The curtain has been raised on the Mandela Bay Arts Festival, which is set to inspire, educate, entertain and bring people together over the next 10 days.
The colourful launch took place at The Athenaeum on Thursday evening and included a performance by award-winning jazz artist Dumza Maswana.
Passers-by stopped to watch the Kuyasa cultural dance group perform outside the theatre, their voices and drums echoing through Central.
Among the guests were Bay mayor Gary van Niekerk, Mandela Bay Theatre Complex CEO Monde Ngonyama, National Arts Festival (NAF) chief executive Monica Newton, NAF stakeholder and partnerships manager Nobesuthu Rayi, the department of sport, recreation, arts and culture’s chief of staff, Wongama Gela, and the Bay acting sport and recreation executive director, Charmaine Williams.
Newton said it had been a privilege to be part of the preparation process.
She said the festival boasted an exciting line-up, and urged Bay residents not to miss out on the many offerings, which included poetry, theatre, comedy, dance and music.
“We are incredibly privileged to be part of this event, to bring what we have to the table, but also to learn,” Newton said.
“It is a unique model that is based on local decision-making.
“It supports local artistry as its primary objective, and its aim is to build a signature local festival for an incredible city, its residents and visitors, that will live on beyond us all.
“A festival is something incredibly special that brings people together.
“We need artists to meet audiences and that is when the magic happens.
“The artists inspire, amaze and entertain, so all I ask of you is to be the audience,” Newton said.
Gela said the department intended to give power back to artists in the city, and the Bay municipality was doing just that.
“Instead of leaving it in the department’s hands, festivals should be organised and run by the artists themselves, with the department just extending its support.
“This will ensure we bring back the power to its rightful owners — the artists.
“We now want to see more artists and more municipalities take up such initiatives, and the Bay is leading the pack,” Gela said.
Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of SA provincial secretary Tawuya Mushaike said they were excited.
He said some of the biggest challenges artists faced included budget cuts, austerity measures in the public sector, and grants being withheld by the National Treasury.
This had resulted in the festival skipping a year.
“Thirty-two productions were chosen, but 120 productions applied to be part of this year's festival.
“If all those 120 productions were to be accepted, it would have cost a total of R4m.
“So it does not mean that those not part of the festival were not good enough, there was just an insufficient budget.
“The budget remains a key issue in terms of transformation in the arts sector, because we cannot speak transformation without an investment.
“So while we are crying, we are also happy we were able to identify what the real issue is so that we can work on it,” Mushaike said.
Van Niekerk said the city’s security officials, metro police, security cameras and patrollers would help keep festival revellers safe.
“Gqeberha needs artists to keep the city buzzing.
“That is the environment we need to create for artists to flourish,” the mayor said.
“We are now standing on fertile ground to build the creative economy of Nelson Mandela Bay.
“[The city’s sport, recreation, arts and culture boss] Bassie Kamana constantly asks for funding.
“We have the adjustment budget coming up, so let’s do our planning. I want an event every weekend up until the end of June.
“Let’s create a vibe in this city,” Van Niekerk said.
The festival, which will stage events at multiple venues in the Bay, including the Mendi Arts Centre in New Brighton, The Athenaeum and The One Room Music and Comedy Club in Central, runs until February 25.
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