Bay female artists feature at festival
ALTHOUGH none of the winners of this year’s six Standard Bank Young Artists are women, there will nonetheless still be a solid female presence when the National Arts Festival opens next week in Grahamstown.
What is more, many have their dramatic roots in Nelson Mandela Bay. One not-to-bemissed piece of theatre will resonate in particular with Port Elizabeth audiences, and that is the play based on rape survivor Alison Botha’s story.
ý I Have Life: Alison’s Story is based on the true story of how, 20 years ago, Botha was raped, stabbed and then had her throat cut.
Award-winning theatre director Maralin Vanrenen adapted the biography written by Marianne Thamm to create the play, which is a tribute to one woman’s remarkable journey from her ordeal, through her recovery and on to becoming an inspiration around the globe.
Featuring Suanne Braun as Alison Botha, I Have Life: Alison’s Stor y is on the first three days of the festival at the Victoria Theatre. With such strong subject matter, it is perhaps unsurprising that it has had mixed reviews.
ý There is a Karoo connection in the screening of Unearthed, the acclaimed film by Jolynn Minnaar on the fracking industry. If you did not get a chance to see Unearthed when it screened in Port Elizabeth last year, now is the time to catch it.
ý Rhodes MA fine arts graduate Lerato Bereng is this year’s featured young curator and has curated Nine O’Clock featuring a selection of works by Simon Gush, including elements from his project, Red. She also is administrator for Standard Bank Young Artist Kemang wa Lehulere’s exhibition Histor y Will Break Your Heart.
ý Port Elizabeth-born vocalist Nomfundo Xaluva will take centre stage at the Standard Bank Jazz Festival. Other powerful female voices from the Bay who will be singing in the City of Saints include New Brighton’s Asanda Maqiki, exploring new arrangements of old favourites alongside her own original material on the Fringe contemporary music programme.
There are, of course, dozens of national female figures at the festival and if you see the names Thandiswa Mazwai, Auriol Hays, Lindie Maxolo, Shotgun Tori, Thandi Ntuli, Cat Simone or Kai-ya Chang (from Taiwan), in music, go and listen. Ditto for drama names like Sylvaine Strike, Tara Notcutt, Thoko Ntshinga, Lara Bye, Jenine Collocott or Wynne Bredenkamp – and that is not even starting on the talents in art and dance.
The only discipline where women are in short supply is comedy, although Angel Campey is among the seven comedians in The Very Big Comedy Show III.
ý The official glossy programme is now available at Standard Bank outlets or can be downloaded from: www.nationalartsfestival.co.za