makers in the funding and production of director led programmes. The Whickers are comprised of two annual awards: the Film & TV Funding Award and the Radio and Audio Funding Award.

For more information, visit: https://www.whickerawards.com/

 

About the Durban FilmMart Institute

Durban FilmMart Institute is the business hub of the African Film industry in a world where African film Industry professionals and products are globally competitive and celebrated. The mission of the Durban FilmMart Institute is to provide appropriate and effective programmes and services to promote, support, and facilitate investment in the African film industries so that African film industry professionals and products are competitive and celebrated globally.

For more information on the Durban FilmMart Institute, visit:

https://www.durbanfilmmart.co.za/

67 BLANKETS AND GIFT OF THE GIVERS CREATE RAINBOW NATION BLANKET OF HOPE

(Above: Carolyn Steyn with a few KnitWits with some of the blankets that have been delivered for the Rainbow Blanket event)

To celebrate the compassion and resilience of South Africans through a tough two years of Covid-19 and lockdowns, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day is partnering with NGO Gift of the Givers to create a gigantic Rainbow Nation Blanket of Hope.

With the due date looming, what better way to show appreciation for the selfless work that the non–profit organisation Gift of the Givers and healthcare workers have done, than by picking up our knitting needles and crochet hooks for a good cause?

(Left: Carolyn Steyn)

“The gift of hope is the biggest gift we can give South Africans during this time of uncertainty,” says 67 Blankets founder and KnitWit-in-chief Carolyn Steyn.

“We are excited about partnering with Gift of the Givers, who exemplify ethical and compassionate leadership, to distribute the thousands of blankets our KnitWits around the country will be producing in all the colours of the rainbow – symbolising our collective hope for the future.”

The founder of Gift of the Givers, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, said: "Gift of the Givers appreciates the partnership with 67 Blankets for Mandela as this relationship embodies the concept of active citizenry and selflessness where we as a nation stand up and hold hands together to assist the most vulnerable and least endowed within our communities. A blanket is a symbol of hope, bringing warmth, comfort, ease and specifically unconditional love when knitted by a complete stranger for a fellow national. This altruistic action by those who encourage, promote, knit and sponsor the campaign is in an essence an act of deep spirituality for the greater good providing a better life for all in keeping with the ethos of Mandela Day and what the late president epitomised."

South Africans are invited to rally together over the next few months to help create the Rainbow Nation Blanket of Hope, knitting or crocheting blankets of any size, in bright, vivid, rainbow colours to evoke the warm and generous spirit of our rainbow nation.

You have until the end of March 2022 to get those needles and hooks clicking away to hand in your blankets. The massive ‘combined’ blanket will be laid out at Steyn City School in Johannesburg on May 11 2022, after which, Gift of the Givers will distribute individual blankets to people in need before the onset of winter.

Join the multi-award-winning, world-record-breaking 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela and highly-respected humanitarian foundation Gift of the Givers, who both represent South Africa’s irrepressible spirit of ubuntu, by helping to craft the Rainbow Nation Blanket of Hope.

More details are available at http://67blankets.co.za/ or by emailing info@67blankets.co.za

TRACING MEMORIES

(Above: Vusi Makanya & the late Nobuhle Khawula.  Pic by Val Adamson)

Dusi Dance Company will present Tracing Memories organised by well-known choreographer and dancer, Vusi Makanya.

In describing the works, Makanya says: “In Tracing Memories we dance to honour those who came before us, to teach those who are with us now and to make sure our children carry with them the knowledge that our culture will never die as long as we do not forget who we are and where we come from.

“Tracing Memories is a series of works that brings back my creative memories and investigates how it influenced me as to who I am now. Memories transformed into a dynamic experience, trace the roots of my identity, my fears, my intentions and the solitary places I have seen through my passage of time.

“I will revisit the work Izindla Ziyageza ("Hands Wash Each Other") choreographed and performed by myself and the late Nobuhle Khawu. This short work will be a virtual screening at Stable Theatre, together with Akundlela Engayi ekhaya which was choreographed by the late Sifiso Majola and was performed by myself and the late Nobuhle Khawula.”

(Right: Vusi Makanya)

These two pieces were premiered by Flatfoot Dance Company during the Jomba Dance Festival in Durban and Dance Umbrella in Johannesburg and toured to Nigeria and Cameroon. They will be presented again for the stage under Makanya’s direction, with two new young dancers from his KwaMashu School of Dance Theatre.

Tracing Memories will be performed by Makanya and the duet performed by Sinenhlanhla Moyeni and Thandea Maqebula.

Tracing Memories will premiere at Stable Theatre in Durban on March 11 at 19h00 and March 12 at 14h00 and 19h00.

Tickets R100 (R50 students) available at Webtickets

For bookings or more information contact Vusi Makanya 082 622 4005 or email vusi.kmsdt@gmail.com

Stable Theatre is situated at 115 Alice Street, Warwick Avenue in Durban.