ART MATTERS - NOVEMBER 2008
And the award goes to…
Awards
ceremonies are interesting animals – they bring out the very best and
the very worst in people, and offer unbelievable insight into human
nature and the society which we all inhabit.
Think
of what defines the annual Academy Awards – the red carpet, the
fabulous frocks, who is arriving on whose arm, who wins what award, and
who is thanked in the speeches. The movie-going world’s critical eyes
are on every stitch of clothing, every nuance and every word being
said, or not said.
In
getting caught up in the Hollywood buzz, we sometimes neglect the big
picture: the politics, messages and choices of the day: the arts
industry as a propaganda machine, and the actors, writers and directors
as the means of attracting huge money into the coffers of the Hollywood
empires.
Looking
back over the decades, who won what is very telling. The film industry
should surely challenge, probe, reveal and engage. Yet the Oscars are
intrinsically main-stream – the gold statuette tends to go to the
studios and performers who, more often than not, transform towing the
line into an art-form. Michael Moore and Oliver Stone have rattled
cages and made politicians jumpy but don’t have too many Oscars on
their bookshelves as a result. The astonishing international films we
see locally at the annual Durban International Film Festival don’t have
much of a presence on Oscar day either.
Holding
a mirror to society, the Academy Awards have been honouring top
industry professionals since 1928, but African, Hispanic and Latino
Americans have only found their spotlight on the Kodak Theatre stage in
recent years.
It
was our industry’s Oscars on Monday: the annual Durban Theatre Awards,
our end-of-term speech day, our break-up party. The evening
was
smooth, the judges fair and the speeches gracious. Of course we can’t
begin to compare ourselves to the Academy Awards (there’s no Whoopi
Goldberg or Billy Crystal at the mic for a start!) but we have our own
share of joy and tears, jubilation, delight, frustrations and concerns.
Huge
applause goes to Peter Taylor, one of the industry’s hardest working
administrators, who co-ordinates the awards process and ceremony every
year - and to the judges, hosts, sponsors, partners, performers and
crew who volunteer their time. The 12 judges – whose involvement is
voluntary - are obliged to see 70% of all the eligible shows throughout
the year, which is a huge commitment. For that we are most grateful!
No
matter what we say about awards not being important, on some level it
is hugely significant to receive respect from our industry and
affirmation from our peers – especially in a city where fame and
fortune are not real prospects.
In
an ideal world, and what our local industry must continue to strive
towards, is to strategise and plan for the long term to make sure that
evenings like Monday fulfill their maximum potential. Awards ceremonies
reflect and reveal the state of the industry, and although we have one
of the country’s most interesting and tenacious arts landscapes, there
is always room for improvement.
There
are still huge holes in our industry. A significant problem is that
there is not enough media space allocated for meaningful arts reviews
and opinions – we sorely need further opportunities for more critical
arts voices online, in print, on radio and on TV. We need a healthy
mixture of different voices – some young and passionate; some
established and experienced; some quirky and outspoken, all speaking a
variety of languages and all understanding the complex, beautiful,
frustrating dynamics of trying to tell quintessential universal stories
in the most creative and profound ways possible.
More
arts criticism in the media will be hugely helpful to the industry for
two reasons: constructive criticism develops the quality of the product
and articulate, respected reviews are a vital marketing tool in
encouraging people to buy tickets and support theatre, movies,
exhibitions etc. In time, this will lead to a far healthier industry
where audiences can make an informed choice of what to support, gleaned
from a myriad of differing opinions found in a range of media.
So,
my wish list this time involves media moguls making more space
available for arts criticism and for them to identify and train
journalists with interest in the arts to develop their critical voices.
This will ultimately contribute to a fabulously diverse panel of
potential theatre judges whose insight will add depth to occasions such
as our awards ceremony on Monday.
Any
budding arts reviewers who may be reading this and want pointers in
arts writing for blogs, websites, email databases and ultimately print
or broadcast journalism, should clock in with me. Let’s see how we can
work together.
Drop
me a line on illa@pubmat.co.za or visit www.pubmat.co.za.
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ART MATTERS - OCTOBER 2008
The power of networking
Extraordinary human beings can
achieve astonishing things – but even ordinary human beings, when they
stand together and speak with one voice, can make a remarkable
difference and change the world.
Our world and our history has
been shaped by phenomenal visionary leaders – but it has also been
shaped by groups of like-minded people who have believed that their
combined voices and strength in numbers can bend the arm of
decision-makers and force those in authority to take notice. Examples
are everywhere – the role of the unions in shaping social justice and
individual’s economic well-being; the crinoline force of the
Suffragettes in ensuring women got the vote in the late 19th century;
international environmental activist NGO Greenpeace in raising
awareness about environmental misdemeanours, and closer to home the
combined might of the struggle movement to bring Apartheid to its
knees.
Creating lobby-groups are
especially useful when representing the disenfranchised and the
down-trodden, also when looking to provide synergy and support among
individuals who operate in isolation.
The role of the network has
shifted gear with evolving technology – communication has become
instant, accessible and global through websites, social networking
sites, blogs, email and cell-phones – no longer is the call to unify
limited to the reach of pamphlets, soap-boxes, public meetings and
loud-hailers. The mass media and participative media
opportunities mean you can sign petitions, join discussion groups and
lobby globally on-line.
In other words – there is no
excuse not to be unified and organised. We all have experienced the
comfort, affirmation and support of being part of a like-minded whole.
Think of joining together to worship; to support a favourite sports
team or political party; to play a game of soccer or even to share
novels in a monthly book club – the benefits of belonging to a group
are obvious.
“Cultural networks do not
differ much from other social networks. Their main activities and
responsibilities are to create an environment of learning and capacity
building, to provide services and advocacy as well as facilitating
management. Networks cannot be estimated by their final product,
instead, it is the process of networking that matters,” says PANSA’s
Themi Venturas.
Then why oh why fellow
arts-makers – do we complain individually of the extreme difficulties
and complications currently facing the creative industries without at
least joining a civic body that can speak on behalf of all of us and
begin to attempt to make things better.
ome of us attended a meeting
called by Jerry Pooe of the Dept of Arts, Culture and Tourism last
week. Some interesting facts came to light – one of which is that
theatre and the performing arts it seems is the ugly puppy left in the
pet-shop. The amateur / semi-professional / professional performing
arts have historically not comfortably belonged within the funding
streams of the Dept of Arts, Culture and Tourism (which favours
community and developmental structures), nor the Dept of Economic
Development (which favours craft projects). The city has neither a
functioning arts policy nor formal arts-funding structure. That means
that visual and performing arts practitioners in the greater Durban
region who have graduated from the community structures have nowhere to
go to begin to hone their craft or make a living.
The Dept of Arts, Culture and
Tourism’s regional budget for Durban is the same as the other regions,
despite there being many more practitioners in the city than in the
suburbs and outlying areas.
We also learned that despite
the MEC’s intervention, major funding beneficiaries (like the
Playhouse, the KZNPO, the Stable Theatre, the Bat Centre, the Ekhaya
Multi Arts Centre etc) are funded directly from provincial legislature
through a committed funding stream. If funding is “committed” from
legislature level, who then is the watch-dog to ensure that funds
channeled to these centers are well-spent and that their administrators
are accountable? The Stable Theatre fiasco is common knowledge – a
history of corruption, lies and mismanagement of the worst order not
helped by a complicated reporting structure. Hopefully that chapter is
now closed and their newly-appointed board under Madoda Ncayiyana will
steer them through calmer waters.
