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Something Dark Pioneers Performance Poetry on the Main Programme

Performance poet Lemn Sissay’s Something Dark will pioneer a new move which will bring performance poetry onto the National Arts Festival’s Main programme.

Something Dark is a journey through Lemn Sissay’s incredible life, driven by his two hundred words a minute delivery and shot through with the beautiful and powerful lyricism that he is renowned for.  It takes the audience on Lemn’s emotional  journey  from his traumatic beginnings through the adventures of tracing his family to a place of some kind of reconciliation.

Lemn Sissay is the author of five collections of poetry: Tender Fingers in a Clenched Fist (Bogle L’ouverture), Rebel Without Applause,  Morning Breaks in the Elevator (canongate)  and  The Emperor's Watchmaker  (Bloomsbury) . Also on Canongate he is the editor of The Fire People: A Collection of Contemporary Black British Poets. In October he released his fifth Listener on Canongate.

His poems have been the inspiration for a BBC Concerto at The BBC Proms with solo by virtuoso violinist Viktoria Muldova and his poem can be found on Brit award nominated album Leftism.  In Manchester his poems have become Landmarks. They adorn the walls and streets of the City.

Festival audiences who attend Something Dark, will be inspired by Lemn Sissay’s personal journey which resonates very closely with many South African lives where mothers have to put their children up into temporary foster care and are prevented from getting them back.

Sissay was put up for temporary foster care while his mother was finishing her studies and then was prevented from getting him back. Subsequently he has been re-united with his mother.

Something Dark is a powerful testimony fuelled with passion and hope.  The production is presented at the National Arts Festival with support from Artsadmin U.K. and the British Council.

Note:

In an original press release about this production the National Arts Festival erroneously stated that Lemn Sissay had been "...dumped by his mother at birth". This is factually incorrect as his mother put him up for temporary foster care while she was finishing her studies and then was prevented from getting him back. Subsequently he has been re-united with his mother

We apologise to Mr Sissay and his family for the error and any embarrassment it may have caused.

Something Dark is on Friday 3 July 17:00 and Saturday 4 July 17:00. For bookings go to Computicket and for further information visit the website www.nationalartsfestival.co.za or phone 046 603 1103.

The “10 days of amazing!” at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown will run from 2 – 11 July.

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

Note to editors

About the National Arts Festival: The National Arts Festival now in its 35th 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
CONTACT   :                       GILLY HEMPHILL
TEL   :                       021 886 4900
CELL   :                       082 820 8584
EMAIL   :                       gilly@thefamousidea.co.za