Think!Fest

When we first met Anthea Garman, convenor of the Think!Fest lecture series, she was rushing into the lecture that was about to kick off the two week programme. After the talk we got to sit down with her over a cup of coffee and discuss this year’s Think!Fest. It is evident that she is passionate about her work as she spoke freely about the series with little prompting.

In the months leading up to Think!Fest, Anthea looks out for anything interesting that could become a part of the series. After months of collecting interesting ideas, she contacts potential speakers from a range of fields including everything from art and politics to neuroscience and health. Anthea is also approached by many people interested in speaking during the festival as they use this as a platform for exploring many relevant issues.

Anthea ensures that the lecture series attracts a wide range of people by including a diverse variety of topics. Some of the categories this year include youth leadership, the inner workings of the human brain, economics and development as well as many more.

At first glance it may seem that Think!Fest is aimed at an academic audience but it became clear that this isn’t so as we saw the mix of people attending the lecture. Anthea explains that the lectures facilitate a cross-over between academic and public spheres where academic leaders are encouraged to come out and speak to ordinary members of the public.

She also stresses that the programme would like to see a younger generation taking part in the series. Over the years she has included many topics such as hip-hop and graffiti as an attempt to make this happen. However, even though topics are successful, they are not repeated as Anthea tries to keep the programme up to date and current.

Every show promises to inspire thinking and spark new ideas so if something grabs your attention this year, don’t hesitate to attend because Think!Fest only comes around once a year. 

By Devaksha Vallabhjee and Megan Deane

Artists showcasing their art at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival

Rus Judda  showcasing shoes he makes by hand

By Wendy Ngcobo

photo by Wendy Ngcobo

The Grahamstown National Arts Festival has attracted many artists to come and showcase their arts including Rus Judda who is a designer specialising in shoe making.

Rus has been coming to the flea market at the Festival since 2005 to sell his shoes. His normal day starts off early in the morning as he has to set up his stall and be ready for business.

He grew up making shoes and has used this as a way to make money and support his family. Coming from Port Elizabeth, the Festival has received him well as his merchandise sell like hot cakes amongst the locals. ”I have to pay a fee to set up my stall but its nothing compared to what I make”, he said.

He started out repairing shoes and now he designs and makes them.Rus's  shoes are made from scratch by hand with leather he purchases from PE Leather. This is a talent that he has had for many years now and it gets better as he grows older.

His only complaint is the many of the stalls that don’t sell anything that has to do with art.”They take up a lot of space and it’s supposed to be an art festival”, he said. But for now he is just happy to be at the festival.

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

Sipho's second Fest day

                                                       Hello people,it's Sipho the Squirrel here,

today I went to the Green Market at the Fest and I was so blown away by all the art pieces they have there,

I met a very talented  Fine Artist, Mind Shana displaying his paintings for the first time at the Fest, he let me sit next to his painting and take a picture with him we really bonded and I think he's really cool.

I enjoyed all the displays that are there, it's really nice to see how artistic and talented South Africans are especially all the traditional attires and jewellery displays.

I thing the Fest fever has caught me and it's going to be a great 10 days for me in Grahamstown.    

by Akhona Valashiya              

Traditional attires at the fest

Nontobeko Mambija, who is reffered to by her clan name Mamfene, is part of the Phambilimidaka Project from  that consists of 12 women who come together to make Xhosa indigenous attires which includes garments and beads. It was particularly important for them to make Xhosa attires because they feel that the Xhosa culture is dying and lossing its significance due to assimilation to the Western culture.

She explains the meaning that the clothing have. Each colour that is used for the beads has a meaning and signification. Mambija enlightens us on the meaning of the colours used:

white - great wishes

green - prosperity

red - the blood of the cow that will be used for the ritual

black - darkness which is being purged away through the performing of the ritual

orange - sunrise

gold - sunset

Mambija takes Xhosa props and customises them with beads to make them more commercial. She says that one of the indigenous steel buckets that she is selling was previously used bring food to the river in cases where a family member was called by the ancestors to become a divine healer and thus dwell under the water. She is disappointed at the kind of poor suppourt they get at the festival. She states that the World Cup particularly impacted negatively on their sale as many people went off to watch soccer.