The Dept of Arts, Culture and
Tourism’s regional budget for Durban is the same as the other regions,
despite there being many more practitioners in the city than in the
outlying areas. Pooe also burst our bubble by suggesting that come
2010, none of our city’s artists would find themselves in any of the
major ceremonies as the eventors and service providers that will be
used would probably be based in Gauteng and the Western Cape.
Despite the plethora of
frustrations, Pooe shared some good news: the department will open a
resource centre in the Commercial City offices by early November and
for the first time for the next cycle, they will be funding work by
professional and semi-professional structures – both in regards to
forging partnerships, and Arts and Culture Council funding.
Arts-makers need to engage
with provincial legislature about monitoring the money given in
committed arts funding to the provincially-funded arts structures;
needs to engage with the city about ensuring that at least
some of the creative service providers for 2010 are from Durban; that
the Department of Economic development engages more meaningfully with
the performing arts community; and that the provincial funding
structures acknowledge that a higher percentage of industry
practitioners are based around the cities.
Surely if we want Pooe and his
colleagues to get nervous when we knock on his door about these and
other issues – we should join hands together and speak with a united
and powerful voice. Alone we won’t make things better.
Together we might…
Visual artists – consider
joining the Visual Arts Network of SA and performers join sister
organization, the Performing Arts Network of SA – both have KZN
chapters. There is also a union for cultural workers – CWUSA.
You can contact me for further details.
You can contact me for further
details.
* Incidentally, if you need
more info as to what’s on offer – drop me a line on illa@pubmat.co.za
or visit www.pubmat.co.za.
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ART MATTERS - SEPTEMBER 2008
Giving Heritage Good Ink.
Heritage
month, and the city is awash with events and functions to commemorate
and honour our distinctive and multi-layered heritage.
The
Celebrate Durban season alone has 60 or so events. It is quite
overwhelming to realise just how much is on the go and how diverse the
events are – we have been sampling global cuisine… and our own
bunnychow; listening to a myriad of musical styles; admiring art;
reading books; playing chess; visiting galleries; planting trees;
processing through the streets and tangoing up a storm.
If
ever one wanted to feel an intrinsic connection to this puzzling,
grubby, balmy city of ours it is now – engage in the events and one
engages with the city in all its layered complexity in a very real and
tangible way.
Advocate
Mancotywa, in addressing the gathering at the Heritage Awards Function
last week, spoke about the role heritage, and indeed the arts in
general, play in reviving the values of “ubuntu”. “You own your own
humanity by recognizing the humanity of others,” he reminded us.
Interestingly,
the events are providing a valuable forum for real and valuable cross
cultural experiences. On one hand, one rejoices in our understanding of
the need to share our cultural diversity with each other, while on the
other, one is appalled and saddened that so many people still don’t get
it. While so many of us do push our comfort zones, many others don’t.
Against
this backdrop, a valuable and heated email debate has been raging among
some of us in the arts community. There are arts practioners who are
getting frustrated with the pace of transformation within the industry.
Many issues are being raised – one of which concerns the perceived lack
of enlightened journalism for arts events.
It
is interesting that the media market place is bustling with activity –
there is a glut of newspapers, magazines, websites, radio stations and
TV magazine programmes – but precious little opportunity for
intelligent, engaging, informed review of the arts – especially by
young Black / Indian / Coloured journalists.
It
is strange that in a country where there is strident criticism about
everything under the sun: there is no extensive arts
criticism!
This is hugely problematic for the development of the industry. Good
respected reviews are a valuable marketing tool and are crucial for the
development of the production / exhibition / event. When last did you
read an informed review about a production staged at the bustling
Ekhaya Multi Arts Centre in Kwa Mashu or a student production at the
Courtyard Theatre at DUT? How often do we read interviews with visiting
conductors, acclaimed poets or visual artists. The answer is seldom if
ever.
The
press, arts-supporting public, producers and arts industry should hang
their heads in collective shame. How can the valuable heritage about
which we so vociferously speak be shifted to the next level without the
meaningful support of the press – and in particular the press which
brands itself as targeting culturally-specific communities. We need
media champions who talk and write about the arts.
It
is time to give the arts and heritage good ink. Then maybe all the
pontifications and platitudes we are hearing this month stand a better
chance of developing into something real, meaningful, defining and
inspiring. Perhaps the desperate and angry emails will stop and we can
get on with the business of making art. After all – what is the point,
if no one comes? More often than not the deafening silence of the press
about art events that matter, result in just that – quiet theatres and
empty galleries.
* Incidentally, if you need
more info as to what’s on offer – drop me a line on illa@pubmat.co.za
or visit www.pubmat.co.za.
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ART MATTERS - AUGUST 2008
22m Stage Play
Spending R22 million on ONE
stage play is beyond extravagant. It is mind-bogglingly, unforgivably
exorbitant. It is simply not OK to invest such a huge sum of precious
government funding into one project while the rest of the industry is
fighting for funding scraps to stay alive.
The Mpumalanga government has
granted Mbongeni Ngema and his Committed Artists production company a
staggering R22m to stage a new musical to honour ANC stalwart Gert
Sibande in the context of the historically significant potato boycott
which highlighted the appalling working conditions of potato farmers in
the region.
Ngema is one of the country’s
most significant playwrights whose work has meaningfully contributed to
defining a crucial era in our country’s history. At no point is Ngema’s
artistic merit being challenged – what is under scrutiny is the
Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation’s decision to
channel such vast funds into one project.
The fundamental lack of
understanding by funders and government bodies of what reasonable
production budgets should be, is staggering. Surely a major funder
spending public money should have a sense of appropriate production
budgets, and should not be hoodwinked by hugely overinflated production
costs. Especially, as similar previous major musical projects have been
problematic and riddled with lack of financial accountability – the
alleged R7m being spent on one season of the Bambatha Rebellion musical
and the alleged R14m spent on controversial Aids awareness production,
Sarafina 2, have tarnished the image of the whole performing arts
industry.
There was a media flurry of
indignation a week ago when the project was announced, but now a
deafening silence. It is astonishing that the national department and
minister have approved such inappropriate spending of department funds.
As a councillor for the KwaZulu Natal Arts and Culture Council, I know
first-hand about the boxes and boxes of applications for funding which
the KZN department receives for every funding cycle. We sift
through literally hundreds of impactful, inspired, worthwhile proposals
for which there is simply never enough funding.
Other arts writers have
reminded us what R22m could fund nationally – it could pick up the tab
for the annual National Arts Festival in Grahamstown which has an
annual budget of R18m; it could pay for the equivalent of two years
worth of programming in three theatres at the Market Theatre in
Johannesburg and pay for the lion’s share of the annual budget of the Civic
Theatre which is R39m.
Closer to home, the Playhouse
needs R50m to operate annually; the hardworking KZNPO has a budget of
R20m and employs 70 full-time musicians and performs to 30 000 children
a year as part of their schools outreach programme, as well as scores
of public performances.
Smaller ventures like the
Catalina Theatre which stages more than a dozen productions a year,
manage on R2.5m annually (not taking into account box-office income)
R22m would keep the Catalina open and functioning for at least five
years.
The valuable Musho Festival of
one and two hander plays which is an important incubator for new work
and takes place every January, works within a frugal annual budget of
R200,000. Were the festival to have access to Ngema’s budget, the Musho
Festival could be financed for the next 110 years! The annual Witness
Hilton Arts Festival which hosts more than 70 shows / exhibitions /
workshops / lectures per festival works to a budget of R1m. This means
that Ngema’s production budget could keep the Hilton festival afloat
for the next 22 years.
