About Us
The National Arts Festival is South Africa’s most diverse arts festival; the country’s premier platform for artistic innovation and cultural collaboration.
For over 50 years, creative communities have gathered in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) to shape our collective story through theatre, dance, music, poetry, visual art, magic, comedy and more – a multi-generational celebration where artists evolve from emergence to mastery and audiences experience perspective-shifting moments.
Our commitment to artistic freedom is rooted in the Festival’s Fringe. Established in 1979 as a vital space for artists to present new work, the Fringe provided a rare opportunity for collaboration, conversation and protest during apartheid. Today, the Fringe thrives as an open-access space for adventurous artists and audiences to take creative risks.
Running parallel to the Fringe, the Curated Programme is selected by the National Arts Festival’s Artistic Committee to showcase the defining works of our time from South Africa, Africa and beyond. Expect cutting-edge innovation, never-to-be-repeated collaborations, seminal moments and cultural homecomings.
The National Arts Festival welcomes people of all ages, and works of all genres, languages and places of origin, making it South Africa’s most diverse arts festival.
The Festival is produced by the National Arts Festival Company, a non-profit organisation that creates festivals, events and experiences, year-round, locally and internationally.
The National Arts Festival would not be possible without the commitment of our partners and sponsors.
The National Arts Festival Board provides strategic leadership, governance and fiduciary oversight. Composed of leaders across the arts, business, academia, and community development, the Board is united by a commitment to artistic freedom, financial sustainability, and the Festival’s transformative role in Makhanda and the broader South African cultural ecosystem. Ensuring the National Arts Festival remains an essential platform for artists to create, challenge, and engage, driving both cultural enrichment and economic impact for future generations.
- Dr S Mahala | CHAIR
- Mr S Kajee
- Dr S Mabizela
- Mr AJ Lankester
- Ms M Constant
- Ms A Lebete
- Ms N Gysman
- Mr K Ngesi
- Mr R Grace
- Dr H Kunju
- Adv T Bonekele
- Prof K Ngesi
- Mr Mandla Mbothwe
Our sincerest thanks also to retired board members:
- Mr Graham Lindop ( Retired 2020)
- Jus. Albie Sachs ( Retired 2020)
- Mr Paul Bannister (Retired 2021
- Ms Elinor Sisulu ( retired 2023)
- Mr Ayanda Mjekula (Retired 2022)
- Prof Jay Pather (Retired 2023)
Text about the AC
Text and Thanks to Past AC
The Management Team of the National Arts Festival drives the complex annual collaboration that makes the Annual Festival and year round projects possible. The Management team is the nexus between all key stakeholders: managing essential partnerships with government and sponsors, coordinating between producers, artists, vendors and venue owners to create a seamless experiences for both audiences and artists. The team is focused on operational excellence and collaborative efficiency, ensuring resources are maximized to create an environment where creativity flourishes, economic opportunities are created, and the spirit of the Festival transforms the city each year.
- Monica Newton CEO
- Rucera Seethal Artistic Director
- Nicci Spalding Technical Director
- Zikhona Monaheng Associate Producer
- Charl van Deventer Finance Manager
- Akhona Daweti Box Office and ICT Manager
Our History
The National Arts Festival was born in 1974 and housed in the newly built 1820 Settlers Monument in what was then Grahamstown in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. That first edition ran for 13 days (8-20 July 1974) with 64 events including exhibitions, lectures, performances and guided tours curated around the English language in what was then a strongly Afrikaans cultural landscape.
At the time, many countries were boycotting South Africa, withholding plays from being performed under the apartheid regime. This sparked the creation of local works and the emergence of names like Athol Fugard, Winston Ntshona, John Kani, Phyllis Klotz and Smal Ndaba, and Pieter Dirk-Uys who began to present work at the National Arts Festival.
The founding of the Fringe in 1979, profoundly changed the National Arts Festival, opening up an uncurated space for new voices and new ideas that shaped a different narrative for the Festival – and a more democratic voice. At the same time (in 1978), theatres (but not cinemas) were exempted from apartheid’s segregation laws, allowing for multi-racial audiences and casts. These forces combined to make the National Arts Festival an important site of protest and debate, carried further by its close proximity to the voices of academic protest at the nearby Rhodes University. It was at the National Arts Festival that many struggle theatre plays were first born. Through ongoing evolution, the Festival became one of Africa’s most globally recognised arts events, the birthplace of legendary collaborations and a launch pad for South African cultural icons, while always retaining its roots in democracy and disruption.
In 1999, the 25th National Arts Festival opened with an address from then, first democratically elected president of the country, Nelson Mandela (that year’s patron). This moment marked a new era for the Festival and the arts by affirming the vital role of the arts in shaping the national consciousness. A role that the Festival has continued to play with intent.
The National Arts Festival has also evolved as a company. Its skilled and experienced team produces several projects and programmes annually both locally and internationally.
The National Arts Festival marked 50 years in 2024. It continues to evolve as a platform that strives to showcase excellence, catalyses new artistic careers and reflect the full diversity of South African creativity as it intersects with international work and breaks new ground across content, language and culture.
Link to Timeline
About the Monument Building
The Monument houses multiple venues including the spectacular 1000-seat Guy Butler Theatre and serves as the festival’s operational heart. It’s also home to the Grahamstown Foundation, National Schools Festival, English Olympiad and other year-round programmes.
The Monument was born out of a quest for cultural preservation, The 1820’s Settler’s Foundation settled on the creation of a memorial building but to raise funds for it, the building needed a purpose. After much debate, it was decided it would be dedicated to the arts and, after a trip to the Edinburgh Festival, one of the founders advocated that a similar festival would be a good fit for the space. Architect Frederick (Jock) Sturrock was appointed and construction began in 1970. The building was completed in 1974 at a cost of R4 million, equivalent to R200 million today.
The first National Arts Festival was born in 1974, housed in the newly built building perched on Gunfire Hill overlooking the former city of Grahamstown (today known as Makhanda).
Among the most prominent artworks housed in the building are Cecil Skotnes’ twenty four large-scale incised yellow wood panels, among his best-known works. These panels were commissioned in 1984 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Monument and are displayed in the Fountain Foyer which was built over the Millstone Fountain; the symbolic heart of the Monument. It’s also home to the ever-popular Sundowner Concerts. A free concert that takes place at 5 pm every day of the National Arts Festival.
In August 1994, tragedy struck when fire devastated the Monument building, requiring extensive restoration that was only completed by 1996. The renovated building was re-dedicated by President Nelson Mandela in May 1996 marking a symbolic moment of renewal for the Monument, affirming it as a space for all South Africans.
The Monument still remains an important hub for the Festival which has now spilled out into the schools, university, halls and churches of the town. The birthplace and beating heart of the National Arts Festival—its a space where generations of South African artists have held the nation’s cultural conversations for over 50 years.
Link to foundation Site
