The National Arts Festival is one of the signatories to a public statement that was issued today by institutions, NGOs, and businesses, stating that despite the town’s challenges, Makhanda is open for business and ready to host the thousands of visitors expected over the next couple of months. The full text of the statement is… Read More
Dear NAF Customer Thank you for your purchase. We’re aware of an intermittent problem with the ‘Print at Home’ function and are working to rectify it as soon as possible. Be assured that your tickets will remain on your profile – you’ll find them under ‘MY ACCOUNT’ in the top menu. Once we’ve banished this… Read More
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][FESTIVAL NEWS] True to the open-ended, connected spirit of jazz, this year’s Standard Bank Jazz Festival, which runs in Grahamstown as part of the National Arts Festival from Thursday 2 July to… Read More
After celebrating, in 2014, four decades of superb programming, vibrant creativity, courageous experimentation, dynamic international collaborations and a passion for celebrating excellence, the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown is calling for proposals for the 2015 Main programme. The Festival will run from Thursday 2 July to Sunday 12 July 2015. “We are looking for compelling performances,… Read More
An online discussion, spurred by an article by writer and activist Mike van Graan and responded to by Festival CEO, Tony Lankester, deals with the economics of presenting work on the National Arts Festival’s Fringe. In the course of the discussion, van Graan and others have made a call for the Fringe to be “curated”… Read More
Street parades, a birthday celebration, a dazzling array of international performers from over 40 countries, and over 2800 performances in eleven days all contributed to a record 225 538 attendees at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown this year. Releasing attendance figures this morning, Festival CEO Tony Lankester paid tribute to the artists whose work… Read More
The much anticipated Standard Bank Ovation Awards were announced on the closing day of the 2014 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. Convenor of the Awards Panel, Adrienne Sichel, described the work presented on the Fringe at this year’s Festival as ‘refreshingly diverse’. “I was impressed with the diversity, and aesthetics within the works”, Sichel said,… Read More
Despite the icy weather, South Africans are continuing to support the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown in their numbers, according to organisers who announced positive growth for the event at its mid-point this week. “At the half way point we were about 6% ahead of last year’s figures in terms of actual tickets sold, and… Read More
Charl Blignaut, Arts Editor of City Press newspaper, has been named South Africa’s Arts Journalist of the Year for the second consecutive year. The prize, together with that of six Gold and five Silver Merit Award winners, was included in the announcement of the recipients of the 2014 National Arts Festival Arts Journalist of the… Read More
The short of it: In 20 years of democracy, government has moved from crass panning of the the festival, to enthusiastically claiming it as their own to Wednesday’s encouraging position when incoming Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa seemed to get right inside the festival and acknowledge the struggle, role and power of artists… Read More
The role of the arts in transforming South Africa from an apartheid state to a constitutional democracy will be under the spotlight at this year’s National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. Over the years, the Fringe programme at the Festival has been an open access platform for artists who have engaged the arts for social and… Read More
The National Arts Festival and Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) have announced the Silver Awards for this year’s Arts Journalism Awards. From this list of ‘finalists’, Gold Award winners, together with the overall ‘Arts Journalist of the Year’, will be announced in Grahamstown on 6 July 2014. “It is heartening to see that our… Read More
Tracing heritage and legacies and looking back to our roots are themes that come up strongly on the programme at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown this year as 20 years of democracy in South Africa come into focus. In 1993 then-President Nelson Mandela called on the arts community to “look at the ways in… Read More
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2014, incorporates a variety of disciplines into its programme. The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival is a regular highlight at the festival and this year will be no different. It is just one part of the exciting programme which includes Mainstream, Blues/Funk/World Music, Afro Jazz, Modern Jazz, and… Read More
The Fringe at the National Arts Festival is always a vibrant, diverse collection of performances because participation is open to all and no selection criteria is enforced. As SA’s ‘most democratic Festival’, if you have the will and a way, you can apply to find yourself ‘on the Fringe’. This year there are more than… Read More