Productions of the quality of
K-Cap; such as their Shaka Zulu and Albert Luthuli musicals;
and the Playhouse’s major musicals – costs in the region of R1m to
stage for a three to four week Durban season, and Kickstart’s Wizard of
Oz cost roughly R650,000 to produce. Original South African productions
such as the watershed Opera Africa production of the Princess Magogo
opera was conceived, created and toured with a cast of 110 people to
four centres within South Africa – working to a budget of R4.5m.
And to be truly sustainable –
consider that R22m could fund probably at least three fully functional
Arts Centres. For example, the busy Ekhaya Multi Arts Centre in
KwaMashu needs R1.6m to keep its doors open for a year.
“Situations like funding one
project to the tune of R22m reflects badly on the whole industry,”
bemoans PANSA’s Themi Venturas. “In terms of perception, it becomes
difficult to separate one project from the whole milieu,”
One can understand the need to
honour our heroes. A fledgling democracy needs to identify, uphold and
applaud the men and women who negotiated the way through the apartheid
regime to create the context for democracy. To this end, statues are
being unveiled, portraits painted, road names changed and productions
commissioned. We need to tell our stories – that is imperative. But as
my three year old nephew reminds me “sharing is caring” - putting R22m
worth of resources into one project diminishes the opportunities for
other valuable projects wanting to tell similar stories. And that is a
real shame.
* Incidentally, if you need more info as to what’s on offer – drop me a
line on illa@pubmat.co.za
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ART MATTERS - JULY 2008
The Dynamics of Relationships
An
interesting comment was made by a fellow media practioner at the launch
of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) after the watching of
the festival’s impressive show-reel. Why is it that the
relationships which seem to fascinate us most are about people relating
to people? Why is it less interesting when we look at people relating
to our planet, fellow animals or to God? Surely those relationships
should be as interesting? Being an eco-activist, he was especially
concerned that without media-friendly champions like Al Gore and Leo de
Caprio, the plight of our poor earth doesn’t much feature on the
big screen (or on the stage, in novels, music and the like for that
matter.) There are dozens of exceptions obviously – Dancing on a
Volcano, Jay Pather’s profound dance piece on the threat of
climate change comes to mind; as does singer / songwriter Wendy
Oldfield’s Acid Rain, or any number of the tunes by acoustic
maestros Guy Buttery, Nibs van der Spuy, Steve Newman and
Tony
Cox. I not long ago waded through Frank Schatzing’s novel The
Swarm which is possibly to the eco-debate what The Da Vinci Code was to
after-dinner discussion on Christianity.
Certainly
though, unless given a horror, historical, child-friendly or
science-fiction twist – the arts and creative media don’t
focus too much on relationships which don’t concern people
interacting with other people. Fiction we realise, is mostly about us
– the hurt, the love, the challenges, the dilemmas, the triumphs
– past, present and future.
Of
course there are documentaries and journals which unpack the facts.
Interestingly DIFF (which was our point of departure) has a phenomenal
line up of documentaries which cover a myriad of unexpected subjects
and are certainly worth exploring.
Understanding
this, the good stuff either looks at unusual situations (like Marsha
Norman’s Night Mother at the Square Space next week – about
a daughter telling her Mother that she is about to commit suicide) or
fairly straight forward situations involving unusual characters (the
delicious Mister* Incidentally, if you need more info as to what’s on
offer – drop me a line on illa@pubmat.co.za Lonely at DIFF – boy meets
girl and have an
adventure. The difference is he is a Michael Jackson impersonator and
she thinks she is Marilyn Munroe!).
What
makes a good, meaningful and important story is an issue worth
grappling with. For all of us who are in the creative industries we
need to get that right as a fundamental starting point to successfully
what we do – especially in a delicate fledgling democracy. The
Australian movie industry in the 80s and 90s is a useful parallel study
– they found the small, intimate story and told it beautifully.
Think of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The Castle and Muriel’s
Wedding. We must find our stories – the important narratives
which tell of the issues we are debating in the new South Africa
– without prejudice and without patronising. John Kani’s
Nothing but the Truth is a perfect example of a family faced with
issues of politics, expectations, generational and cultural
differences. Incidentally, the movie version premieres at DIFF (and the
play returns again at the Hilton festival if you missed it at the
Playhouse recently). Darrell James Rootd’s recent filmic
offerings also demonstrate this point – Yesterday, Meisie small
stories, articulately told with such power, empathy and humility. In a
similar vein paintings by contemporary painters who build social
commentary into their work, like Sibusiso Duma and Welcome Danca, are
profoundly articulate.
It
is just so easy to fall into stereotypes. Which most of the time is
shallow, lazy, insulting and compromising. The test is to tell simple
stories profoundly, honestly and with integrity and interest –
whatever the medium.
Theatre
producer / clinical psychologist Shantal Singh publicly grapples with
many of these issues in a series of personal essays. In her most recent
one she observes: “I have become increasingly afraid that very
little has changed in the art’s community since the liberation of
our country. It is quite possible that the time for quiet words and
sheltered rumblings are over. Together as an arts community we need to
take our rightful place and honour our stories.”
And
how right she is. We are bombarded with untapped raw inspiration about
the stories we can and should tell – look around you for a minute
and critically engage with the incredible situations in which we find
ourselves, and ponder on some of the amazing people we interact with
during the day. Stories for Africa. Let’s start telling
them!
*
Incidentally, if you need more info as to what’s on offer –
drop me a line on illa@pubmat.co.za
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ART MATTERS - JUNE 2008
Two
significant arts gatherings took place last week to grapple with
important issues in the arts – firstly there was the annual
International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) congress / academy
meeting which for the first time took place on African soil at the
Playhouse in Durban; and secondly there was a valuable one day seminar
hosted by the KZNSA looking at Public Art – subtitled
“Creative approaches to growing healthy cities”.
Hats off to
Linda Bukhosini
and her team for bringing ISPA to Durban. It is truly a great
opportunity for the arts-makers of our province and country to be able
to engage with their international counterparts. ISPA was themed:
“Ubuntu Cradle of Humanity” and looked at the power of arts
to change societies and the complex power relations that exist when
cultures meet. Many of the world’s leading arts administrators
descended on Durban to meet and engage with local arts practioners
providing a valuable international context for the performing arts work
that we do in our city.
The Public Arts
seminar saw
the passionate outpouring of philosophies and visions around the still
inconclusively defined concept of public art and its relationship to
architecture and (importantly) to the public. We were reminded to look
at the gap which exists between looking and seeing; feeling and
thinking and light and dark. Interesting work and imagination emerges
out of negotiating that illusive “gap”.
Some phenomenal
ideas and
inspiring case-studies were shared about some amazing public art
projects which are taking place in and around our country’s major
cities. There is no shortage of fabulous examples to inspire us on our
journey forward.
As a quiet
aside, my personal
journey into appreciating art stumbles on the trend that so much of the
new art – visual and performing – is temporary, transient
and illusive – as ethereal as the shadows. It is made for the
moment and leaves an intangible imprint once the proverbial curtain
comes down. New art seems to be mostly about the
relationships,
the connections and the impact and less about the product. It is not
art meant for traditional gallery walls, but rather for profound
discourse, significant narrative and challenging experiences. I love it
- this is indeed remarkable, extra-ordinary and powerful stuff.
