Celebration of SA’s diversity through jazz, dance, comedy and poetry
ARTSCAPE Theatre Centre’s 2017 Heritage Festival is set to take you through a memorable journey of indigenous, contemporary and international artistic works in dance, music and jazz in celebration of our diverse cultures and identities.
The celebration will kick-start with the Artscape Indigenous Ensemble along with the invited guests from Afrovibes in the Netherlands, showcasing the cross-cultural dance genres at Guga S’thebe New Theatre in Langa on the September 10 at 2pm, and it continues at Zolani Centre Theatre in Nyanga on September 17 at 2pm, with the final destination culminating in a big-bang indigenous concert, Road Trip with Dizu Plaatjies, on September 24, at 3pm at Artscape Theatre Centre.
The world-renowned indigenous artist, Dizu Plaatjies, will be taking us on his musical journey featuring the legendary Pops Mohamed and Dave Reynolds, choreographed by Elvis Sibeko, joined by the award-winning poet, Siphokazi Jonas, dancers Thabisa Dinga and Thembekile Komani, Manyano Mzi on drums, Peter Ndlala on bass guitar, Artscape Indigenous Ensemble, Ibuyambo Musical Group and Sikwantu Cultural Group (Oomama bomngqungqo wakwaXhosa).
Thursday, September 21, celebrates local heritage when the Cape Cultural Collective celebrates its 10th anniversary showcasing Big Bash, a kaleidoscope of the Mother City’s cultural collective. The line-up includes top comedian Riaad Moosa, the magical Rosa Choir and the Cape Flats Tenors, among others.
On September 22 and 23, South African and Dutch dancers will share the stage with a splendid international collaboration, Jonga, and the new work, In your Hands, by artist-in-residence Kirvan Fortuin. This encounter, made possible by the Artscape Theatre Centre in collaboration with the Afrovibes Incubator Programme, Jazzart and DOX (Dutch multidisciplinary theatre production company), is a mixture of African, contemporary and urban dance forms creating an interesting connection between dance and video. Jonga is created by South African dancer and choreographer Elvis Sibeko, together with the Dutch brothers Thomas and Erik Bos from Urban Collective 155, in co-operation with other dancers Aviwe November and Rein Luuring. South African-born choreographer and dancer Fortuin, through his curtain-raiser, will celebrate coloured identity and the lives lost during gang-related violence, hate crimes and human trafficking.
The Heritage Festival will wrap up with a grand finale production, Jazz Masters Tribute, by wellknown professional jazz musicians who will be sharing the stage from September 28-30.
Nomfundo Xaluva, Zoe Modiga, Monique Hellenberg, Sylvester Mazinyane, Buddy Wells, and McCoy Mrubata, Alvin Dyers, Hilton Schilder and Sylvia Mdunyelwa will be paying tribute to our jazz legends such as Errol Dyers and the Schilder family, Miriam Makeba and many more.
Tickets for all productions (ranging from R100 to150) are available via Computicket or Artscape-Diala-Seat 021 421 7695.
For media enquiries, contact Themba Mzondi at 078 113 5216 / themba@sceproductions.co.za
Heradien is in marketing and communications at Artscape
Artscape Theatre Centre, which belongs to the provincial administration, was opened on 19 May 1971 as the Nico Malan Theatre Centre. In line with the new South African political dispensation and the concurrent changes, the complex was renamed in March 2001.
The mission of Artscape is to facilitate, produce and promote the arts in ways that advance nation building, to produce productions of a multi-cultural nature and to establish business partnerships involving all stakeholders.