FAREWELL NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL



SIPHO HARRY ORIO



This is sadly my last day in Grahamstown and my last day at the National Arts Festival, it was fun, it was memorable, I had the best time exploring, attending shows, shopping around the market, meeting new and exciting people and not to mention important people. I learnt a lot during these eleven days, I learnt hard work, team work and dedication and pesistence. my fellow FJPs, especially Akhona Valashiya who was my mentor and my Festival guide, FJP Co-ordinator Nqobile Buthelezi and FJP trainer Nyx Mclean were all great, I got along very well with everyone and now saying goodbye is so sad. I look forward to seeing the FJPs again in September at the Highway Africa Conference and having a lot of fun again. 

                                                          By Akhona Valashiya

Youth in Africa

Considering the research done by Gerard Boyce and his organisation, they certainly missed a lot of angles in context of what youth’s behaviours and attitude really mean. Their research tends to take a more quantitative angle to the study of people’s attitude, a field that would better understood on a more qualitative stance.

This is because qualitative methodologies tend to delve deeper into the reasons why people behave the way they do, instead of grazing over them, and relying on numbers and generalisation that tend to be the main feature of quantitative research. Attitudes vary between individuals and the way people express their thoughts differs from place to place, and within different social or economic standings.

For one to understand the youth, they have to be involved in talks with people who represent them, and with what is happening in this present life. South Africa has come a long way to address the issues of inequality between people, and to a larger extent people between the different race groupings that are there. This means that to understand young people, one has to go into deeper issues than just differences in skin colour. There are even differences in attitudes within same racial groupings.

I certainly believe as much as young people need to be heard and given the platform to express themselves, even the older generation needs to be given a chance to grasp this ever-changing world. If the older generation is given a chance to migrate from the ancient world into this modern one, they would, by no chance find it complicated to let the younger generation play a part in learning and embracing new technologies. Young and older people are working together for change.

By Bhekimpilo Dungei

Rhodes University's passionate Pharmacy student

Thando Mthyole, final year Pharmacy student at Rhodes University

Pharmaceutical studies to most would sound like difficult studies to pursue but not to the passionate and determined final year pharmaceutical student Thando Mtyhole. Having grown up in the rural Eastern Cape, Pharmaceutical studies were only a dream until he got the opportunity to study at Rhodes University. “The course is challenging but manageable, it just needs dedication, determination and hard work”, he says.

Grahamstown is an academic town and full of history, it is Thando’s fourth year living and studying here and says he loves it because it is small and safe and with a lot of facilities to assist students in their studies. This outstanding determined student says he is enjoying the National Arts Festival but thinks the hype of it is fading away along the years  because some people feel excluded from it and feel like it is a high class thing for certain people.

Thando says he wants to be an inspiration to the kids in his small town of Lady Frere and wants to encourage them to pursue studies in medicine and pharmaceuticals because they offer great opportunities and anyone can do them, he says he wants to go back to his home town after graduation to work towards building his community.

By Akhona Valashiya

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

FOOD ON THE GREEN

The Village Green Market at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival is a place where festival-goers can go to relax, shop and most importantly, eat. But with all the different food stalls there are to choose from, festinos are spoilt for choice. We asked stall owners to tell us why people should choose to eat at their stalls.

“It’s the real deal - authentic, thin-crust, wood-fired Italian pizza. And it’s quick.”

                                                                                        La Pizzeria

“Quality, friendliness and price.”

                                                                Bob’s Menu           

“Fresh ingredients and food made with love.”

                                                                Eeet Panini          

“Value for money, best-tasting and we work for charity"

                                                                          Grahamstown Rotary Kudu Burgers

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        “It’s cheap, it tastes good and it takes less than 2 minutes to make"    

Dragon Pearl Chinese Food

“It’s healthy, happy, karma-free vegetarian delight”

                                         Atma cuisine (Hare Krishna stall)

“It’s fresh and people like it because it’s different and from overseas.”

                               Damascus Fast Food

“Decadent and delicious.”

                                                Greek Sweets

“It keeps a balance if you party a lot – it’s a booster.”

                                    Oh So Peachy Smoothies and Food           

 As most stall owners pointed out, festival-goers can expect a variety of food on The Green but all made with fresh ingredients, prepared quickly and at competitive prices. Stall owners are also friendly, welcoming and always willing to offer help or just to chat.  We couldn’t possibly recommend one over the other; our best advice: try them all!