However, at the back of my brain there is a niggle – what
tangible art defines our emotions, faith, complexity and issues in the
here and now? Art defines a generation, a sensibility, a philosophy, a
culture… I know cultural actions speak louder than words but
what part of the installations, interventions and site-specific work is
our legacy which defines us to the generations which follow and to the
visitors to our cities? A personal conundrum I s’pose….
Another
interesting
observation is that we were reminded at ever turn how many of the
leading national and international arts decision-makers have Durban
roots – Johann Zietsman and Murray McGibbon – both leading
lights at ISPA were both part of the Playhouse management in the 80s
and 90s. At the Public Art Seminar speaker after speaker from Gauteng
and Cape Town spoke of leading visual arts practioners and architects
who were from Durban and are now doing significant work in their
newly-adopted cities.
Opening the
Public Arts
Seminar, I listened to our great ally, the ever-dependable, always
affable, but super-busy Eric Apelgren from the city remind us that his
door is always open and affirm that the government and private sector
simply have to support arts, culture and heritage: “If we
don’t invest money in the arts, the city becomes a dead
space,” he reminds us.
I can’t help but
feel
desperate that all these phenomenal ideas are being exchanged at
various forums throughout the city which will indeed help to make our
beautiful city a safer, more vibrant and interesting space - but there
is no city official there to hear the ideas and to help action them.
Now more than ever, the city needs a dedicated Arts and Culture
Department with a visionary, energetic, experienced, skilled HoD to
work hand in glove with the provincial department and city structures
and take all these great ideas and make them happen. The
people
of Durban deserve it!
* Incidentally, if you need more info as to what’s on offer – drop me a
line on illa@pubmat.co.za
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ART MATTERS - MAY 2008
Shaky Ground
What
a remarkable few weeks – the dire financial situation faced by
most independent theatres made headline news with the imminent closure
of the Catalina Theatre and last minute reprieve thanks to the
generosity of the visionary Miles Dally and Rainbow Chicken.
Along with the
frustration
and sadness – valuable debates have been taking place in theatre
foyers and rehearsal rooms about the sustainable future of indie
theatres and their place in a contemporary South African society.
It is
interesting that on the
one hand, there is huge focus and pressure about making the city funky
and lively for 2010 with city officials being inspired by New
Orleans’ Bourbon St and encouraging late-night entertainment
activity in especially created entertainment nodes. On the other hand
this dream is being diluted by the harsh reality that non-subsidised
live entertainment is on shaky ground. It is not only the less
commercial venues who are feeling the pinch, the commercial operations
are too. The future of live theatre in venues other than casinos, the
Playhouse; subsidised community venues and campuses, is bleak. It is
quite possible that many of our current places of live theatre may not
still be around by 2010.
Theatres and
theatre styles
have a sell-by date and theatres come and go – we all know and
expect that. It comes with the territory of operating in an
ever-changing commercial market place made more challenging by the
whims of Durban’s notoriously fickle audiences. We can remember
supporting the Alhambra, 214 St Thomas Rd; the Limelight in Umhlanga;
the Hermit Restaurant in town; the Playhouse Cellar; Jam & Sons
and
O’Hagans in Durban North. Historically though, as one stage door
closed, another opened. Theatre trends were evolving and changing;
spaces opened and closed - but theatre, as a concept, remained a viable
option.
The concern is
that theatre
– across the board – is suffering, and for the first time
share anecdotes. Numbers are down whether we talk symphony concerts or
tribute shows; Shakespeare or Fugard; ballet or contemporary.
There are
pockets of hope
– children’s theatre still often plays to good houses, and
there is an increase in the frequency and interest in stand-up comedy
– especially comedy in the vernacular which moves effortlessly
from isiZulu to South African English. Dance forms such as ballroom /
Latin are doing OK, but overall the future is worrying.
We are beginning
to reap the
ill-rewards of more than a decade of inconsistent funding, lack of
vision and unfocused support from the civic and departmental
authorities. Quite simply the arts got neglected in the transition.
They simply weren’t a priority. Despite an inspiring white paper
and valuable systems such as the National Arts Coalition which was in
place to guide the industry from the old structures to the new, it all
got lost in translation somewhere along the
way.
Although the
authorities are
moving in the right direction, it is not likely that an inspired arts
policy and oodles of funding will become a reality in the near future.
This coupled
with a low-grade
recession, crime, dodgy traffic lights, load-shedding and unsafe roads
makes staying indoors quite appealing.
How does one
begin to unpack this dilemma and what is the way forward?
One should never
support art
out of guilt, nostalgia or obligation. Going to the theatre should not
be considered the artistic equivalent of eating Brussels sprouts
– not great tasting, but good for you. One should choose a night
at the theatre (or gallery, book launch or art-movie for that matter)
out of an informed choice. It should be something we choose to do
because we anticipate a thrilling / entertaining / stimulating /
fabulous experience.
Therefore the
challenge is
two-fold: firstly there needs to be a selection of regular interesting,
quality live events on offer. That is the challenge to the
theatre-makers. Staging second-rate theatre is really not OK. We have
to find a way of making our product exciting, enticing, covetable,
desirable…. And affordable. We don’t necessarily have the
first-world luxury of time and resources needed to properly create a
masterful product – but we do have the skills and the creativity.
We need to dig deep within us to be inspired and share our inspiration.
Secondly all of
us need to
get out there and support stuff. Not next week, not next month –
but NOW. Make it a regular part of our leisure repertoire to ferret out
the interesting live events and get off the couch and out of the
lounge. Trust me – more often than not, there are no Brussels
sprouts in sight. You will encounter fabulous bubbly champagne;
delicious hand-made chocolate; wholesome and spicy bunny-chows;
delicate pastries and complex, layered sandwiches. Besides out of sheer
elation and relief, we should all be eating a staple diet of Rainbow
Chicken from here on out. It’s the least we can do.
* To receive a
weekly email
“what’s on” listing of some interesting live events,
drop me a line: illa@pubmat.co.za
Top of Page
ART MATTERS - APRIL 2008
The challenge awaits…
Challenging
times indeed – dinner party and tea break conversations meander from
crime to pot-poles; from rates to bloody Eskom; from Zimbabwe to broken
traffic lights; from global warming to petrol prices.
Conversationalists are spoilt for choice – there is just so much to
bicker about. Let’s face it, it is a game we can (and do) all play -
it’s just so easy. In our fair city, there is currently just so much
which seems to be frustrating, anxious-making, demoralising and damned
unfair.
The challenges
which this situation offers us are complex and multi-fold. As
rate-paying and voting citizens – we have the right, and indeed should
be exercising that right, to confront, engage and complain. It seems
the time has returned to dust off our placards and T-shirts, and take
to the streets again – to march, vocalise and protest, Complacency is
dangerous; and silence is not an option. There are beliefs, futures,
ideologies… and our world, at stake.
Much as it is
appropriate to verbalise justified frustrations and call for
accountability where there is clearly none, the difficulty is that
bleating for the sake of bleating is not helpful. Negativity feeds off
itself and creates blanket dissatisfaction. When we are complaining in
full flight – we forget to smell the flowers. We certainly forget that
behind the no-longer Blue Flagged beaches is a magnificent ocean.
Continual critical discontent is surely not where we want to be.
Interesting
narratives emerge from this state. At what point does incessant
optimism become an ostrich whose head is in the sand? And at what point
does relenting criticism undermine all that is beautiful and good?
These are stimulating topics for dinner party conversation – but more
than that, they should be useful points of departure for the arts
community.
After all, in
this complex and unsettled milieu – what role does the art-makers
serve?
