Young artists get top recognition
THE 2018 Standard Bank Young Artist Award recipients, who will be given support to develop and premiere new works that will be featured on the main programme of the National Arts Festival (NAF) were announced on Wednesday night in Johannesburg.
The winners; Chuma Sopotela (Performance Art), Guy Buttery (Music), Igshaan Adams (Visual Art), Jemma Kahn (Theatre), Musa Hlatshwayo (Dance) and Thandi Ntuli (Jazz), are some of the brightest young creative talents working and living in South Africa today.
Now in its 36th year, the Standard Bank Young Artist (SBYA) awards are the country’s leading arts award conferred by the NAF and Standard Bank on deserving young South African artists.
South Africa’s Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa extended a congratulatory note to the artists: “Congratulations to all the Standard Bank Young Artists on their awards. You are a shining example of the talent and commitment of South African artists and we look forward to seeing more of your work realised in the years to come”.
Standard Bank’s head of group sponsorships, Hazel Chimhandamba noted that: “over the years the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards have grown in stature and continue to provide a wonderful platform and opportunity for the winning artists to bring their work to a national and international arena. It has created a rich legacy while providing role models for future generations to value, respect and aspire to whilst enriching and expanding the country’s cultural landscape.”
NAF executive producer, Ashraf Johaardien added, “the Standard Bank Young Artist platform is about securing and investing in the future of the arts. The list of illustrious Awards alumni dating back to 1984 includes iconic creatives like William Kentridge, Mbongeni Ngema, Johnny Clegg, Sibongile Khumalo, Helen Sebidi, Mathinus Basson, Robyn Orlin, Darrell Roodt and others like them whose practice and artistic vision have helped shape the South African cultural landscape”
Sopotela is a performance artist whose practice reflects the versatility of skills she commands.
She is fast gaining broad respect as an actress, dancer, puppeteer and all-round performing artist.
Buttery is an immensely talented composer and guitarist.
He plays like a man on a search to stretch the boundaries of finger-style guitar to their outermost limits and he is winning. Adams is an exciting visual artist
Kahn as a ground-breaking theatre practictioner, has found a fascinating way of using a Japanese form of street theatre, the Kamishibai to explore uniquely South African theme with universal reach.
Hlatshwayo is a prodigious talent with great promise as both dancer and choreographer.
Ntuli is a leading young pianist and composer among a rich cadre of South Africa’s young crop of jazz musicians. — DDR