The National Arts Festival of 2023 was a resounding success, showcasing the artistic talents of various African performers in music, dance, theatre, poetry and jazz.
Despite initial concerns about attendance, the festival drew thousands of visitors to the small town of Makhanda for 11 days.
The festival attracted a diverse and engaged audience, including the youth, demonstrating the festival’s ability to resonate with different age groups and interests.
Monica Newton, the festival CEO, expressed her gratitude to her team for their dedication to providing a fulfilling experience for festival-goers.
“This year was incredible. Pre-sales, it looked like maybe it was going to be a fairly quiet festival. And then suddenly people started arriving,” said Newton.
“Three weeks ago, if you had told me that contemporary dance shows like Mamela Nyamza’s ‘Hatched Ensemble’, Gregory Maqoma’s ‘Exit/Exist’, and Jazzart Dance Theatre were going to sell out, I would’ve laughed because contemporary dance is generally such a niche audience.
“Somehow this year it resonated with audiences; young audiences turned up.
“And as always, we’ve had some really incredible moments, like Msaki, who was with us throughout the festival.
“We are incredibly lucky to have her with us as she contemplates a break from her music career. She popped into the school’s festival and chatted to 250 school kids and literally blew their minds, in a moment that will never be repeated, in an experience that only that group of people will have, for the rest of their lives.”
Reflecting on this year’s highs and lows, Newton acknowledged that though the town was still experiencing a water crisis and infrastructure concerns, with the support of stakeholders and the local municipality the festival managed to overcome these obstacles.
“The festival is always a big and complex thing to do. With regards to load shedding, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to have much lower stage levels. When we started planning this festival, we were honestly contemplating stage eight.
“We’ve been fortunate to work closely with the municipality, with Amatola and a range of other stakeholders to work to have water security for the festival, but also for the town in the longer term.
“And that’s one of the criticisms that the festival gets a lot, is stuff only happens for the festival. We have 2 000 people working with us every day, to make sure that what we do for communities is longer lasting than just festivals.
“Pothole fixing will continue, street cleaning will continue and we’ve got the social employment fund project for another phase, which will see us through into next year.”
Looking ahead, the National Arts Festival is gearing up for its 50th anniversary in 2024, along with other significant milestones like the 50th anniversary of the Monument Building and Rhodes University turning 120 years old.
“This is an incredible opportunity to reflect on what we've done, but like every 50-year-old, you, you kind of looking at your life and going, what does the next 50 look like?
“When the festival started, it would've been one of the only festivals. Now it's part of an ecosystem of other festivals.
“The festivals are part of a community of people and we’re talking to each other, very cognisant of the fact that, of the role that we play, our responsibilities to each other and the artists.”
According to Newton, the festival recognises the changing landscape of arts festivals and aims to position itself within a broader ecosystem of festivals, focusing on curating interactions between artists and audiences that are unique to the global South.
The goal is to create meaningful conversations, foster understanding and push boundaries in artistic expression.
The 2023 National Arts Festival featured a diverse range of performances, from Jefferson Tshabalala's protest theatre piece "Khongolose Khommanding Khomissars" (KKK) to Gregory Maqoma's captivating "Exit/Exist" and Mamela Nyamza's enchanting "Hatched Ensemble."
Msaki’s thought-provoking installations and sold-out concerts also left a lasting impression on attendees, fulfilling the festival’s promise of an unforgettable experience showcasing local and international talent.