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2014 incorporates a variety of disciplines into its programme. Afro-Jazz is one of the genres regularly highlighted at the festival and this year’s Afro-Jazz line-up features the crème of the crop in this entertaining genre. It is just one part of the star-studded Jazz programme which includes Mainstream, Blues/Funk/World… Read More
There is always much excitement and high expectations in Grahamstown when the Standard Bank Young Artists unveil the fruits of their labours to Festival audiences. This year Standard Bank marks 30 years of sponsorship for these awards and to honour this anniversary, an unprecendented seven awards were made in 2014. A theatre favourite, Greg Homann’s… Read More
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2014, incorporates a variety of disciplines into its programme. Modern Jazz is one of the exciting genres that will be showcased at the festival this year. It is just one part of the exceptional programme which includes Mainstream, Afro-Jazz, Modern Jazz, Youth and the Standard Bank Jazz and Blues… Read More
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2014, incorporates a variety of disciplines into its programme. Blues/Funk/World Music is one of the exciting genres that will be showcased at the festival this year. It is just one part of the exceptional programme which includes Mainstream, Afro-Jazz, Modern Jazz, Youth and the Standard Bank Jazz and Blues… Read More
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival 2014 incorporates a variety of disciplines into its programme. The ever-popular Mainstream is just one of the genres that will be highlighted at the festival this year. The others include Blues, Funk, World Music, Afro-Jazz, Modern Jazz and Youth. This year’s Mainstream line-up includes a glittering cluster of Jazz musicians… Read More
The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, which is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, has announced a landmark Main programme which will feature the work of 65 former Standard Bank Young Artist Award winners; artists from 26 countries; over 550 performances in Theatre, Dance, Performance Art and Music; nine specially commissioned music works; musicians with… Read More
The deadline for entries to the second annual South African Arts Journalism Awards is fast approaching! “We have received submissions from across the media spectrum – articles published in print and online, podcasts and radio broadcasts, TV and Youtube material, and a range of arts photography,” says Chris Thurman, convenor of the judging panel. “But we… Read More
Masicule – Let’s Sing! is a choral concert taking place in Grahamstown on Sunday 23 and Monday 24 March, at 16:30 and 19:30 respectively. Hosted by immensely popular Umhlobo Wenene presenter, Putco Mafani; and made up of choirs from all over Grahamstown, the massed choir finale will include at least 500 voices and promises to… Read More
The National Arts Festival, Grahamstown and Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) are pleased to call for entries to the second annual South African Arts Journalism Awards. The awards identify excellence, expertise and creativity. In doing so, they promote the practice of arts and cultural journalism, strengthen its national profile and celebrate its importance, range,… Read More
The National Arts Festival has announced the launch of a new partnership with the European Union (EU), which will see over R6m invested in the City of Grahamstown’s ‘Creative City’ project over the next two years. The partnership, through which the EU will support the Festival’s “Makana Arts Academy” project, was announced in Grahamstown this… Read More
The National Arts Festival is a significant driver of the economy of the City of Grahamstown and the Eastern Cape Province, contributing an estimated R349.9m to its economy, and residents are adamant that the event is part of what makes their City special. These are among the conclusions of a major socio-economic study conducted in… Read More
The ticketing system which powers the iconic Edinburgh Fringe is poised to change the way South Africans experience the arts from 2014, with the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown being the first to introduce its audiences to “one of the world’s most efficient, robust, versatile and secure systems”. The Scottish event, the largest arts… Read More
The National Arts Festival, Grahamstown is now accepting applications for Fringe productions wanting to take part in the 2014 edition of the Festival. The Festival will take place from 3 to 13 July 2014. The National Arts Festival Fringe is unique in South Africa in that no selection criteria are applied – participation in the… Read More
The National Arts Festival again partners with author Joanne Hichens for the second annual Short Sharp Stories Award for South African short-story fiction. An anthology of selected stories will again be published from submissions to the award. All writers are asked to submit a story under the theme “ADULTS ONLY… “ this year. “There are few writers of literary merit… Read More
Multi-talented theatre director and academic Greg Homann has been named by the National Arts Festival as the 2014 Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner for Theatre. Greg Homann has directed an impressive array of work in varying styles and forms that include drama, comedy, musical theatre, musical revue, contemporary world-drama and new South African plays…. Read More
