The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown

See, hear, touch, taste and converse - there’s something to treat all the senses at this annual arts festival

This National Arts Festival (NAF) is known worldwide and is the biggest arts festival in Africa. This is not just for the fact that it is chock-a-block full of all kinds of shows and happenings going non-stop for 10 whole days, but also for its immersiveness in art that is unconventional, unrestrained and highly creative. Between Thursday, 29 June and Sunday, 9 July 2017 the tiny hub of Grahamstown transforms into a calabash of theatrical, visual and performative art. Every year sees it being a total success, and something that everyone needs to go to at least once!

NAF, started in 1974, has always been inclusive of all people regardless of race, gender, religious faith and so on. It served as a platform for political protest during the apartheid years. The arts festival’s progressiveness is reflected in the shows, happenings and activations showcased; experimental creativity and expression is not only celebrated but encouraged, and there is no such thing as censorship here.

What exactly can you expect to find when sleepy Grahamstown is taken over by creatives? Amongst both local and international artists, you can expect anything from street theatre to ballet, comedy to jazz, orchestras, art galleries, lectures and everything in between - the choice is almost overwhelming. Here are a few highlights you can look out for:

Theatre
Whether you’re looking for humour, drama, experimental or political, you are sure to find it! Plays include Ankobia by Monang Motshabi, which uses sound, silence and text to portray an imagined land where remembering history is forbidden. Be sure to also catch the hilarious Mamba Republic which is a satirical sketch of South Africa and all of its follies, written by Ben Voss and John van de Ruit.

Eastern Cape Showcase
Experience the talent and creativity that the Eastern Cape holds in all eight of its districts. This section of the festival celebrates the region by showcasing its own musicians, crafters, dancers, writers, visual artists and more.

Film
Witness film’s power to disrupt mainstream narratives, which is the theme of this year’s Film Festival. As well as being able to get a view, if you haven’t already, of Noem My Skollie; other movies fresh off the local film scene will include Uprize!, Tess, and Kalushi: The Story of Solomon Mahlangu, to name but a few.

Fingo Festival
This is actually a separate little event that runs concurrently with the Arts Festival from 4 to 8 July. All shows are free and it boasts a load of children’s activities, live performances, concerts and conversational lectures.

Student Theatre
University and college students stage productions during the festival each year, and this round will see a huge range of them. Some are of a social and political nature (which is fitting considering the conversation created by recent student activist movements like #FeesMustFall), with topics like sexuality and revolution being explored. Others tackle identity issues, and there are dance-based acts too.

Encapsulating the festival is an overlying theme that seeps into various arts genres and shows including some of the student productions, such as the play Bayephi. South Africa’s history from the 1970s to the late 1990s is the backdrop to this story of a young girl working to piece together memories of her brother and other youths who were separated from their loved ones, and asking, ‘where have they gone?’.

Visual and Performance Art
Both the historic and contemporary are expressed in works by South Africa’s local plethora of talented artists. Expect art pieces in all mediums: sound clips, photography, paintings, prints and virtual reality panoramas. As a starting point, you can look into Dineo Seshee Bopape’s works, and Beth Diane Armstrong’s Visual Art exhibition (called in perpetuum) is noteworthy too. Both are the 2017 winners of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for their genres.

Music
As a big section in the Festival, there’s unsurprisingly a lot in store for music lovers with sounds straight from the soil of our nation. Look out for beloved South African musicians like Karen Zoid, Desmond and the Tutus, Jimmy Nevis, The Soil, and the musically-versatile star Abel Selaocoe performing with the prestigious Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. It will also be the 20th anniversary of the annual Standard Bank Jazz Festival that showcases local as well as international jazz talent.

Dance
All kinds of genres are on the line-up to delight audiences with powerful performances. Dance is an artform that employs the body as a primary mode of communication, and you can expect an exploration of history and memory. Thandazile Radebe, a Standard Bank Young Artist winner, will be performing the contemporary African piece Sabela. On the social exploration side, expect a feminist revision by Dada Masilo of the classical ballet Giselle, a solo dance reflecting an ancient song about arrogance and selfishness, and a collaborative piece that explores the tragedy of xenophobia and the possibility of connection.

Arena
Winners of past Standard Bank Ovation Awards are invited to perform in this programme, which includes music, theatre, dance, performance art and more.

Family Fare
The kids will enjoy this one. A range of plays that includes classic children’s stories will be happening, and are sure to be equally enjoyable for the grown-ups too! See a theatre adaptation of popular children’s book The Gruffalo as well as one of Roald Dahl’s beloved novels James and the Giant Peach. The Jungle Theatre Company will also stage When Lion Had Wings, based on an ancient Khoi Khoi folktale about overcoming your fear. It is performed with a combination of isiXhosa, English, Nama and Afrikaans. Other than this there will also be workshops involving masks, puppets, stilts and music.

Finding accommodation
Grahamstown is not a big place, so you can imagine that there’s often a bit of a scramble for securing accommodation. If you need to find a place to crash, don’t stress; you can visit the Festival’s website, Nationalartsfestival.co.za to find a brochure with accommodation options.

There’s a bit of organising to be done and the prices can add up, but you can rest assured that it will be worth it. This is the biggest arts event in Africa for a reason and is worthy of anyone’s bucket list. So if you love art, performance and music (or just having a LOT of fun), go for it.

TICKETS FOR THE 2017 NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL IN GRAHAMSTOWN

To make bookings for shows, or just for any more information, you can call the organisers on +27 (0)86 000 2004 or pop an email to boxoffice@nationalartsfestival.co.za. Ticket prices for the different shows range mostly between R80 and just under R200, although a few such as the Children’s Concert are free to watch!

ARE YOU AN ARTIST?

If you have successfully been chosen to perform or exhibit in this year’s National Arts Festival, congratulations! You may have some questions about the venue or exhibition space where you will be showing off your skills. The National Arts Festival provides all the answers on their Artist Zone website page. You can also visit this page if you are keen to apply to be a part of the talent showcasing next year in 2018 - application forms and the information you need are all there. The address is Nationalartsfestival.co.za/artist-zone/. 

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