Hilton Arts Festival
Long service deserves prizes … and here are three prizes for you – an audience member.
After 27 years, it has been interesting to reflect how many people have been involved in KZN’s leading art festival, held this year from 13 to 15 September at Hilton College, near Pietermaritzburg.
Sue Clarence, the Festival Director, began the event and still serves as its Director.
Basil Kundelrum, in charge of estate logistics, equals her record with 27 years of making sure everything at Hilton College is shipshape. Assisting him in this massive task is Marina Miller, keeping everything spick and span since 1998. So that’s 21 years. Michael Broderick has been involved I the complicated technical services that the festival provides to productions to make sure they can perform to a professional level since 1996 – another 23 years. So far, that’s 98 years!
Add to this the technical sponsorship from Brandon Bunyan and Thulani Fakazi of Black Coffee Designs and we reach 108 years.
Illa Thompson has been keeping the public informed of every detail of the festival since 2005 and , in the same year, Sheryl Hodkin started working in the box office. .
Now, the reason for it all ….the performers.
Anthony Stonier (Thanks for the Melodies) is singing for the 24th year, Darren King (Knot Again!) has been an actor, cabaret artist and singer at 18 annual festivals, Bryan Hiles (The Forgotten Years of Donald K Pumkin and The Great Big Enormous Turnip) at 16, including this year. Well-known Christopher Duigan plays a concert of Chopin music this year –his 20th the year. Christopher that is, not Chopin!
Visual artists Pippa Meakin, Veronica Herbert, Simon Addy and Lyn Hoyle clock up a further 40 years. In the market arena, the ever popular Chip ‘n Dip win the prize with 19 years.
This makes a grand total of 274 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Audience Member, to celebrate all these fabulous milestones, we are giving away 3 sets of tickets to 3 highly acclaimed shows; Thanks for the Melodies (Sunday), Knot Again (Friday) and Spanish Fire (Sunday)! Head to our Facebook page (@hiltonartsfest,) Instagram (@hiltonartsfest), or Twitter (@hiltonfest) to enter and help spread the festival cheer and these tickets could be yours!
Log on and take a look!!
Bookings are open online – www.hiltonfestival.co.za – where you can also download the full programme and a list of where hard copy programmes are available. You can also book at the Box Office at Hilton College should you not wish to book online. Payments online are either by credit card or EFT – all instructions are on the site which is secure. All queries on 033 383 0126 / theatre@hiltoncollege.com
The Festival is presented by Hilton College and tiso blackstar in association with Grindrod, Black Coffee, Extreme Events, DWR, Absa, Bidvest Car Rental, FNB, KZN Dept of Art & Culture, BASA, Southern Sun PMB, Stella Artois, Redlands Hotel, Martizburg Sun, Caxton, SA Artist, Loud Crowd Media, Sappi.