  

Mamfene's beadwork is colourful, attractive and effectively appealing to the broader market apart only to Xhosa people. They are rich with symbolism and meaning. The have an amazing history and heritage which Mamfene believes is in threat of death because of Christianity, Westernisation and civilization. She asserts that it is the obligation of every parent to educate their kids about the Xhosa heritage.



Mamfene explains that the beads served a spiritual purpose in the past as it was viewed as a connection to the ancestors. The traditional healers use the beads as a symbol of their rank within the healing. Each colour symbolises a particual heirachy.  

The women sew the traditional garments through the use of cloth and beads. There is a limited number of stock. Historically, these clothes were worn on a normal day by women but nowadays they are worn exclusively on significant cultural rituals like initiation ceremony, weddings and graduations,



Mamfene and her assistant at their stall.





Consequently to the poor suppourt Mambija gets from the festival, the group has decided that they reduce their trading stock not to experience any loss. The group makes extensive use of beads. Each item they make has beads on it. To enhance the marketability of their items, they use the South African flag colours in order to appeal and attract the fest goers.

Mamfene is the custodian of the Xhosa culture and her dedication to preserve the group's customs and ancient ways of living for future generations is remarkable.

By Sibulele Magini

2011 Grahamstown National Arts Festival-Elethu Magele

ARTS FESTIVAL: ARTIST ADMITS HE IS NOT GOOD


People see the National Arts Festival as the platform where they can showcase their talents no matter how little their talents are.

The 37 year old Mzimasi Ngesi from Transit location in Grahamstown plays his guitar at the corner of the Somerset and New Street in the town. Even though Mzimasi admitted that he is not good at what he does, but he said he has been playing at the National Arts Festival for more than a decade now.

“I have been playing here for the past 15 years”, said Mzimasi.

In front of him it was just an empty cap where people could offer the little they could. With no one paying attention at Mzimasi, the young ones seemed to enjoy being around him. One would conclude that those kids and Mzimasi were a musical group, but they were just gathering around and staring at Mzimasi, and he too had no idea who those children were.

While many people come at the National Arts Festival to perform either to gain recognition or to make money, it seemed it was a different case for Mzimasi as he said he is just playing for pleasure.

“I play to enjoy myself. I am here to celebrate the National Arts Festival”, he explained.

The not so outspoken Mzimasi who appeared to be from a disadvantaged background said he plays various tunes.

“I play Mbhaqanga; Kwaito; Gospel. I just play almost everything”, Mzimasi further explained.

Regardless of the Grahamstown cold weather Mzimasi said he is going to be playing his strings up until the last day of the Festival.

By Elethu Magele

137 High street

The Standard Bank National Arts Festival brings life to Grahamstown, a small university town, for ten days annually during the chilling winter. People from all over the world come to see everything artistic and creative that South Africa has to offer. This includes performing arts (theatre, dance, musicals), comedy, visual arts and the likes. In the midst of all these festivities, the town’s people offer great hospitality to ensure holistic experience of this exciting time.

137 High Street, an intimate Bed & Breakfast Guesthouse situated in the heart of Grahamstown, offers arts lovers a comfortable stay and is situated right in the middle of all th. It is an ideal place to stay when you come to the National Arts Festival where you will get the true essence of the town as you will feel like you never really left home.

Speaking to Frances Hanna, manager at the guest house, she said the fest gives a lot of work and booms the town for those who need money. She said that it also provides chances for employment as restaurants use two sets of teams who can work on a day and night shifts. This is a good way to giving back to the community during the fest.

The festival is the main source of income every year for most businesses in Grahamstown and is early “Christmas time as we do not open during the festive season as most people leave for holiday until January”, Frances explained.

