Freedom Festival on the Hill

June 2018 marks 42 years since the 1976 Soweto uprisings and scores of youth arrested during the 1976 protests were incarcerated in the prisons on Constitution Hill. With its flagship youth arts festival, the Basha Uhuru Hill site is commemorating the youth from June 28 to June 30 with a three-day festival at Constitution Hill.

The Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival not only showcases art, design, film and music, it also offers inspirational workshops and entrepreneurial support programmes for young creatives. A selection of objects from GALA’s archive – Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action – is another exhibition to be featured.

Today from 10am to 4pm, the Basha Bacha creative conversations will evolve into a creative entrepreneurs’ programme supported by the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller. It’s free but registration on www.bashauhuru.co.za is required. The film element of the event includes the popular, Five Fingers for Marseilles, on June 29. Words of Freedom, curated by poet Sabelo Soko, is at 6pm on the same day.

On June 30, there is a concert featuring Black Motion, Sho Madjozi, Samthing Soweto, K.O, Skwatta Kamp, Blk Jks, Moonchild Sanelly, Prokid, Zoe Modiga, BCUC, Urban Village, Sun Xa, Radio 123, Muzi, Joshua The I AM and Big Zulu. On the decks expect iamPH, Speedsta, Akio, Sistamatic, Phatstoki, Rosie Parade, Deniece Marz, Coppashot and Bobotical and DJ Zero.

Basha Uhuru is the highlight on Constitution Hill’s calendar and has grown into one of the foremost urban, creative youth festivals in Mzansi. Tickets are R50 on www.bashauhuru.co.za, or for R75 at Constitution Hill Box Office. – Citizen reporter