An actress
friend of mine verbalised a useful response to this dilemma. She said
that she does not want to be remembered for being successful, but would
rather be remembered for being significant.
If ever our
fragile society was looking for visionary, vocal, decisive leadership
it is now. I think it is scarey and dangerous to expect meaningful
guidance to come from the politicians. For me this challenge should be
embraced jointly by the faith structures and the arts community. Their
respective profound insights, wisdoms, visions and understanding should
be shaping how we respond to the world around us.
The challenge
is for our active arts-makers to be creating dance-pieces, novels,
poetry, rap, theatre, paintings, installations, essays and music that
accurately reflects and intelligently grapples with where we are at,
what we think and do.
And they are!
Have you read Breyten Breytenbach’s essays and poetry recently? Or
listened to Gcina Mhlope speak passionately about literacy? Have you
heard the astonishing spoken word theatre artist, Shailja Patel or
listened to the profound rantings of Ewok or new shining star, Bruce
Haynes.
Spend time in
galleries looking at the narrative art of Bheki Khambule – his
delicious paintings of Zulu warriors surfing in the Durban waves; or
Sibusiso Duma painting of an unemployed man looking to an (empty)
church for guidance, or Wecome Danca’s muti- seller clad in branded
urban gear.
Then of course
there is national icon Mrs Evita Bezuidenhout, and the outspoken Mrs
Beauty Ramapelepele both of whom challenge the way we respond to gender
and racial stereotypes. Frocks give permission for these two astute
actors to verbalise social observations in a way they probably never
could as men.
Ignore
Hollywood and Bollywood for a while, and watch a local story being told
on screen – perhaps the delicate most recent movies of Darryl James
Roodt, or the KwaCinema collective of youthful film-makers. Take a walk
through the city in the enlightened company of arts-maker Doung Anwar;
spend this Sunday in the Kloof garden of Narene Stevens and her
inquisitive Earth Day initiative.
And of course –
the comedians are having a field day. The politicians are being
amazingly helpful in writing their material.
The list is
endless….The common thread is a self-deprecating wry comment on the
foibles, juxtapositions and complexities of life in contemporary South
Africa.
I take immense
comfort and am reminded about the need for hope and optimism from the
words preached to me from the pulpit on Sunday morning. And of course
from what my colleagues in the arts world are reminding me through
their profound and insightful work, that life is beautiful; there is
light, and our combined energies and optimism can make a difference.
Illa Thompson
Publicity
Matters - arts and culture publicist
Secretary:
Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA)
Deputy
Chairperson: KwaZulu Natal Arts and Culture Council
* Incidentally,
if you need more info as to what’s on offer – drop me a line on
illa@pubmat.co.za
Top of Page
ART MATTERS - MARCH 2008
Awards
Evenings under the spotlight
On face value, awards evenings are a tangible affirmation of work well
done. An opportunity for professional back-patting and an
acknowledgement from one’s peers. Everyone loves the Oscars – glamour
and elegance personified. It showcases everything we love and aspire to
about the excitement of showbiz.
Closer to home, there has been a flurry of media activity and heated
correspondence around the major Gauteng annual awards ceremony, the
Naledi Theatre Awards, which was held in the Lyric Theatre on 5 March.
Midst the sequins and tiaras Lebo M, the co-producer of South Africa’s
The Lion King, accepted his award with an angry outpouring - accusing
the industry of being racist as not a single award for excellence was
presented to a black performer, designer, writer or director.
“A can of worms” doesn’t begin to explain the response which this
comment triggered off within the industry internally, and in the
entertainment and news media. Midst the indignation, justifications,
explanations and finger-pointing, some rather rapid soul searching has
needed to be done to unpack and examine the context for Lebo M’s
remarks.
The allegation of an award ceremony and the industry it serves being
labelled “racist” is a serious, complex and emotionally-laden
accusation – one that cannot be taken lightly. Obviously initial
responses have been heated – “sequinned tantrums” Naledi director Dawn
Lindberg called them. But now that the dust has settled, Lebo M’s wrath
has lead to the fast-tracking of a very necessary debate: the Ministry
serving the industry, as well as theatre managements and producers need
to examine the way forward very carefully. No workable policy is in
place to meaningfully address the fact that much of the theatre
industry - ie traditional professional spoken-word drama - is not where
it should be in terms of transformation and the creation of relevant
new South African work.
Of course there is a place for established international theatre – that
goes without saying – but the process of complementing this with
quality, interesting, relevant new theatrical pieces needs to be
prioritised and given the necessary funding, infrastructure and venue
support.
Independent unsubsidised theatre-makers understand the issues and
dynamics and, of course, aim to create appropriate work. But with so
much of the funding for the arts being channelled to practioners at
grass-roots and community level where the need is often considered to
be greatest, the professional theatre practioners don’t have the
appropriate financial support to invest huge energies into new works
when they simultaneously have to earn a living. The state sponsored
theatres should be picking up this slack and tasking themselves to be
ambassadors of addressing this issue. But that doesn’t seem to be the
case.
Artslink’s Ismail Mahomed comments: “Core to the failure of pushing a
transformation agenda which advances black theatre practitioners is the
inaction of Pallo Jordan, the Minister of Arts and Culture whose office
after allocating funds, has long since abdicated its responsibility to
ensure that publicly funded theatres devise a strategic programme for
the promotion of black theatre practitioners.”
Dawn Lindberg put out a detailed media statement commenting on the
debate in great detail. She observes: “Theatre in SA is a business like
any other and is market driven. Independent producers put on what they
believe will bring in bums on seats; sometimes they win and sometimes
they lose. The Naledi Theatre Awards does not dictate to or drive the
industry; we can only reflect what is staged in any given year and hold
a mirror to and applaud excellence.
“I feel there are two main challenges facing our industry in SA:
building new young audiences who will get into the habit of going to
theatre; and training of more black producers, writers, directors,
technicians and designers. The Department of Arts and Culture can
assist with both these issues…”
Once again this debate has proved useful in that it reminds us how
fragile and undernourished our industry is and how important visionary
leadership and strategic funding is to allow a whole industry of
amazing people to do what they do best: entertain, challenge, enthrall
and delight.
*This debate can be followed in detail on www.artslink.co.za.
Illa
Thompson
Publicity Matters - arts and culture publicist
Secretary: Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA)
Deputy Chairperson: KwaZulu Natal Arts and Culture Council
* Incidentally, if you need more info as to what’s on offer – drop me a
line on illa@pubmat.co.za
Top of Page
ART MATTERS - FEBRUARY 2008
Civic
input requested to update the city’s arts policy
The
City this week has made overtures to the visual and performing arts
structures to give input into re-examining the city’s arts policy in
the context of updating Ethekwini’s Intergrated Development Plan (IDP)
before June this year.
An events-focused city the magnitude of Durban needs a
vibrant arts policy. Forward-thinking arts practioners have been
nudging the city into updating and re-examining their policy for ages.
This week a significant step towards realizing this goal was made when
Eric Apelgren – head of International and Governance Relations for the
City – invited the executives of two key civic umbrella organizations,
PANSA (the Performing Arts Network of South Africa) and sister
organization VANSA (Visual Arts Network of South Africa) to an informal
brainstorming meeting.
Apelgren – who has always been a great ally of the arts –
explained that Plan 6 of the IDP focuses on “Celebrating Our Cultural
Diversity”. He rather candidly hinted that the existing policy was
“boring” and encouraged the civic structures to engage with the
policy-makers to make a meaningful contribution into re-examining the
existing policy.
