Is the Arts a dying industry?

The arts industry has certainly changed over the years. Arts has evolved from the days of carvings on stones and wood, paintings created from powder paints, to the more digitalised kind of art that features currently in the mordern world


1) “Yes, the arts are going down. The market is bad and there is no appreciation for our work. We come from far, Zimbabwe to South Africa and then there is no support. People create art and nobody supports. “
- Shakespeare


2) “Art is art, we sell different items. There is no one big place for artists to display their work, we are all separated. Art is about knowledge and yet there are no buyers. I will not come to Grahamstown again, it is expensive to travel so far and make no profit.”
- Fewawi




3) “No, arts is not a dying industry. I personally previously had no understanding of the arts but with all the book launches and artists that have been active in the festival, I see art alive. There is now a passion that I as a regular Festival goer have not seen in years. I feel though, that the structure of the fest should not have been changed. It’s now at Rhodes when it was previously at Church Square; the vibe of fest and the arts has since changed and not entirely positive.”
- Devon Cobus




4) “Yes it is dying; the arts are not like before. There used to be crowds of people but since the location of the fest has moved from town to Rhodes, the interest for Arts has changed.”
- Sabatha Smangwine





5) “Yes, there are fewer people interested in the arts.
No, the price of art has increased. If there was no demand, it would be cheaper.”
- St Andrews School, Grade 8



6)“Organisers are turning the arts into a flea market. We as artists are driven in different directions. God is art, art is bigger than us.”
- Andile Paswa






7)“No, art is very much alive. It cannot die, only the ideas of art die. “
-Seko Mbambeni






8) “Yes, I believe there is no formality in the industry, it’s just a haphazard thing. Connected people take initiative and exploit the less privileged who are just trying to make an honest living. Artists are struggling; local buyers feel that the market is over saturated. There are a lot of changes in Grahamstown, it is a small area for artists and there is not much activity to draw in clients.”
- Jonathan Pfumbwa


Some believe people have turned art into more than a way of sharing their skills and their creativity, but as a money-making sector, which is what is killing it.As much as art is a creative form of expression, it is still a means of financial stability and reliance. However, the price of exhibiting your work is not affordable for all artists therefore not all of them get sufficient opportunities to excell and achieve from their work. Art has to be appreciated, and people need to be given equal opprotunities to display and showcase their work, irrespective of what field or type they are in. Art is more about moulding our imaginary world into a reality, that we can share with everyone else.


By Duschanka Hitzeroth & Bhekimpilo Dungeni

Hope in your sorrow

By Bongiwe Tutu





Even with your head bowed down I see the sorrow in your eyes
The plights for success as your dreams reach out to the far skies
Standing still trying to impress a spinning world of great demise
Seeking for profession and recognition, yearning for a grand prize
Young courageous poor boy lost in your bewilderness and sorrow
Fighting within your cries hoping for a pure and better tomorrow
Your happiness is driven by the sadness beneath your painted face
Have faith in your hope and surface your footprints with a solid trace

Vegetable seller

‘The vegetable seller’ strikes a chord. Bringing to mind rhythmic elements of a busy market place.  The regular song of the city, the buzz of rowdy crowds, women and men in loud conversation, taxi’s hooting and feet shuffling.  Vegetables and fruits assorted in colour, more people selling this that and the other.  The smell of smoke from exhaust pipes and stale urine taints the air.  Hands dried by the day’s hard labour, arranging and rearranging his goods.  A hat to protect him from the sun’s viciously scorching heat.  The vegetable seller depicts one man’s everyday life. The dreaded routine called ‘making ends meet’.  

Vegetable seller by Benjamin Furawo

PEARL NICODEMUS

“Wathint' abafazi wathint’ imbokodo!”

Her beaded necklace captures and stimulates her distinct and native nature. Small and hallow, delicate, strong and sparkling crystal stone beads are a refection of her heart. Long straight strikingly built strings reflect on her strong and struck soul. Ancient glowing golden brown gems dug deep in the mellows of the earth, yellow and warm as the suns mighty rays, wistful ashy black streams of pure velvet, white crystals as soft as snow, all of these blissfully enriched colours are a reflection of her skin. The diamonds and squares, circles and triangles, ovals and rectangles, bold and dim shades, the highlights and the cut lines that are dashed into her life, the chords, buttons, needles and wires connecting her to the rest of the world; these are all reflections the paths she has taken, the direction she is yet to take and those which will be told of her by others. Her snap glows in the anguish and the intensity of her strings, as the tears of beads fall apart her pain scatters an immense cry of a wounded lioness. She will lick her wound and as it heals, build another string of beads to add to her beautiful ensemble. She wears her beauty around her neck and it numbly stings in with the sweetness of a honeybee’s aroma. She is a magnificent creation of wisdom and spirit, she is the purport of solid strength and cannot be moved. You strike a woman you strike a rock; “Wathinta abafazi wathinta imbokodo”.


By Bongiwe Tutu

Music for your soul by Wordsuntame!

By Bongiwe Tutu


“Come and be filled with thirst quenching insight via song, profound reasoning to stimulate life changing moments. Journey with us through the natural mind as it goes beyond human thinking” that is the formal slang from the music group; Wordsuntame.

