The 50th anniversary of the National Arts Festival (NAF) in Makhanda, Eastern Cape is currently creating excitement, taking place from June 20 to June 30, 2024.
This prestigious event showcases art exhibitions, musical performances, theatrical shows, comedy acts, and more on its carefully curated schedule.
Similarly, during this season, the city referred to as ‘Ghost Town’ comes alive in winter with renowned artists from South Africa and beyond gathering to partake in the festivities of the National Arts Festival.
Thanks to the support of the Eastern Cape Government, Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, and Standard Bank, the festival has become a reality.
The current edition of NAF presents nearly 300 works and events featuring notable personalities like Sipho ‘Hostix’ Mabuse, Sello Maake KaNcube, Napo Masheane, and many others.
“It’s an honor to be staging this festival fifty years after its curtain was raised. Despite an always changeable, and often precarious, environment for the arts, the National Arts Festival has prevailed and evolved”, said Monica Newton, National Arts Festival CEO, in a statement.
“This is a testament to those who have steered the ship and our steadfast over the decades, but also reflects the extraordinary tenacity artists have brought to this festival and country,” Newton said.
“2024 is a significant year for our country in so many ways, and the National Arts Festival is pleased to be part of celebrations of 30 years of democracy, and to be contemplating what the next decade holds for us and the community we serve,” she continued.
“To encompass all that the festival could and has ever been in a landmark year such as this is an overwhelming task and belies the festival’s role in breaking out new work and reimagining older ones,” said Artistic Director Rucera Seethal, in a statement.
“So in creating this programme, we have played with the juxtaposition of old and new and the emergence of ambitious ideas that bring the festival into a new era of cross-border and international collaboration,” Seethal said.
In recent years, the festival has faced challenges including the impact of Covid-19. Additionally, financial issues arose when the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) refused to grant funding for the festival as reported by Ground Up.
“Since 2013, the NLC has provided more than R86 million to the National Arts Festival”, Ground Up reported.
“Despite the lack of NLC funding, Newtown said the festival was ‘working with all partners to ensure a successful festival, despite various operational constraints,” according to Ground Up.