137 High Street remains an accommodation place of high note. “Attracts all people who we know on television to this guest house as it is deemed the most popular guesthouse to come visit when the festival is happening as it gets fully booked weeks before the festival,” said Frances.

So if you are one of those people looking to get star struck, 137 Guest house is the place to find yourself in.

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.

Blending Therapy with the Arts
The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown covers all sorts of events from musicals, theatre performances, art exhibitions etc. This is a tourist attraction festival, especially in a small like Grahamstown. In between shows one can tend to ignore the erected massive tents turned vendor station. The atmosphere is fantastic and filled with a lot of wonderful people carrying out the festival spirit.
Doryce Sher is one of the vendors at the Arts Festival, who is now an aroma therapist. She worked as a pharmacist for ten years but still felt some kind of a void in her choice of career. Having only started the business with selling just bath oil, seventeen years she displays a mini clinic of products at the Village Green Fair ranging from Aromatic Apo therapy roll on relief to diffuser oils. She says that every year they come up with new and natural products which cater to all ages. She also delivers her skills as a masseuse in offering free neck massages to promote her products

She jokingly explains that pharmacy was not exactly her passion as she did not like as a legal drug dealer. Her business has turned out to be a success as a she has not missed any year of the festival. Doryce portrays a great image of passionate people who take life changing decision not knowing the outcomes. Personally I thought that her products were great and she carried herself professionally.

Mind Shana the self-taught Fine Artist

Mind Shana is a 28 year old self-taught Fine Artist originally from Malawi but currently based in Middleburg, Mpumalanga.

He is showcasing and selling his paintings at the Green Market at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival.

 It is Shana’s first time displaying his art work at the Fest this year and so far has sold over 10 paintings! He has also made contacts with important people in the art industry who are interested in his work. “I did not expect to sell so much so quickly and I had no idea things would turn out this good for me. The people here are so friendly and inspire me to work harder in pursuing my passion,” said Shana.

According to Shana, Grahamstown Arts Festival is a brilliant platform for artists of all genres to showcase their work. He says he is enjoying his time at the Festival and is sure to come every year from now on because of the amount of exposure and experience he is getting.

Shana made a bold move, leaving his accounting diploma studies to pursue his passion in art. He started painting in 2002 and became a commercial artist in 2003 and later became a fine artist in 2006.

Shana has participated in the BLU (Black like Us) art exhibition displaying his art work He has also won awards including highly commended painting 2007 and 2009 at the BLU Manor Gallery (WSSA).

by Akhona Valashiya

Profile- House of Pirates

A simple walk around little teacup Grahamstown might land you onto African Street, one of the longest streets in the town. On African Street, lies the House of Pirates, simply called Pirates, a newly established food and drink joint, which has become the hub for growling happy-students, live entertainment and chill-out place for the ever energetic Grahamstownians.
Established two years ago in 2009, House of Pirates started as a ‘party-thing’ for a couple of guys in one of their residence rooms at Rhodes University, making pizza. Since then, their idea has been established into a social-defining joint on African Street, making it one of the liveliest and most happening places in Grahamstown. Pirates is where ‘the hip, happening, cool kids’ hang!
Pirates has certainly stood the test of time, having provided a cool spot for Festinos for three National Arts Festivals already. Yet again, the Festival promises to be a blessing to the owners of Pirates, namely Chris Marshall, Daniel Hocutt, Geoff Waugh and Karim Dhanani. “Grahamstown is a very small town and it is usually during festivals like this that business booms and we are able to cover up for the other periods of time when business low,” said Dan Hocutt, one of the owners of House of Pirates.
With PG-rated pizza names and so many specials that run through the better part of the day, House of Pirates is certainly a place to enjoy a chilly Grahamstown night. There’s no chance to freeze in the cold at the outside eating area as ground- fires get setup ‘the Pirates style’. As for the inside eating- lounge area, a homely fire-place and ample heaters ensure that that precious Gin and Tonic goes down well. So Pirates remains that place where you can reminisce on the day’s festivities with great company, lively music and delicious pizza!
As for yummy specials, “Happy Hour is also one of our best specials, where a customer can buy one Mojo and get one free, and it this special has sold a lot, with over 120 Mojo’s sold during the Happy Hour yesterday,” said Hocutt.


