Online or live? In Makhanda or move?
Why not just do it all.
In an effort to expose as many people to the arts, organisers of the 11-day National Arts Festival have opted to use their newfound knowledge of digital platforms — and years of live festival experience — to stage a hybrid event in 2021.
And to ensure the festival atmosphere is felt in all the corners of SA, a series of shows, in partnership with Standard Bank, will be presented in cities across the country.
The live festival is being revived, after having been hosted completely online in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic, in its home city of Makhanda under the name Makhanda Live from July 8-18.
A National Arts Festival Online will run simultaneously.
Festival chief executive Monica Newton said the decision to present work in other cities was founded on the realisation some audiences might not be willing or able to travel far.
She said many artists would also struggle to afford the costs of travel to Makhanda as a result of the impact of the pandemic.
“Our new showcase, Standard Bank Presents, will give people a taste of the National Arts Festival and a window into what our artists are saying and doing.
“As we adapt to our ever-shifting Covid-19 reality, we need to try new things and imagine new ways for the arts to speak to audiences,” Newton said.
Standard Bank Presents will take place in cities including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban — others are yet to confirm — from June 17 to July 4.
With regard to returning to live performances, Newton said the festival was realistic about the capacity of audiences and artists to travel to Makhanda.
She said the festival’s Eastern Cape visitors accounted for 55% of pre-Covid-19 attendance figures in 2019.
This pointed to the likelihood of the live event in Makhanda largely attracting day-trippers and weekenders.
“The National Arts Festival has adapted its festival experience to bring the arts to audiences where they are, and at a time when we still need to be very careful about where we go and what we do.
“The gathering of artists is an important catalyst to reignite the industry for artists and audiences to come together, experience and appreciate the arts.
“We are curating a tighter, more intimate festival in Makhanda and we do have to work very carefully around the Covid-19 protocols, but we think it will be an opportunity to feel the pulse of a Covid-19-impacted arts world,” Newton said.
The National Arts Festival successfully transitioned into an online festival in 2020, drawing a global audience of more than 83,000 visitors.
HeraldLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.