By Akhona Valashiya and Devaksha Vallabhjee

Sipho's Brain-storming session

The FJP's were bouncing ideas and brain-storming after attending the Think!Fest talk on Bridging Literacy and Digital Divide by Elinor Sisulu, they were discussing digital / class divides in the South African Education system. Sipho was among them as the 21st FJP 2011 sharing his views with his peers and telling the other FJP's that the digital / class division will never be bridged if there are still children who don't have proper schools in South Africa.
by Akhona Valashiya                                            
                                                                                            

EVERY DAY LIFE

Almost lost in thought but concentrating on work.

They do it every day with renewed passion each day.

Cold, wet or warm life to them goes on,

They should be away playing,

Circumstances force working.

Looking at them is almost heartbreaking,

 Their life remains a mystery if you don’t know their history.

BY AKHONA VALASHIYA

They lie serenely in the coffers of my heart,
Like thorns stitched perilously on a tree branch.
They slice open my brain like a butcher knife,
Like rain perforating into the depths of my life.
Paint striking pictures in the mainstay of my eyes,
Truly they are my memories.

Poem by Bhekimpilo Dungeni

Super Tyra

Growing up she used to live in a one-bedroom apartment with her brother and her mother. Over the year she has made herself a brand has become a house hold name. She is a super model, who has a top-rate reality show called Americas next top model, a business woman involve in many ventures and on top of that has the looks to accompany her intelligence and business savvy, and has a cutting style which sets trends all over the world. “She is 10 kilograms heftier than the typical model, and she relishes debunking the glamorous illusion of supermodel.”- Her name is Tyra Banks, and with all that said her present success is inevitable.

This is a woman who inspires me to not just be, but be the best that I can be and be successful no matter what circumstances you have been faced with. On top of that she does not conform to norms and stereotypes set by people. Having become successful she has not become big-headed. She gives back and has not lost her roots of where she comes from.

What I would like to be remembered for in the future just like Tyra is being a women of many strengths and being good at what ever she embarks on. At the same time I want to be able to be remembered as a successful individual who never forgot where she comes from and to give back to the community I grew up in and other worthy causes.

Professionally I want to break stereotypes whether in the work place or in the projects I pursue individually just like Ms Banks. I want to also be a revolutionist in changing the thinking of those around me, exposing them to different ideas.

Hard work pays and just like Tyra and everything she has now acquired, she has worked long hours and very hard for what she has. The future me will carry the ethic of hard work and apply it in all I do for as long as I live because it does pay off.

I want to become an international figure who is known and recognised for her intelligence and has used it to her advantage. Like her I want more and have drive but most of all I want to be remembered for having humility even when I have become successful.

By: Nokwazi Khumalo

My Father.My Hero

Vanished like dew. You never got to say goodbye. I look at the life I’ve had to live, and I see how you taught me, without even saying a word. Heroes are hard to find, and here I stand wondering if I have a hero I can look up to. Philip MfokaMdelwa Nkinika Dungeni. You are my hero

I remember the day you threw me, playfully in the air, and, like a loving father, you forgot to catch me before I hit the ground. Instead of picking me up and comforting me, you ran out of the room, one hand clamped around your forehead, and the other clasping your mouth, as if to avoid laughing. You had messed up, but you did not flinch. With that, you taught me to pick myself up and get back on my feet. I cried, endlessly, wrapped around in mum’s hands. I guess it was just a fulfilment of one of your favourite quotes. ‘…At times one has to laugh in the face of tragedy,’ you used to say. I laugh every time I think of that.

Every time, I think of the wise words you shared with all the people around you. Even though you would come home sloppy drunk sometimes, your love for people could be felt by everyone. Never mistreated us. You showed us love as a family, and were there for us, even though your stay in this world was so short-lived, unfortunately.

I look at other children who never got the chance of having a father figure in their lives. You taught me how to cook, and grill pork at the tender age of nine. I cherish the few years I got to spend with you. These memories help me to carve a bright future for my self. Like your brother, Cephas, always says, ‘The word ‘forget’ does not exist in my vocabulary.’ I guess I will never forget you for being the person who you were. I would love people to remember me as an activist, a man and a fighter. But most of all, as a human being.

By Bhekimpilo Dungeni

MY HERO

EMINEM/SLIM SHADY

Marshall Bruce Mathers II born 17 October 1972 better known as Eminem or Slim Shady is a rapper, record producer, actor, lyricist and a father of two beautiful girls.

