Book for Festival
The National Arts Festival’s 2017 programme is now online and open for booking at www.nationalartsfestival.co.za.
The key Festival programme comprises a Main and Fringe programme. The Main Programme showcases works selected by a 21-person artistic committee after a lengthy application and consideration period. Dance, theatre, music, performance art and visual art are all represented in this mix and audiences flock to these popular shows which include the work of the 2017 Standard Bank Young Artists. The Main Programme also features international work and a lot of brand new work from South Africa’s top talent.
The Arena is part of the Main Programme and showcases the work of previous winners of the National Arts Festival’s Standard Bank Ovation Awards as well as international award-winning fringe productions.
The Fringe also sees a mix of works across genres but these are not curated or selected. Anyone with a performance looking for an audience can enter to be on the Fringe and the result is an exciting lucky packet of shows.
The Student Theatre portion of the programme is a platform for interesting new work from the universities and colleges of South Africa.
At Think!Fest speakers, groups and panels swap opinions and create an open floor for robust discussion
The annual Film Festival is a collection of seldom seen films that are making an impact through their content and creativity. The programme features work from South Africa and abroad and reflects on some of the themes and ideas in the Festival’s stage programme.
The Standard Bank Jazz Festival is a hot highlight of the National Arts Festival. Bringing some of the best talent locally and globally to the stage, it is here that once-off collabs between musicians are either seen once and never repeated or form the basis for groundbreaking new projects between artists. The Dakawa Jazz Series is another music highlight, a project of the Eastern Cape’s Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, the series brings Eastern Cape jazz musicians to the stage for an annual showcase of the region’s talented artists.
In association with the Cathedral of St Michael and St George, SpiritFest explores faith through a series of workshops, discussions, book launches and performances.
This year Grahamstown’s Child Welfare celebrates its 100th anniversary and there are plenty of family-orientated shows, talks and workshops at the Festival, as well as a daily story time where children will be read to by actors and others. Check in on the Family Fare section of the programme for more.
There is also the Children’s Art Festival, held at St Andrew’s Preparatory school, with a daily programme of events for children aged 4-13. It is an ideal way for families to engage with the National Arts Festival at their various age and interest levels, and for parents to enjoy the Festival knowing that their children are being stimulated and entertained in a safe environment.
Beyond the scheduled programme there are free daily SAfm Sundowner Concerts at the Monument, street peformances, the Fingo Festival, markets and free entertainment stages and the annual closing Street Parade.
Tickets range from R20 to R150 and can be booked directly on the National Arts Festival’s site. Find the printed programme at Standard Bank branches and the Festival office at the Monument.