By SIPHE MACANDA
The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown yesterday received a major boost when the national Department of Arts and Culture committed R17-million to the event over three years.
The money will be injected this year until 2018 and deposited in three amounts – R7-million this year, R5-million next year and
R5-million in 2018.
Arts and Culture spokesman Mthuthuzeli Nqumba said: “The National Arts Festival is one of many annual festivals supported through the MGE strategy across the country which includes both small and large-scale festivals.
“These include the Mangaung Cultural Festival in Free State; Cape Town International Jazz Festival; Diamonds and Dorings Festival in the Northern Cape; Marula Festival in Limpopo; and Buyela’khaya Festival in Eastern Cape, among others.”
The festival’s opening ceremony is to be held today at the Guy Butler Theatre in the Settlers Monument.
Announcing the funding, arts and culture deputy minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi said the Grahamstown festival, which is in its 42nd year, continued to draw and develop audiences, thus creating a number of job opportunities and building markets for the arts, culture and heritage sector.
“It brings together artists and audiences from different backgrounds and cultures.
“The sector has always produced prophetic voices, pioneers, visionaries and independent thinkers who have been at the forefront of articulating the aspirations and hopes for a united country and free society,” Mabudafhasi said.
Festival chief executive Tony Lankester yesterday expressed gratitude at the boost in funding.
“We are very grateful for the partnership, it goes beyond just financial support. It demonstrates for us the value this event has – not just for the province but also on a national platform,” Lankester said.
“The department refers to it as a national flagship event. It’s great that we host such an event in the Eastern Cape.”
He said the partnership acted as a form of assurance and security for the continuity of the festival.
“This is a renewal of a previous agreement we had with the department. We previously had one for 2013, 2014 and 2015.
“This now gives us some security, it means we can plan long term now that we have a contract with them, we can invest and create more opportunities for everyone involved.”
Lankester said the festival contributed R340-million to the GDP of the province. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
Arts festival to receive R17m over three years
The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown yesterday received a major boost when the national Department of Arts and Culture committed R17-million to the event over three years.
The money will be injected this year until 2018 and deposited in three amounts – R7-million this year, R5-million next year and
R5-million in 2018.
Arts and Culture spokesman Mthuthuzeli Nqumba said: “The National Arts Festival is one of many annual festivals supported through the MGE strategy across the country which includes both small and large-scale festivals.
“These include the Mangaung Cultural Festival in Free State; Cape Town International Jazz Festival; Diamonds and Dorings Festival in the Northern Cape; Marula Festival in Limpopo; and Buyela’khaya Festival in Eastern Cape, among others.”
The festival’s opening ceremony is to be held today at the Guy Butler Theatre in the Settlers Monument.
Announcing the funding, arts and culture deputy minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi said the Grahamstown festival, which is in its 42nd year, continued to draw and develop audiences, thus creating a number of job opportunities and building markets for the arts, culture and heritage sector.
“It brings together artists and audiences from different backgrounds and cultures.
“The sector has always produced prophetic voices, pioneers, visionaries and independent thinkers who have been at the forefront of articulating the aspirations and hopes for a united country and free society,” Mabudafhasi said.
Festival chief executive Tony Lankester yesterday expressed gratitude at the boost in funding.
“We are very grateful for the partnership, it goes beyond just financial support. It demonstrates for us the value this event has – not just for the province but also on a national platform,” Lankester said.
“The department refers to it as a national flagship event. It’s great that we host such an event in the Eastern Cape.”
He said the partnership acted as a form of assurance and security for the continuity of the festival.
“This is a renewal of a previous agreement we had with the department. We previously had one for 2013, 2014 and 2015.
“This now gives us some security, it means we can plan long term now that we have a contract with them, we can invest and create more opportunities for everyone involved.”
Lankester said the festival contributed R340-million to the GDP of the province. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
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