While famed for its dramatic stage productions, unique artwork and bespoke poetry renditions, the 52nd National Arts Festival will ensure it delivers an enthralling experience for all by expanding its Literature Festival offering.
This was announced by Eastern Cape sport, recreation, arts and culture head of department Nomathamsanqa Gobozi-Nibe.
The National Arts Festival is set to take place from June 25 to July 5 in Makhanda.
The City of Saints will be abuzz with activity, with more than 200 shows on the Fringe, ArtTalks, music headline acts and more in curated programmes.
The festival will showcase all five Standard Bank Young Artists across theatre, dance, music, jazz and visual art, alongside Africa’s first AI-generated dance opera, Oscar-winning international cinema, and powerful works exploring various themes.
Gobozi-Nibe said the provincial government continued to recognise the festival as a vital platform for artistic expression, cultural preservation, social cohesion and creative sector development.
The department’s Literature Festival provincial auditions were held from mid-April and end on Wednesday.
“We are actively identifying, supporting emerging and established creatives in literature, poetry, storytelling, scriptwriting, visual arts and performance,” Gobozi-Nibe said.
“The call has also been broadened to include dancers and crafters from across the province to form part of the EC Ensemble and Craft Exhibitions linked to the festival platform.”
NAF executive producer Zikhona Monaheng said the Fringe continued to be one of the most exciting platforms in the country to see new stories, brave work, experienced and emerging artists.
“Programming is always about balancing artistic excellence, diversity of voices, audience experience and the practical realities of venue and budget availability.
“We are excited to see legendary artists return to the Festival stage this year while also collaborating and sharing space with emerging voices,” Monaheng said.
The NAF’s artistic director, Rucera Seethal, said the formidable pace of change had them all spinning in new and unprecedented directions.
“Within this vortex, it is the creatives who search for meaning and new practice; that question and rewire.
“We have brought together as many of these forces as we could to inspire a conversation that will echo beyond the stages in our soon to be released ArtTalk series.
“Helping us make sense, find each other, build new worlds and pause to experience this once precious life,” Seethal said.
The Herald