By Bhekimpilo Dungeni

Dancing all the way to the top

The Grahamstown National Arts Festival encourages engagement from artists which vary from dancers, to musicians as well as magicians etc. This group is no exception, they are called “Tyhini Kwedini “which expresses the amazement from a boy’s actions. This of course is not a far fetched concept seeing that their group only consists of 14 members, all boys varying from age 15 to 26 years old. All the members are from the townships located in Grahamstown.

They are an epitome of humble beginnings, living in the townships were they found it hard to get employment. However, they decided to do something about it, they resorted to arts. When they started in the year 2001, there were only four members in the group; it was only after a year when the number increased to 14. Since then, the group has grown from strength to strength, “We have been through tough times, mainly because of financial constraints but we kept on going for years,” said the oldest member of the group. It is this kind of fighting spirit that has kept the group intact and it also encouraged them to part take in this in year’s Grahamstown’s National Arts Festival.

“Tyhini Kwedini” will perform six times during the festival and they hope to impress a lot people. One of the members expressed that, “the festival is a stepping stone and we want exposure from the big shots”. Their future plans include an expansion of their group, recruiting other members and to also start their own production company.

National Arts Festival creates platform for dissemination of innovations

Moses Moreroa and Portia Makore

Photo by Moses Moreroa

ARTS AND CULTURE
Modou Yale’s business put bread on a table

The National Arts Festival is series of events that caters for everyone in this world. People come from different parts of the globe to market their products that have been produced from their respective countries.
Modou Yale is young man who has come all the way from Senegal. He makes a living by selling drums and table cloths made from raw materials. This is his fifth appearance at Grahamstown’s National Arts Festival. Yale’s innovative thinking improved his life. “Even though the business is small, I am able to feed my family and I am happy for that”, he said.
Despite the remarkable moments that Yale cherishes everyday, the markets are very competitive and thus make it difficult for the business to progress gradually.” The business is not good so far because we are many and it is not easy to advertise. One other thing that I have realised is that everyone is busy with his or her own schedule, there is no time to go around”, said Yale.
Many hawkers like him declared the Festival to be a wonderful platform for exposing what they are good at.” Whenever things go wrong with my business, I think of this Festival and wish it can last for quite some time”, Yale concluded.

Life Wire Dance

Life Wire Dance is an art showcase of dance perfomance under The Performing Arts Center of Free State (PACOFS). the artists last performed at the Tsoho Community Dance Festival and after four days of workshops and performances were chosen to represent four Free State Districts.

Directed by Sfiso Mhlambi and choreographed by Tshepiso Phetlhu and Paseka Mohape. The show is about the different kinds of dance genres including hip hop, pantsula, contemporary, gumboot dancing and krumping fused together into one enegetic, passionate, fresh and vibey youth dancing.

All the different dance performances tell a story, the way the lighting is used on the show complements the performances, the music is loud and fresh and the choreography is neat and professional. Any young person between the ages of 15 and 25 who loves dance and enjoys live perfomances will enjoy this show.             
                                 
                                 Posted by
                                    Akhona Valashiya

Sipho the Squirrel's festival experience

My name is Sipho Harry Oreo, I'm a Squirrel. This year is my first time at the Grahamstown Arts Festival and today I went on my first tour of the Fest. I am still overwehlmed by the experience from the shows I got to see, the artists I met and my shoe shopping spree. Grahamstown is really cold and wet and I needed shoes to get me nice and warm enough to walk the festival's buzzing streets but unfortunatley I couldn't get my shoe size, I almost died when Bongi tried to drown me in a pond but I survived, i'm a Squerrel after all. The amount of talent I saw has inspired me and ignited an art appreciation flame that i never knew was there. I cannot wait for tomorrow's experience and I know from now on I'm not going to miss a single year of the Arts Fest.

