Arts festival launches at Joburg theatre

• The children’s performances showed their talents to the audience

The Wiz, brought here by the National School of the Arts of South Africa, was staged in the Nelson Mandela Theatre, Johannesburg on March 9. The performance was warmly welcomed by more than 300 audience members.

This vibrant, feel good, award-winning Broadway musical is a magical retelling of Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz — the modern American fairytale of Dorothy Gale who finds herself in the mythical Land of Oz following a violent tornado.

At the invitation of Gary Natali, Principal of the National School of the Arts, Alison Bengtson, deputy director of the Department of Education of Gauteng, and Yang Tianzhi, chairman of Southern Africa Fujian Overseas Chinese Association, and representatives also attended the show.

The annual South African Youth Art Festival is held in Johannesburg from March 6-11. Every year, more than 5,000 young people from all parts of SA and neighbouring countries participate in this event.

The NSA Festival of the Arts is made possible through the generous support of the RMB Fund and The National Lotteries Commission.

Principal Gary said that the children’s performances showed their talents and the country’s artistic gifts to the audience. Through hard work, everyone could become a star of tomorrow. He also showed his gratitude to the Fujian Association of Townsmen and President Yang Tianzhi for their role in the bond.

Yang Tianzhi said that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and SA. The Association of Chinese and Fujian in Southern China and Africa will respond to the national “One Belt, One Road” initiative and strongly encourage the exchange of visits between artists from SA and China, and actively promote the exchange of culture and art between the two countries.