Before we get too excited – we need to remember that this is
not the first time that this invitation has been made. Last July his
department together with the barely-functioning Durban Arts hosted a
presentation on this very topic in the Playhouse Grand Foyer. The idea
was to begin to panel-beat the existing policy to make it appropriate
for 2010. Nothing much happened at the meeting and certainly the arts
community hasn’t heard anything from either the city or Durban Arts in
this regard since. Still, Apelgren is one of the precious few city
officials who is always eager to engage and debate arts-related issues
with the arts community – so we are always grateful for the opportunity
to work together with him in this regard.
“We need an action-orientated document,” enthused Apelgren.
The city’s formal goal for celebrating our cultural diversity is to
“create the conditions under which sports, arts and culture and
heritage opportunities can be realized for personal growth, community
solidarity and economic advantage.” The document certainly seems to
want to “provide opportunities for artists in all disciplines to
develop their art and to create complementary activities to promote an
environment that nurtures and develops an awareness of arts and
culture,” Great on paper, but we haven’t seen much evidence of these
noble ideas in action. Thankfully, that is what Apelgren wants to
address.
Starting points for some creative ideas evolved throughout
the meeting – the need to beautify the city and constructively use the
creative spaces for arts projects; the need to further develop the
various cultural precincts and activity nodes throughout the city and
surrounds; to look at creative ways of managing graffiti and
illegally-pasted bills and posters; ways of taking exhibitions out of
the formal galleries; formalising busking; working hand-in-hand with
eventors to ensure that there is an arts component to the major events
and conferences; making a user-friendly arts-map, and ways of
integrating arts into the beachfront precinct.
There hasn’t been much history in this city of enlightened arts and
culture policy making – and more to the point, in putting these
policies into action. And let’s face it – there are some potentially
great ideas on the table…
So, the challenge has been made. The information on Plan 6 of
the city’s IDP is readily available in document form and on the city’s
website. Mr Apelgren is publicly encouraging a process of active
engagement and wants to pursue opportunities for city officials and
councilors to begin to share ideas with arts practioners.
If there are policy-makers, arts practioners and interested
people who want to give input or ideas into the process – feel free.
Drop me a line and I can hook you up to the right people -
illa@pubmat.co.za or visit www.pubmat.co.za.
I just fear that working within existing structures, one
senses that to action some of these great ideas is like pushing a
boulder up hill. But I suppose we all still have a bit more energy left
for boulder pushing. Let’s hope it’s worth it this time….
Illa Thompson
Publicity Matters - arts and culture publicist
Secretary: Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA)
Top of Page
ART MATTERS - JANUARY 2008
January inevitably tends to
be a time to take stock. The whole rebirth new year’s resolution thing.
A new year with its infinite possibilities and predictable challenges.
So what does the new year look like for the arts fraternity of this
fair province? A mixed bag of some great opportunities and some fairly
scarey realities.
The frothy frenetic
festive season is over – how did we fair? We were reminded that
fabulous, wholesome family entertainment can still deliver. In this
case Kickstart and the Playhouse Company’s Aladdin came
out triumphant – the production was top draw and the audiences
responded enthusiastically to it. Gcina Mhlope’s African
Mother Christmas and Themi Venturas’s Compleat
Hstory of Durban – without the Boring Bits reminded us of the
need to tell our own stories, to challenge the cultural and
gender stereotypes and rejoice in our own colourful and unique
heritage. The staging of the Broadway hit Guys and Dolls at the Sneddon Theatre led to a vociferous email and media debate which
allowed for some interesting dialogue and circumspection. There was
much discussion about the role of artistic criticism in the creative
process and debate about theatrical choices. This level of engaging –
if not taken personally – can be healthy and useful in making sure that
we don’t become complacent and careless. Grappling with issues around
roles, responsibilities and choices is surely a good thing.
The new year has a
surprising almost worrying calm to it. Not too much on the theatrical
horizon - the phones are quiet, the diaries empty. Theatre
heavy-weights sigh nervously as plans can’t be put into place without
funders confirming and partners agreeing. Like Mother Hubbard, the
communal arts pantry is mostly bare. We become the proverbial stuck
record, our new year’s wishes haven’t changed from year to year – our
pleas and prayers remain the same. Unless the industry only churns out
commercially-viable tribute bands and cultural tourism, new innovative,
relevant, challenging contemporary theatre can’t exist without
financial patronage.
Last year saw
valiant attempts to address industry needs and begin to grapple with a
cultural vision for us all – bosberaads held respectively by the
Playhouse, Ethekwini Municipality, Durban Arts and Department of Arts,
Culture and Tourism (Ethekwini cluster) among others, all separately
started to explore a way forward. Noble attempts certainly – but
nowhere near enough.
The regional role
players and funders need to join hands without ego, political agendas
and with humility – share resources and employ national (or if
necessary international) arts and business facilitators to guide us.
The ideal would be if the various arts-makers and arts bodies in the
city can jointly work towards a single vision, responsibly, efficiently
and decisively spending the allocated arts money to worthwhile arts
endeavours.
It would be so good
to move away from the shot-gun, appease-all, visionless, politically
expedient, random distribution of arts funding which seems to be the
current norm.
There is much
flurry and anticipation about the ISPA
Conference (International Society for the Performing Arts) to be held
at the Playhouse in June 2008. Hats off to Linda Bukhosini and her team
for securing this prestigious international arts conference at which we
(hopefully) can learn, share and engage with the industry’s world
leaders.
Wouldn’t it be
great though it the city could speak with one united vision and voice.
Something to work towards in the months ahead…
While we ponder on
these profound opportunities – may I invite you to share in some
amazing theatre in one of Durban’s most valuable festivals: the Musho!
theatre festival of one and two person theatre currently on until 13
January at the Kwasuka and Catalina Theatres in which some of the
finest theatre-makers from South Africa and abroad stage new and
innovative, creative and affordable theatre for one and two actors. One
manages to find meaning and inspiration despite the relentless heat
(Kwasuka) and noisy rain (Catalina) which compromise these two venues
in inclement weather.
Incidentally the
ever-supported Eric Apelgren in his public address when opening the
Musho! festival last weekend, agreed that the arts in this town needed
more funding and support. Along the lines of – what is the point of
having big schmoozey stadiums if we cant afford the entertainment to
fill them? Bravo Mr Apelgren. Hear Hear! Now please help us to make
this happen!
Incidentally, if
you need more info as to what’s on offer – drop me a line on illa@pubmat.co.za or visit www.pubmat.co.za.
Illa Thompson
Publicity Matters - arts and culture publicist
Secretary: Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA)
Top of Page
ART MATTERS - NOVEMBER 2007
The festive season is wholly
upon us – familiar carols are piped through the tinny shopping mall
sound systems, jolly Santas Ho Ho Ho at holiday children, and tinsel
and baubles glimmer at every turn.
Tis the season for
sharing, giving, family and friends. A well deserved break at the end
of a busy and exhausting year. An increasingly major focus of the
season is on the purchasing of presents - there is incredible pressure
to Spend Spend Spend - to buy “things” for special people.
Here’s a thought:
how about rather than buying “objects” as presents, consider more
creative and less commercial alternatives. Top of the list could be
buying an “experience” which would make for a memorable gift… and one
that won’t need batteries, dusting or a place on the mantle piece. So
here’s the challenge. This is the perfect opportune time to support KZN
arts and art-makers – in the context of unsubsidized entrepreneurial
theatre your support can make a tangible and meaningful difference.
