Veteran actors join bid to save Hilton Arts Festival

Organisers hope to raise R5m through donations

Top actors and performers have joined hands to save one of the country’s prominent festivals, the Hilton Arts Festival.

The three-day festival, that has given thousands of performers, actors, poets, comedians and musicians a platform since 1993, is struggling to survive.

Actors John Kani, Fiona Ramsay, Greig Coetzee, Nthati Moshesh and Gcina Mhlophe, as well as white maskandi singer Qadasi, who have performed at the festival, are among those appealing to the public to save the festival by donating money. So far the online crowdfunding effort has yielded R100,000 in donations. The organisers hope to raise up to R5m.

Over the years, the festival has survived on grants and donations that have dried up, with donors and many companies affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The festival is set to celebrate 30 years of existence next year but this milestone is in danger unless enough funds are raised to save it. Thespian Kani said for 30 years the Hilton Arts Festival brought joy and happiness to thousands of arts lovers and theatre goers. “It has provided the platform for South African performers to showcase their work, hone their craft. It has helped to launch careers of playwrights, actors, dancers, choreographers and more,” Kani said.

Festival director Sue Clarence said: “The festival is an important platform for artists to launch their careers and supports crafters from the province. The festival attracts different audiences from KZN and international tourists. Funding and support are essential to make a festival of such magnitude viable. The sums simply won’t work if we rely on ticket sales only.

“To keep ticket prices affordable, patronage is essential. We absolutely believe that audiences, performers, artists and support services genuinely want the festival to survive and continue into the future, even at a scaled-down version. However, right now, not even that is financially viable for us. We are on the brink of extinction.”

Award-winning actor Moshesh said: “As a largely self-funded festival, Hilton relies on donations in kind from technical supply companies and sponsorships to operate. Sadly, due to the pandemic, many of them can no longer afford to offer the kind of support a festival of this scale needs.”