Durban-born Baritone Njabulo Madlala has been named by the National Arts Festival as the 2014 Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for music. Madlala is the 2010 winner of the most prestigious prize for singers in Britain, the Kathleen Ferrier Award. He is also the winner of the Singers Section at the 2012 Royal Overseas… Read More
The National Arts Festival’s 2014 Standard Bank Young Artist for Performance Art is Johannesburg-based public artist and lecturer, Donna Kukama. Born in 1981 in Mafikeng; Kukama completed her postgraduate studies at the Ecole Cantonale d’Art du Valais in Sierre (Switzerland) in 2008, under MAPS (Master of Arts in the Public Sphere), and is currently a faculty member at the WITS School of… Read More
Twenty eight year old twin brothers Hasan and Husain Essop have been named by the National Arts Festival as the joint winners of the 2014 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Visual Art. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no”… Read More
The National Arts Festival’s 2014 Standard Bank Young Artist for Dance, 30 year old Nicola Elliott, is inspired by aesthetics, and by the bizarre experiences that come with being human and living in South African society. As a choreographer-director, performer, dance lecturer and facilitator, Elliott is known for her intellectual rigour, wit and irony; and… Read More
Capetonian pianist, saxophonist, composer and band leader – Kyle Shepherd – has been named by the National Arts Festival as the 2014 Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz. Shepherd’s family is quite musical, so he has been around classical and jazz musicians – and their music – from a young age. He started studying (classical)… Read More
Free-spirited filmmaker Jahmil XT Qubeka has been named by the National Arts Festival as the winner of the 2014 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Film. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Born in the Karoo and… Read More
The National Arts Festival last night named an unprecedented eight young South Africans winners of the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award, bringing to 125 the total number who have been honoured since Standard Bank began sponsoring the Awards three decades ago. The Award is made annually to young South African artists who are… Read More
The National Arts Festival’s Think!Fest programme has developed a strong profile for attracting thought-leaders, trendsetters and movers and shakers to the Festival in Grahamstown. Presented as a series of lectures, seminars and forums; the National Arts Festival is extending a call for proposals from foundations, think tanks and specialised agencies to participate in the 2014… Read More
For the second consecutive year, audiences at the National Arts Festival dipped their hands in their wallets to show appreciation to South African artists who can no longer perform due to illness or infirmity. The National Arts Festival, Grahamstown and the Theatre Benevolent Fund (TBF) partner on the first Monday of the Festival to raise… Read More
On the back of a call for innovative and groundbreaking proposals for its 2014 Main programme, the National Arts Festival today announced “satisfying” attendance figures for this year’s arts showcase which came to an end on Sunday. Overall attendance to the Festival was at 211 701, a marginal 7 000 decrease over the 2012 figure,… Read More
Reporting steady figures from 2013, and with confirmation of funding in place for next year, the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown is already planning a special programme for its 40th anniversary in 2014. “With the 2013 Festival almost behind us, we’ve already started planning for next year, and welcome proposals for what looks set to be a… Read More
The 2013 edition of the National Arts Festival draws to a close with Festival award winners being announced on the final day. Convenor of the Standard Bank Ovation Awards Panel, Adrienne Sichel, described the work presented on the Fringe at this year’s Festival as “courageous and inventive”, explaining that themes of renegotiation of history and… Read More
Organisers of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown reported that 2013 was turning out to be a solid “business as usual” year for the event, with good weather and numerous sold-out shows characterising the first weekend. “The first half of the Festival saw us hold ticket sales steady on the 2012 figures,” CEO Tony Lankester… Read More
The Gold Award winners of the inaugural National Arts Festival/BASA Arts Journalism Awards were announced at a function at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown yesterday. The 2013 National Arts Festival Arts Journalist of the Year is Charl Blignaut. Blignaut was the standout arts journalist in 2012, not simply because his writing informed and responded… Read More
Three showcases of important South African work are on offer at this year’s National Arts Festival, 27 June to 7 July 2013: a spotlight on the work of playwright Mike van Graan, acclaimed work from the Market Theatre, and new work produced by the PE Opera House and funded by the Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and… Read More
In 2013, the Festival is proud to introduce a new Jazz Festival venue – the Standard Bank Jazz & Blues Cafe at the Lowlander, St. Andrew’s College. The venue will offer a great jazz show at 21.30, with a 23.30 Jazz Jam session or late-night blues gig where audiences can catch musicians letting off steam… Read More
