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Extended National Arts Festival Family Shines at World Arts Summit
Friday 2 October 2009
As proof of their staying power in the industry, four previous Standard Bank Young Artist Award (SBYAA) winners took the lead in directing and choreographing the extravagant opening event of the 4th World Summit on Arts and Culture, hosted by the National Arts Council of South Africa in Johannesburg last week.
3 colours, the dazzling mixed media opening event of the Summit, was directed by Brett Bailey (SBYAA winner Drama 2001), with Gregory Maqoma (SBYAA Winner Dance 2002) as the lead choreographer, assisted by Portia Lebohang Mashigo (SBYAA Winner Dance 2004) and Thabo Rapoo (SBYAA Winner Dance 2009). “In making a performance piece about the complexities of inter-culturalism, I chose to portray different societies or cultures symbolically, as shrines,” said Bailey about the extravagant dance-meets-multimedia-performance installation that utilized the facade of the African History museum in Newtown as stage.
Other Young Artists who stole the spotlight at the Summit were the electric jazz trio of Concord Nkabinde (SBYAA Winner Jazz 2006), Mark Fransman (SBYAA Winner Jazz 2008), and Kesivan Naidoo (SBYAA Winner Jazz 2009), who entertained the international delegates at the main World Arts Summit dinner held at Maropeng on Thursday the 24th of September.
The Standard Bank Young Artists are an integral part of the extended National Arts Festival family that was further represented at the Summit by Festival Committee Chairperson Sibongile Khumalo, who chaired the first keynote plenary sessions on Wednesday the 23rd on Sword or ploughshare? Bridge or dynamite? The arts as vehicles for intercultural dialogue. Festival Director Ismail Mahomed displayed his empathetic diplomacy skills when he chaired a controversial roundtable discussion on Arts in conflict and post-conflict zones. New Festival Board member, Justice Albie Sachs, participated in the concluding plenary session on Saving the Arts so the Arts can save the World.
The National Arts Festival was also present in the Summit’s exhibition space. Many of the delegates visited the stand and were able to get a good understanding of the variety of talent and passion that is evident at the Festival through the DVD that was playing. “We were thrilled at the response of the delegates who all expressed desires to visit or participate in the future. Most were amazed at the variety of performances on offer," said Gilly Hemphill, publicist of the Festival.
“The World Summit on Arts and Culture was a gathering of the most dynamic grouping of leading international arts practitioners on African soil,” said Mahomed. “The National Arts Festival has established a strong reputation of being one of Africa’s most prominent arts festivals. It was essential and affirming for us to be part of this global dialogue, which concerned itself with how the arts relate to our century, and to our changing societies.”
The 2010 Standard Bank Young Artist Ward winners will be announced on the 4th of November 2009.
The “15 days of amazing!” at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown will run from 20 June – 4 July 2010.
The National Arts Festival is sponsored by Standard Bank, The Eastern Cape Government, The National Arts Council, The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, The Sunday Independent and M Net.
Ends
About the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards: The Young Artist Awards were started in 1981 by the National Arts Festival to acknowledge emerging, relatively young South African artists who have displayed an outstanding talent in their artistic endeavors. These prestigious awards are presented annually to deserving artists in different disciplines, affording them national exposure and acclaim. Standard Bank took over the sponsorship of the awards in 1984 and presented Young Artist Awards in all the major arts disciplines over their 26-year sponsorship, as well as posthumous and special recognition awards. The winners feature on the main programme of the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown and receive financial support for their Festival participation, as well as a cash prize.
About the National Arts Festival: The National Arts Festival now in its 36th year has proved its sustainability and has grown to be one of the leading arts festivals in southern Africa. Its objectives are to deliver excellence; encourage innovation and development in the arts by providing a platform for both established and emerging South African artists; create opportunities for collaboration with international artists; and build new audiences.
ISSUED BY : THE FAMOUS IDEA TRADING CC
ON BEHALF OF : NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL, GRAHAMSTOWN
CONTACT : GILLY HEMPHILL
TEL : 021 886 4900
CELL : 082 820 8584
EMAIL : gilly@thefamousidea.co.za
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