The performance by this group was that of a vibrant reggae rock show which established the participation of the crowd as soon as it began. This performance was, to my surprise very gripping and enjoyable. A melody of just two voices, a guitar and a shaker moved the grounds of the Bots Gardens and brought some warmth to the cold night. The performance consisted of an integration of well known tunes such as "No woman no cry" by Bob Marley which got the crowd singing along hysterically.

The artists were performing their track list from their CD which is available at ILAM for only R40. It’s a fine tuned track list so much that I bought my own copy there and then! It entails strong and meaningful lyrics that are the personal experiences expressed by the two singers, going by their name “words untamed” they speak their mind. Their genre is a melting pot of rap-in-motion and poetry, rock and soul. Their music mesmerized the crowd, leaving us with goose bumps all the way through. When it came to the end of the show the crowd insisted that they play one last time and everyone got up and danced to their liberating performance. "Wordsuntamed" is going far and you have to get that CD as soon as possible.

If you would like to see for yourself before you purchase your own CD, you can catch them in a number of perfomances at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. They will be performing at Equilibrium on the 30th June at 15h00 and at 18h00, on the 6th July at 15h00, on the 9th July at 15h00. They will also be performing at Urban Lounge (Bots Gardens) on the 2nd July at 18h30, 4th July at 14h00 and on the 10th July at 14h00.

festival and the arts

Art fever All around the Grahamstown Festival

Word is already out and people are buzzinng with excitement and much anticipation for the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. People from all works of life have come in numbers to experience this incredible event. Regardless of the winter chills, the event has not only attracted audiences but also a lot of artists who are keen on showcasing their artwork in order to impress and put their names out there... A lot of talented individuals have been able to step it up and execute their best work. This artwok of a wired statue, of which at first glance stunned me because i thought was a real person but in actual fact is a typical example of the talent that can be found in and around the festival. This wired person is representing the jazz festival which is taking place at this year's Grahamstown Art Festival.

By Busisiwe Busenga

Streaming beyond the radio voice

By: Bongiwe Tutu

Another year has come to pass and the time for the Eastern Cape to shine has flared upon us once more. We are now joined by a variety of talented artists from all over the world at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. “Whether you’re a theatre-goer, a dance lover, a jazz fundi or a film buff, the programme offers plenty to keep you busy as you step into our bubble of AMAZ!NG once again” said Ayanda Mjekula, National Arts Festival Board Chairman. I met with a very well known radio enthusiasm artist Viv Bozack from Algoa FM who shares his first experience as a live broadcaster at the National Arts Festival.

Viv Bozack, a resident of Port Elizabeth, born in Lusikisiki in the Transkei, states that he has been with the Algoa FM family for “four years, one month and two days” and he expressively declared his love for every single second he spares on radio. “I’m all about self-determination and positive living. The earth, the children, the music, the red, gold and green! It’s just wonderful being at the Festival; it’s like an ultimate melting pot of talented and great people all in one place, and so far so great” said Bozack.

Algoa FM (94.7) is one of the biggest radio stations representing all aspects of South African culture and heritage. The station has successfully captured eight hundred thousand listeners over the years and it is yet to grow as it has been broadcasting live with Viv Bozack from the Rhodes University Campus since Thursday the 30th and will be sustaining their enlightening shows to the public until the 8th of July.

Bozack is presenting the Lunch-Time Show which is broadcasting live from 12h00 till 15h00 at the Rhodes University Campus. “Since it is my first time broadcasting at the Festival I plan to make it very well fulfilled! I’m aiming to see three shows per day” he exclaimed with a glaring and anxious smile on his face.

Furthermore beyond the radio voice, Bozack has a passion for music specifically of the hip hop genre. He is also an MC persona, hosting hip hop gigs every Thursday nights in Port Elizabeth titled “Bring it to the Cypher”. He also hosts the Friday Music Club at 14h30 every Fridays for local musicians of the Eastern Cape.

The artist appreciates the National Arts Festival as he feels that it’s a very great platform not only to meet new people and get to know more about them in exploring the “ultimate melting pot” but it is also a great foundation to grow as an individual in doing what you enjoy the most. His life philosophy is simply, as he puts it “play hard and work harder”.

Contact Viv Bozack at: viv.n@algoafm.co.za , http://facebook.com/viv.b.ngomane , http://www.algoafm.co.za/
Contact reporter at: bongiwetutu@yahoo.com , http://twitter.com/TheBeeSting

Literature and Culture equals WordFest

It began as demonstration to promote writers and the work of the South African Library for the Blind. As EC MEC for Arts and Culture, Xoliswa Tom said, “Be proud of what you do.”

Writers came in their traditional attire to support the cultures that make South Africans proud, ranging from Xhosa, Zulu, SiSwati and Sesotho. Thoko Mgwebi’s poetry opened WordFest 2009. The programme notes were written in three isiXhosa, Sesotho and Afrikaans.

The ceremony began with a welcome address by the Vice Chancellor of Rhodes University, Dr. Saleem Badat who shared his views and concerns about language and culture.
“Words can librate us and can imprison us,” Dr. Badat said. “Universities need to build a lasting relationship with local schools so that children of the present generation are not left behind due to a lack of literacy.”

Amanda Onamandla Mathe—FJP