Posted by

Akhona Valashiya

Welcome to Winter School, FJPs

FJP at National Arts Festival simply AMAZ!NG

The future Journalists Programme (FJP) is having the second event on its calendar, the Winter School: Experiential Learning at National Arts Festival, from 30th June- 10 July 2011.

Theme
This is a Writing Workshop, which kick-started today, and promises as a lot of fun-learning for the 20 second year journalism students from 10 institutions around the country. They will be taught the nuances of writing and will get real practical experience as they will cover events around the National Arts festival. This includes reporting on some of the productions showcased on the Fringe programme, attending thought provoking Think!Fest talks and capturing the general festivities of this exciting time.

TRAINER
FJPs are trained by Rhodes JMS graduate, Nicolene Nyx McLean, who holds a Bjorn and an MA in Journalism and Media Studies. Constantly on a caffein-overdose and energy-overdrive, Nyx has planted the 'fest seed' to the group.

EXPLORING
This is certainly a time for FJPs to grasp the fundamentals of art writing, and most importantly, an opportunity for them to test their abilities and push themselves to be the go-getter journalists they aspire to be!

MUPPET COMFORT
In the midst of the madness, hopper-catching and show critique, there is a comforting love, oozing out from FJP's newest member, Sipho the Squirrel! Akhona has been babysitting him for the day, and more reports on their adventure will follow shortly.

FOLLOW
Also follow FJP festival report on Twitter (@FJPtweets) and FaceBook (FJP Coordinator).

Another round of FJPs and Highway Africa: National Arts Festival by Bhekimpilo Dungeni

After almost three months of being apart, the FJPs are back together again, rejuvinated and full of fresh energy to brave this year's Grahamstown National Arts Festival. With so many shows lined up in the Fringe programme this year, all one can do is wonder how are we going to contend this winter cold in Grahamstown, to put together the best reviews for Cue and Highway Africa as a whole.

With the first shows already taking stage, I had the opportunity to attend the first show on the FJPs line up, called Mafeking Road, which features Andrew Laubscher and Mathew Lewis, as they combine physical theathre and comic-style acting to create this unique, fresh, and groovy stage performance.

The show is simply a breakdown of Herman Charles Bosman short stories, which are churned into snippets that keep the audience glued to stage as they try to see the story unfold, and run through parts that take you back and fourth in Bosman's story world. A classic performance indeed, that bears so much local flavour and an abundant spew of creativity.

By Bhekimpilo Dungeni

Festival: The Day Before

The streets stir with pending activity. Roving eyes pick the choicest spots to put up posters, while other inquisitive ones peek curiously at the events they display. Tired vendors with money bags - empty, but hopeful - mark out their stalls. Coffee shops churn out rich aromas, tempting passers-by out of the crisp cold. The harsh June breeze whips through the streets and up to the matriarchal Rhodes. At the aged and unassuming Adamson House, the Future Journalists arrive and settle in.

FJP....Thumbs UP!!!!!!

It is of greatest pleasure to inform you all that after the FJP winter school the University of Fort Hare's Business communications proffesor (prof B.K. Sibanda) found interest in the reports that we gave as the participants. He took it into action...went to the department's store room and found two apple computers that were bought in 2006 which were used only ONCE and put them into good use. We now have our own little documentary productions which we edited ourselves with the help of mr. Phakama Sibanda who guided us through the editing process (reminding Portia and I some stuff we had forgotten) To think that for the past 5years there's been equipment that hasnt been used just gives me a headache! Had it not beeen for FJP and our very enthusiastic proffesor..we would never have discovered the treasure that was right under our noses! THANKS FJP!!!!!!