Confess - what
would be a more perfectly seasonal experience than an evening (or a
morning or afternoon for that matter) at the theatre? Clichéd
as it sounds; Durban truly is offering something for everyone. I
personally think our fair city is over-achieving again by offering too
wide a choice – but tis the season after all. On the menu is a
sumptuous family pantomime (Aladdin), a hit
Broadway musical (Guys and Dolls); a song and dance
extrav (Umoja); gospel (Naledi); a
new comedy (De Compleat Hstry of Dbn… Without the Boring
Bits); challenging drama (A Woman’s Bum is like the
Moon); all-woman stand up (Queens of Comedy);
a saucy adult panto (Robin Hood); and a bunch of
shows especially for the children (Jabulani Jo in
Bot Gardens; Aldo Brincat’s Kgosi, the Moon and the Baboon; Gcina
Mhlope’s African Mother Christmas).
And (as those dreary infomercials tell us) “that’s
not all”…. there are supper theatre tribute shows, music recitals, a
myriad of carol services and Christmas shows – if the truth be told, it
is actually a bit breath-taking and overwhelming to
negotiate.
nterestingly –
with so much activity - conspicuous by its absence is Mbongeni Ngema’s
rendition of the Bambatha Rebellion scheduled to take place over the
festive season. Apparently some million rand was earmarked for this
initiative – but it has somehow landed up rather quietly on the
theatrical equivalent of the cutting room floor.
An additional
challenge is to try and undermine the hegemony of only supporting the
mainstream, commercial, international and franchised shows and believe
you are supporting local theatre. The more interesting work is often
off the beaten track and is staged in the independent theatres, city
gardens and community halls – away from the business hub of the major
commercial theatres in the big cities.
And the current
spat of editorial mud slinging between a couple of newspaper critics,
radio presenters, the theatre community and audiences about what
constitutes a fair, accurate and appropriate theatre review adds
interest, colour and important narrative to the debate.
So – in between
office parties, ordering the turkey and planning the annual leave – is
there still space in our lives, wallets and diaries to contemplate
theatre?
From the bottom of
my heart, I believe there should be.
When panto director
Steven Stead was asked by a journalist why people should come to the
theatre he replied that the key concept was that Christmas shows -
pantomimes in particular - were so interactive. Parents and youngsters can join together to hiss at the evil magician,
yell encouragement and directions to the characters on cue, and
out-sing each other during the obligatory panto singalongs. No other
festive experience, trip to the cinema or mall can offer food for the
soul, lasting memories and a great opportunity for family bonding and
sharing.
In this age of
terrifying consumerism when the true meaning of Christmas seems to
cower behind a neon barrage of impenetrable commercialism – taking the
kids (or the grown-ups) to have fun at the panto, or joining friends
for an evening of sublime theatre feels entirely like the most perfect
thing in the whole world to do…
Illa Thompson
Publicity Matters - arts and culture publicist
Secretary: Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA)
* Incidentally, if
you need more info as to what’s on offer – drop me a line on illa@pubmat.co.za
Top of Page
ART MATTERS - OCTOBER 2007
At the risk of sounding like
a major-league snob – one of the multitude of social challenges which
really concerns me is the distinct “dumbing down” of society, the
ripple effects of which has serious implications on the arts.
We seem to be living in a
global society which is not remotely aspirational. Our role models are
vacuous socialites, we read mass-appeal best-sellers, or worse –
celeb-driven trashy paparazzi-supporting magazines; we spend our tea
breaks discussing the merits of participants on the latest fad reality
show; our movies of choice come from Hollywood and involve comedy; and
our precious recreational time is spent at malls or eateries. And yes,
of course we support “the arts” – the occasional tribute show or
international hit franchise musical.
How then can we
possibly expect the glorious Thursday evening KZN Philharmonic concerts
to be full? How do we encourage people to see a remarkable play about
life in Wentworth at the time of the building of Sasolberg and Secunda?
We visit galleries to meet friends at the coffee shops – not to spend
time in the company of the astonishingly profound art on the walls.
Contemporary dance,
originally theatre, locally-made films, classical music, poetry
readings, book launches and exhibition openings quite frankly appear to
stand no chance in the long term – unless there is snob value attached…
or the chance of free food.
As a community of
arts-makers who steadfastly try not to compromise their artistic
integrity – where the hell do we start in addressing this? Mainstream
media tends to support the status quo and gives column centimeters and
air time to inane celebs and reality shows before engaging in the
interesting stuff, and there is never enough marketing budget to make a
difference. How then, do we entice our friends, colleagues
and neighbours to extend themselves and maybe explore an
experience out of their comfort zone?
If I could answer
that effectively, I would be the happiest woman alive.
So where does this
leave us? I truly believe that some of the country’s most
boundary-breaking, challenging, unusual and special artistic happenings
take place in this town. Our focus perhaps should be on encouraging
more punters to start including the arts as a viable alternative in the
what-shall-we-do-this-evening-dear discussion.
We
should all share the responsibility for this. For those of us who enjoy
and appreciate the smorgasboard of arts on offer – tell your friends.
Let tea-time chit-chat veer away from The Biggest Loser,
and onto Shall We Dance (a real goodie this year
incidentally); actively round up mates from the gym, from the office,
from the lift-club, from the body corporate and do a block booking to
see one of the exciting new plays currently on the boards; after a
skinny latte in the gallery coffee shop – take a peek at the art; next
time you want to catch a movie, try the KwaCinema initiative, the
Durban International Film Festival or a delicious offering at the
Cinema Nouveau.
Just as
it is a sin to live in Durban and not paddle in the ocean every now and
again, or stroll through the Botanical Gardens or regularly have a
bunny chow – it really is a pity to miss some of the things which
define our city – a live jazz gig at the Rainbow; a Thursday evening
spent in the sublime company of the KZN Philharmonic; a quiet half hour
contemplation among some wonderful art in any one of the city’s
glorious galleries; attend any one of the festivals hosted by the
Centre for Creative Art; or catch a show at the Playhouse.
And while about it
– read a book by someone who lives here; see a movie made in our city;
watch a play about people we know; support our favourite sons and
daughters – listen to Ewok’s poetry; watch Siwela Sonke dance, read
John van de Ruit’s novels; let Essop and Ali make you laugh; admire an
Andrew Verster painting; listen to the Fataar family sing….
If you need
guidance as to how to begin this journey, I would be delighted to help.
I have a weekly email newsletter which can be mailed to you listing
some of these events and happenings. Drop me a line on illa@pubmat.co.za.
Go on – I double
dare you…..
Illa Thompson
Publicity Matters - arts and culture publicist
Secretary: Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA)
Top of Page
ART MATTERS - SEPTEMBER 2007
Is
just too much happening?
September is the new
December. Durban is seriously overachieving and welcoming spring with
perhaps a little too much vigour than is entirely necessary. The
line-up of events for Heritage Month is nothing short of overwhelming.
My concern is - can the audience keep up?
There is a school
of thought which suggests that for maximum effectiveness, events should
be grouped around the four major holidays with as much activity as is
possible taking place over Easter, mid-year, Michaelmas and year-end
breaks. Sure there should be focus on the main holidays, but flooding
the seasons with too much activity with dry patches in-between is not
helpful to either audiences or eventors.
Increasingly my
feeling is that maybe this policy needs to be re-examined. There are
long weekends scattered throughout the calendar, we have fabulous
weather all year round, and fierce competition means that domestic
flights, car-hire and coach-travel make short breaks a viable option
for more people.