Eminem practices an art of writing, in a informal way that most people would not consider inspirational but his writing is what inspires me to be a better writer and for that he is my hero. He expresses himself and describes situations by telling stories through his music (rap), the creativity of his writing give life and colour to words, something not even academics and professional writers can do. This outstanding artist inspires me to write; every time I listen to one of his songs I know I want to be a writer. He inspires me to be the kind of writer who can write history on a napkin. I want people to remember me when I’m gone as a person who made academic thinking fun and interesting and the kind of person who got people to think and speak about issues they did not know they could think about.

by Akhona Valashiya

Are we missing something here?

The Grahamstown National Arts Festival may perhaps be one of the most anticipated events in South Africa and yet the attendance has nothing to show for it, it is completely unjustified. This festival has been running for a number of years, it is an event that takes place annually. However this year’s event is by far the worst in terms of the attendance, hype and entertainment.

But what has caused this dilemma? What exactly went wrong and can it be rectified before it comes to an end, if possible at all? “The problem is that the festival was initially held in Village Green and now in Rhodes University, it is because of this that people are gradually losing interest in the Festival”, said one of the sub-wardens at Rhodes University. The lack of interest shown in this year’s festival is also affecting the number of people that go out and actually watch some of the stage productions.

We also have attended a few shows and have had to witness to the poor attendance. Some of these productions do not even fill half the venue. This should be a worrying factor amongst performers. I mean the main reason why they are here is to showcase their production, but it does not take a brain surgeon to realise that that the stage production cannot possibly succeed without the audience. With that being said, the numerous PR people attending good shows, may actually spread the word and for those who are performing again may at least stand a fighting chance at improving the audience’s attendance.

But sure enough, the show must go on. But this will not bring any comfort to the street vendors expecting to make decent sales during this festival. The decreased number of people around the festival in comparison with previous festivals will affect the vendors, in negative way, because chances of making adequate profit are very slim.

By Busisiwe Busenga and Sesethu Malgas

WE GET THE MESSAGE

There we are, hitch-hiking, trying to find a way to the MONUMENT, way up the hill in RU, it is windy and freezing cold. Nokuthula and I are going to computicket to find out about the ticket sales for the Festival. You must wonder how that went. Lol...a computicket employee told us they are "NOT allowed to talk to the media" and sent us to the Festival offices. Makes you wonder: Are WE, the media taken as the 'enemy'? OR are they just NOT authorised to speak to us?

Down the monument we went, and yes we found the Fest Office. We talked to the CEO, Tony Lankester,curiously asking him about the Festival ticket sales. He politely told us they cannot give us that kind of information YET, he can only distribute it halfway through the Festival...REASON BEING: Either way the media can negatively affect the ticket sales. How? You may ask yourself. Oh well, If the ticket sales are sky rocketing and we publish that they fear the sales may drop. Again, if the ticket are not selling and we publish that, they fear that people may lose interest and consider the Fest borring and decide not to come.

Well, we guess we are going to have to wait just a little bit more to find out more about the ticket sales. Makes you really wonder thou: HOW ARE THE TICKET SALES GOING?

Keep wondering...maybe, just maybe we might get the answer for you in NO TIME at all.

By Sesethu Malgas

New opportunities for entrepreneurs in Grahamstown

The Grahamstown National Arts Festival is not only the time for fun and stage performances but it is also a time for entrepreneurial opportunities.

This is after the launch of the Innovation Hub at the official opening of the festival, which is an initiative that offers the entrepreneurs in Grahamstown publicity. Renting out bicycles, charging cell phones, providing food at the key venues and running a spaza shop in Rhodes Campus, are some of the key projects for this initiative.

The CEO of the National Arts Festival, Tony Lankester points out that this is another way of promoting employment during the Festival.
“We provide assistance to these entrepreneurs by offering them training sessions in partnership with the Makana Municipality and the Rhodes Investec Business School”, said Tony Lankester.

This being 19th Fest, Lankester feels that the festival can never get bigger but, overall can get better. He also mentions that they have established World Festival Alliance in 2010. This drew seven festivals from around the world together.

This alliance comprises of the worlds three biggest art festivals, which are Edinburgh, Adelaide and Grahamstown and four strategic partner festivals which are Dubai, Prague, Amsterdam and Los Angeles.
Lankester also plans to create better working networks with some art festivals from other African countries.