The Grammy Award-winning musical group has just returned from the UK to make their National Arts Festival debut. Embodying the traditional culture of South Africa, Ladysmith Black Mambazo blends isicathamiya (traditional Zulu call-and-response vocal music ) with indigenous Zulu dance.

Production by Lisa Bluett & Lonwabo Fayo
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In collaboration with the Indian Cultural Centre (Consulate General of India), the National Arts Festival presented ‘Rajasthan- a melodical journey in folk dance, song and music’. Rajasthan, the desert state of India is known for its architectural splendour, vibrant culture and, its wealth of traditional music and dance forms, including ‘chari’, ‘ghoomar’,'bhavai’ and ‘Kalbeliya’- all these forms were performed for the first time in South Africa and were greatly appreciated by a diverse audience.

Produced by Ayushi Chhabra
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Joe Carlaco’s adaption of the classic tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet is a captivating piece of theatre and a sure highlight of the National Arts Festival.. Told entirely through Shakespeare’s language this play tells both the story of Romeo and Juliet and the journey of the four schoolboys who secretly act out the classic tale in their dormitory after lights out. Flawless diction and a detailed and clever production turn the 400 year old classic into an engrossing love story and an unusually authentic take on the Elizabethan practice of males playing all gender roles.

Production by Prinesh Naidoo and Chwayitisa Nandisa Futshane
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The aroma of home cooked meals is not the only thing that drifts through the air at Long Table. Add the cheerful banter from all the people who meet there on a regular basis during the National Arts Festival. This venue has become the “place to be” during the festival. The artists and festival goers alike have found a place to mingle and share their festival experiences. If you would like to rub shoulders with the performers or just indulge in some quality food then you should find yourself at the Long Table.

Production by Ayushi Chhabra and Viktoria Marinova
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The Fingo Festival was launched this year as a ‘festival within the Festival’ to give Grahamstown artists their own platform in the township.. Hip Hop artists, musicians and local theatre groups who are not otherwise on the National Arts Festival fringe program, are given the opportunity to showcase their talents. With the support of the Makana Municipality, which has pledged R40 000, the organisers of Fingo Festival hope that this project will continue beyond the ten days of festival and will be expanded in the future.

Production by Ayushi Chhabra, Ashley Michelle Williams and Chwayitisa Nandisa Futshane
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A production which demonstrates that even those classified as differently-abled are capable of producing a beautiful mix of dance and theatre. Simply watching the performers is truly a powerful experience as they tell of the power of love to transform.

Production by Ntombikayise Mlangeni, Zikhona Masala and Nonkululeko Duduzile Hlatshwayo
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The story of a little girl cleverly brought to life with the use puppets. Sadako, who is described as the Anne Frank of the Pacific War symbolises the impact of war to children, as she suffers from leukaemia, 10 years after the Hiroshima bomb was dropped on Japan during the Second World War.
In this beautifully constructured production puppets are used to breathe new life in this tragic story.

Production by Nonkululeko Duduzile Hlatshwayo & Chwayitisa Nandisa Futshane
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Bottle tops and plastic lids woven together with fishing gut form the spectacular eco-art Bottle Top Mosaic, Tomorrow’s Joy. Created by Hannelie Coetzee and Usha Seejarim in collaboration with a community of people, this enormous public artwork was commissioned for the Johannesburg Arts Alive Festival. The work is made up of some 90,000 discarded bottle tops and was assembled by community groups.

Production by Ashley Michelle Williams and Nonkululeko Duduzile Hlatshwayo
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All girl dance corps Visions Du Mouvement bring a world of expressive contemporary dance to the National Arts Festival. Directed by Choreographer Deborah McFadden, the Northern Dance Group impressed audiences with their rhythmic dance movements and ability to connect with personal emotional struggles in work s by leading choreographers.

Production by Ashley Michelle Williams, Ntombikayise Mlangeni, Lonwabo Fayo
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Why do black men like big bums? Why do white men like boobs? Why can’t black guys swim? What the hell is up with white people’s translation of African languages? These are the kind of questions Siv Ngesi tries to address in his show “Dekaf” which is in its second year at the Grahamstown festival. Siv, a young comedian/actor walks around the Village Green at the Festival, trying to make people talk about race and answer the awkward questions we never address in public. Watch how people react, and more importantly find out that being a coconut is like being the opposite of a litchi.

Production by Bradley Janssen and Daniel Eslick
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The Soil are back and winning more awards for their rich untrained organic harmonies. The a cappella quintet made their debut at the National Arts Festival in 2010 with a spectacular performance and have since released their first album and taken yet another Standard Bank Ovation award in 2011.

Production by Andiswa Leve, Chwayitisa Nandisa Futshane, Nonkululeko Duduzile Hlatshwayo
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The National Arts Festival is out to change the face of Grahamstown. This year saw the start of a graffiti collaboration by commix and the Visual Art Performance Event (V.A.P.E). We see the artists at work on a street canvas off the High Street.

Production by Bradley Janssen and Andiswa Leve
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Courageous satirist and premier cartoonist Zapiro was featured at Wordfest at the National Arts Festival. At an ad hoc lecture during a power outage he spoke frankly about the current movements to curb freedom of expression and limit the independence of the media. cueTV look into Zapiro’s opinions on the Protection of Information Bill and the Media Appeals Tribunal. He calls on people to rally this threat to democracy and raised the importance of arts festivals to society to provide a space in which people comment on the current political state.

Production by Bradley Janssen & Kyle Robinson
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Madam Silk is a hybrid circus-like theatre from Ireland’s Fidget Feet company of aerialists. They use silk drapes to gracefully move audiences into a world beyond the sense and atmosphere of the present. The stage evokes a lava lamp of surreal projections for the performers to fly through time and space. It is subtle and sensual escapism.

Production by Ayushi Chabbra, Viktoria Marinova, Prinesh Naidoo and Ashley Michelle Williams
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