The event managers,
arts-makers, city marketing officials and support services are all
doing an admirable job in creating a myriad of interesting events for
our city. In theory there should be enough people in greater Durban to
support these events but crime, cocooning, apathy and the TV remote all
jeopardize attendance numbers.
In September alone,
over and above the usual productions, exhibitions and culture events,
there is a flurry of festivals - Jomba Dance Festival; Witness Hilton
Arts Festival; White Mountain Folk Festival; Playhouse Traditional Arts
Festival; Isicathimiya Festival; Awesome Africa Music Festivals;
Glenwood Community Festival; Kizo Heritage Arts Festival, Cell C Music
School Festival and the all-encompassing Celebrate Durban season.
That’s an awful lot of activity for the public to support in one
payday. As a result people tend to choose selectively which must surely
impact on overall ticket sales and dilute the success of all competing
events.
Perhaps
decision-makers need to give the overall planning calendar a major
re-think. Possibly some events can even be combined to maximise
attendance and some can be moved to quieter parts of the year. A
current retail trend seems to be combining like-minded businesses under
one roof (think Corner Café/Mint; Euphoria and Eat Me Cafe/Terrence
Bray Designs/ Jennifer Eales Skincare). Can the arts not consider doing
something similar? If the themes are complimentary is it not worth
considering having a book launch at a gallery exhibition opening, or a
poetry reading prior to a dance programme?
Rather than having
a fist-full of festivals in one month, should there not be one or two
anchor events every month throughout the year instead? These events
shouldn’t be too similar either - more than one major music festival
per month is problematic. As is having the Boat Show and the Air Show
on the same weekend in July.
This involves
careful negotiation with eventors and city officials all working
towards one common civic cultural vision. Tourism professionals should
guide us with the scheduling, and input should be invited from sporting
bodies to avoid clashing with major sporting fixtures.
Right now, my
biggest dilemma en-route to the Awesome Africa Midlands Music Festival
- after having watched the float parade, visited Flavours of Durban,
the street re-naming exhibition at DAG and the Heritage Arts Festival
this weekend - is which fete do I go to first on Saturday
morning. Two of my favourites are at the same time on the same day –
the Highway Hospice and the Frere Road Presbyterian.
It’s all a bit much!
Illa Thompson
Publicity Matters - arts and culture publicist
Secretary: Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA)
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ART MATTERS - AUGUST 2007
Proactive
& Visionary Arts Policies needed to lead the way forward
Our city needs outspoken arts
ambassadors – people (or even a person) with vision, talent, integrity,
understanding, experience and passion to cut through the rhetoric and
inertia and lead our arts community on its way: an artistic Mark
Shuttleworth, a thespian Tutu, an arts-mad Oprah Winfrey… or better
still, a clone of Mike van Graan or Pieter Dirk Uys. Alas there are not
too many of those out there – and certainly not one that stands out
among the ranks of the decision-makers in Durban.
It’s a shame really
- Durban has the most astonishing thriving arts community with some of
the country’s most exciting arts makers – both in the performing arts
and visual arts arenas. Our city has contributed some phenomenal
lasting legacies over the past few decades – we were the first city to
embrace the concept of supper theatre (remember The Cellar in the
Playhouse; The Bistro at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre; O’Hagan’s
Supper Theatre in Durban North and The Hermit vegetarian restaurant)
all long before the Barnyard chain and Moya restaurants tweaked the
idea into one of commercial mass appeal. Geoffrey Sutherland’s
extraordinary musical theatre productions by the then-NAPAC were
world-class. His was the country’s first Queen tribute
(Queen at the Opera) – and there was that
astonishing Musical Theatre Trilogy in which the same brilliant company
performed three shows (Sweeny Todd, Candide and Sweet
Charity) in rep during one season – culminating in them all
being performed one after the other on one day!
Also Durban has led
the way with its strongly innovative contemporary dance. A few years
ago, this city had five of the country’s top contemporary dance
companies: Fantastic Flying Fish; Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre; Phenduka;
Flatfoot Dance Company and Floating Outfit Project, and created some
amazing works in unusual places. I remember Jay Pather’s City
Scapes season of dance being performed on a beachfront pier,
in a hotel room and up the escalators at 320 West St; and the wonderful
season at St Mary’s church when all five companies collaborated and
performed pieces choreographed by each other’s resident choreographer.
In recent years,
the status hasn’t improved. We have not built on positively from these
auspicious beginnings. What made us special a decade ago has fallen
irreparably into decay. Although the professional milieu for arts
practitioners is dismal, before we all slit our artistic wrists, there
are plenty of new reasons to applaud our industry in KZN -
although what defines this region these days is something
quite different from before.
The festivals
hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts at UKZN. These are surely some
of the city’s most phenomenal success stories which firmly put the city
in pride-of-place on the international map. The two annual festivals
for writers (Poetry Africa and Time of the
Writer) are among the world’s best, as is the much applauded,
ever-growing annual Durban International Film Festival which is becoming overwhelmingly extensive.
The Witness
Hilton Arts Festival (which takes place next month) is one of
the country’s most efficient, well-run and interesting festivals in an
increasingly bloated festival market place. This annual midlands
gathering still attracts among the country’s best works.
Musically,
the region still hosts some of the best al-fresco music bashes: think Splashy
Fen, Awesome Africa and White Mountain.
And our
smaller stages still continue to create interesting theatre – albeit on
a pauper’s budget. Hats-off to the hard-working KickstArt production
company (think Winnie the Pooh, the postage stamp
pantos, Popcorn, Road to Mecca and currently The
Mystery of Irma Vep); Themi Venturas who manages to keep two
theatres up and running with virtually no formal funding, as does
Edmund Mhlongo and Xolani Majozi with their Ekhaya Multi Arts Centre in
Kwa Mashu; some gems on the campuses - in particular the drama
department at Durban University of Technology; and the fledgling Musho festival of one and two hander plays which really hits the spot,
setting the tone for the year ahead every January after the flurry of
Christmas. There has been some interesting and relevant new writing
which is beginning to grapple with some of the social issues we all
face – Rajesh Gopie’s Coolie Odyssey; Ashwin
Singh’s To House and Ewok’s One Mind, One
Mouth, One Mic all stand out.
All the ingredients are there
– a wealth of performers, arts service providers and technical crew.
And there is ample money in the arts coffers. All is lacking is a
super-hero who can join the dots – come up with the vision, get all the
various departments to talk to each other and free-up the bureaucracy
and inefficiency of the funding bodies to make the funding work
effectively for the community it is supposed to serve.
Because the arts
should surely play an integral role in the shaping of the nation in
healing and nation-building. The arts can cross a cultural divide and
unite people in a way which no politician can hope to achieve. With
such diverse issues facing our nation as HIV/Aids; crime; corruption;
declining morality; an eroding sense of community and neighbourliness;
hectic environmental problems; increasing commercialism; a shameless
focus on the self, and the mass media churning out mindless
celebrity-driven drivel at the expense of meaningful insightful news.
Our places of worship and civic organizations are becoming increasingly
empty while our casinos and shopping malls are breaking full. Who – if
anyone - is addressing this? Does anybody care about the
long-term implications of this to our society?
musicians, poets, playwrights, painters and writers. What legacy are we
leaving our children from this generation ? The climate has changed -
there are no longer patrons of the arts to readily foot the bills.
Without an effective arts policy and efficient funding process, the
role of social mouthpiece is being fulfilled by talk-show hosts; the
media; politicians and the occasional sporting body. I for one, find
that very very scarey.
Illa Thompson
Publicity Matters - arts and culture publicist
Secretary: Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA)
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