Fresha Extension:
Street Theatre Community Festivals
Umlazi: Sat 28 Jan; Edendale, Pmb: Sun 29 Jan and
Manguzi: Fri 3 Feb.
The Fresha Theatre Festival has been resurrected post-Covid, and this time emerges as three mini street festivals to be held in Umlazi on Saturday 28 January; Edendale, Pmb, on Sunday 29 January and Manguzi, Kosi Bay, on Friday 3 February, which will be facilitated by three Twist graduate theatre groups, mentored by Twist Projects and will be held as three free open-air community festivals.
After successful versions of the annual Fresha Al-fresco Festival which took place on Durban’s North beach promenade before Covid – the concept of outdoors theatre is being taken to the streets of hometown communities of three of the graduate theatre groups who have been working with the Twist Theatre Development Projects which is a dynamic networking project that focuses on the development of community theatre groups in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, and on the creation of sustainable relationships and networks for theatre development, both locally and abroad.
Urban Arts Entertainment presents their festival at Umlazi Mega City Parking Mall on Saturday 28 January (special guests: Siwele Sonke Dance Theatre); Unyezi Theatre presents a day long festival on Sunday 29 January at Kwa Dambuza / Eringini by Edendale in Pmb and Nansi Impumelelo Arts and Culture initiative presents their festival in Manguzi / Kosi Bay on Friday 3 February (special guests Flatfoot Dance Company).
Street theatre professional, and Fresha regular, Gerard O from the Netherlands, is out working with all the groups, and performing and participating at all festivals. All festivals have compiled an extensive full day’s programme for each festival day – comprising local acts all trained and mentored in street theatre.
“We are delighted to be creating festivals again after the Covid break, and we are exceptionally proud to be taking festivals to the hometowns of three of our Twist graduate theatre groups,” said Twist facilitator and festival director, Dr Emma Durden.
For more info, visit www.freshafestival.co.za.. Find Fresha Festival on facebook and @freshafest on twitter.
The festival series is kindly sponsored by NAC, DSAC and Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme.
Programme:
UMLAZI FRESHA FESTIVAL EXTENSION
DATE: 28 JANUARY 2023
TIME: 10 AM TO 4 PM
VENUE: MEGA CITY MALL PARKING – UMLAZI
HOSTS: URBAN ARTS ENTERTAINMENT
Programme line-up
Parade
Open dance class – Free open workshop (Spakeme) Dance for everyone!
Grateful Singers – Music (Grateful Singers) Acapella music with the sweet melody to touch your soul
Boy and the dog – Performance (Rooted Twins Productions) A dog teachers a boy about responsibility
Karate – demonstration and open class (Tholinhlanhla) An open karate class for everyone
Ant zombies – Performance (Nansi Impumelelo) The movement of the ant zombie generation back to their ancestral land.
Smile Maroro – Performance (Brightness productions) A man waits for a girl does not arrive for a date because it is her wedding day
Usiko Mpilo – Traditional dance (The Living Culture) Traditional dance
The Goal – Performance (Township Arts) A soccer match without a ball between boys and girls
Inkilo Le – Performance (Inyathuko Arts Development) A story of a pastor who is a con artist with extraordinary powers
Ikhehla Elingembethe – Dance (Siwele Sonke Dance Theatre) Contemporary dance about knowing yourself and your roots
Samora – Stilt Walker (Samora Nkundla)
One Room Problems – Performance (Agaduzela Production) One man with an unexpected visitor starts to cause problems at midnight
Zebra – Street performance (Gerard O): Sometimes you just have to walk the line.
Crazy man – Performance (Unyezi Theatre) An old karate teacher tries to instruct his community – but who is the protector now?
Iqiniso – Music (Iqiniso Gospel Group) Gospel music to close the festival
Fire-fighters – Performance (Urban Arts Entertainment) Three fire-fighters are trying to impress a woman
EDENDALE FRESHA FESTIVAL EXTENSION (PIETERMARITZBURG)
DATE: 29 JANUARY 2023
TIME: 9 AM TO 4 PM
VENUE: DUMBUZA ERINGINI – PMB
HOSTS: UNYEZI THEATRE PROJECT
Programme line-up:
Street parade
Imap Band – Music (Impap Band) Traditional instruments fused with contemporary music
Umuntu – Performance (Afika Ziqubu) Two young man of different backgrounds trying to find the balance in life
Fire-fighters – Performance (Urban Arts Entertainment) Three fire-fighters are trying to impress a woman
Underpants – Street performance (Gerard O) Uncovering the point of a poem
3 Chairs – Performance (Khulekani Mtshali) For us to change who we are…who are we waiting for? We can make a different in our lives on our own.
Amapiano – Music (Emmanuel Mkhize) Amapiano music
Crazy man – Performance (Unyezi Theatre) An old karate teacher tries to instruct his community – but who is the protector now?
Ant zombies – Performance (Nansi Impumelelo) The movement of the ant zombie generation back to their ancestral land.
Hang-up – Street performance (Gerard O) Everyone has problems
Purified Zulu Dance – Dance (Ofeleba) A mixture of traditional dance and modern dance
Street magic – Magic (Lindo the street magician) Amazing audiences with magic
Dustbins – Performance (Thandimpilo Theatre) When your garbage fights back …
DH Wha – Music (DJ Wah) Street music to celebrate the festival!
MANGUZI FRESHA FESTIVAL EXTENSION (KOSI BAY)
DATE: 4 FEBRUARY 2023
TIME: 10 AM TO 2 PM
VENUE: ISIBANI SASEKHAYA – MANGUZI
HOSTS: NANSI IMPUMELELO
Programme line-up:
Street parade
Unicorns – Dance
Bathabile – Dance
Overload – Performance: an unknown tribe journeys to an unknown place (Ibika drama)
Fire-fighters – Performance (Urban Arts Entertainment) Three fire-fighters are trying to impress a woman
Crazy man – Performance (Unyezi Theatre) An old karate teacher tries to instruct his community – but who is the protector now?
Classical corner – Classical music interlude
– Performance (Sibambo) A celebration of fishing culture
Me for You – Dance (Flatfoot Dance Company) A journey into celebrating male friendships and proposing a kinder and more supportive way for men to connect. choreographed by Sifiso Khumalo, this work is also a celebration of the real and lived friendships between the three dancers. The trio offers some dangerous and gravity defying partnering and will leave your breathless at the sheer skill of this trio of male dancers.
Ant zombies – Performance (Nansi Impumelelo) The movement of the ant zombie generation back to their ancestral land.
Zebra – Street performance (Gerard O): Sometimes you just have to walk the line.
Izembe group 12:55 15 minutes
Flat foot dance open dance workshop: A chance to get everybody moving!

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