Exciting line-up to enjoy at Mandela Bay Arts Festival
● Something for everyone in jam-packed programme of comedy, poetry, music and dance
The build-up to the much-anticipated annual Mandela Bay Arts Festival continues to mount, with the official launch last night, and arts and entertainment aficionados have a myriad of choices to look out for over the next 10 days.
From comedy to poetry, music and dance, the Mandela Bay Arts Festival promises to be jam-packed with entertainment for all.
Some big names to look out for include:
● Mandisi Dyantyis, who will be returning to his roots and will be performing at the weekend in a one-off concert with Khanyisa Bunu and Skank and the Roots;
● Simphiwe Dana, who will be performing with Bella Belato and comedian Siya Seya on February 24; and
● On February 23 audiences can catch the exciting collaboration between Zain SA, MissJay, Thembi Mona and Despatch duo King Jade & Baby Joe.
Keeping it close to home through the art of theatre while honing in on the struggle stories and history of the Eastern Cape, Mashugu Productions presents Amathambo Ayashukuma, a theatre piece exploring the aftermath of the SS Mendi sinking in 1917 which focuses on the families left behind and their quest to reconnect with them by resuscitating their bones.
This piece weaves a poignant tale of love, loss, and resilience.
Other notable theatre productions include Nkala Creatives Productions latest play Embizeni, which looks at the tragedy of the deep damage that apartheid caused while Xolani Ngesi Singqokwana’s Dream Deferred looks at the true story of Singqokwana Ernest Malgas, whose tearful testimony of torture endured in detention left the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the nation, deeply moved.
Poetry lovers can look forward to Imbizo Arts’ Word Exhibition, 1998-2022, an archival trove of benignly sad, violent and sometimes humorous stories about black township life in the Nineties depicted through a series of posters.
Festival goers can also look forward to various workshops over the 10 days, including the Mandela Bay Arts Business Workshop on February 19 at the Mendi Arts Centre.
This will incorporate knowledge transfer, economic growth, employment creation, and sector development through partnerships and grant application support.
On February 20, Zen Pictures will present an Actors Masterclass with a Writers Session from February 21 to 23 that will be conducted with the aim of nurturing a passion for reading and writing.
Other notable acts to diarise include Double Bluff: An Extreme Magic Show featuring internationally acclaimed Brendon Peel and Li Lau, who promise to leave audiences in awe with their extreme antics on stage.
Celebrating the month of love, the musical artist known as Skyscraper will be presenting The Lovers Circle about love and entertainment which is punted as an opportunity for people to gather and celebrate themselves and their loved ones.
The One Room Music & Comedy Club meanwhile promises to keep audiences well entertained today and on February 22.
The Mandela Bay Arts Festival runs from today until February 26.