The finalists in the inaugural National Arts Festival/Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) Arts Journalism Awards have been announced. Each finalist is a “Silver Award” winner. Gold Award winners, together with the overall “Arts Journalist of the Year”, will be announced in Grahamstown on 30 June 2013. “These awards are a celebration of the excellence… Read More
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2013 incorporates a variety of disciplines into its programme. The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival is one of the highlights at the festival this year, though it is just one part of the formidable line-up which includes Mainstream, Blues/Funk/World Music, Afro Jazz, Modern Jazz, and the Standard Bank… Read More
The National Arts Festival and Mercury Publishers are pleased to announce the winners for the Short Sharp Stories which is an anthology of short crime stories entitled BLOODY SATISFIED. They were selected from more than 200 entries and are Dawn Garisch (best story), Roger Smith (best thriller), T. O. Molefe (most original), Liam Kruger (best new… Read More
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2013 incorporates a variety of disciplines into its programme. Modern Jazz is one of the genres that will be highlighted at the festival this year, though it is just one part of the formidable line-up which includes Mainstream, Blues / Funk / World Music, Afro-Jazz, Youth and the Standard Bank Jazz… Read More
A contemporary look at the historical seems to dominate the 2013 series of Visual Art Exhibitions presented at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown. In her new solo exhibition titled The purple shall govern, Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art Mary Sibande draws inspiration from a specific incident in South Africa’s history where, in the… Read More
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2013 incorporates a variety of disciplines into its programme. Afro-Jazz is one of the genres that will be highlighted at the festival this year, though it is just one part of the formidable line-up which includes Mainstream, Blues/Funk/World Music, Modern Jazz, Youth and the Standard Bank Jazz and Blues Café. With… Read More
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2013 incorporates a variety of disciplines into its programme. Blues/Funk/World Music is one of the genres that will be highlighted at the festival this year, though it is just one part of the formidable line-up which includes Mainstream, Afro-Jazz, Modern Jazz, Youth and the Standard Bank Jazz and Blues Café. Vocalist/guitarist Vusi Mahlasela has… Read More
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2013 incorporates a variety of disciplines into their programme. Mainstream is one of the genres that will be highlighted at the festival this year, though it is just one part of the formidable line-up which includes Blues / Funk / World Music, Afro-Jazz, Modern Jazz and Youth. Trombonist Steve Turre of the Juilliard… Read More
Multiple types of melody make up the Music programme at the 2013 National Arts Festival, Grahamstown. Hailing from Brakpan on the East Rand, 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist for Music, Runette Botha, made her professional début at the Royal Albert Hall, performing in a gala concert alongside José Carreras and Kiri te Kanawa. She has also performed the… Read More
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2013 incorporates a variety of disciplines into their programme. The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festivaltakes place alongside a diverse programme that features Mainstream, Blues / Funk / World Music, Afro-Jazz, Modern Jazz and Youth. Mainstream performances are headlined by special guest from the Juilliard School of Music in… Read More
Boundaries of both audiences and performers are extended with the Performance Art offering from the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown. In a performance cycle entitled Anthea Moys vs. The City of Grahamstown, the (first ever) Standard Bank Young Artist for Performance Art, Anthea Moys, will compete against the people of Grahamstown in a tournament of skill, strength, and… Read More
Geographical and cultural roots explored in the National Arts Festival Grahamstown’s 2013 Dance offering. Choreographer, teacher and dancer, Standard Bank Young Artist for Dance Fana Tshabalala’s engagement with cleansing ceremonies led him to explore the possibilities in which rites of passage can create new beginnings and purify minds and bodies from the negativities that haunt us. His… Read More
Deepest desires and darkest fears explored in the 2013 National Arts Festival Grahamstown theatre programme. Asinamali marks the debut of the Soweto Theatre as an Associate Producer with the Market Theatre and the National Arts Festival on the Festival’s Main stage. Originally created in March 1985,Asinamali has travelled widely internationally and is one of the most important… Read More
On the eve of the National Arts Festival’s 40th anniversary, the Festival programme continues to push boundaries, and presents a thought-provoking line-up in Grahamstown, from the 27 June to 7 July 2013. As always, the backbone of the main programme is comprised of the work of the Standard Bank Young Artists. The first ever Young… Read More