Entertainment Reporter.
The 29th Annual Arts Alive festival is excited to share the November calendar which promises nothing short of stellar.
Starting the month on a high, the Alexander Arts Academy in partnership with Arts Alive will be hosting the 2021 Alexander Arts Academy Theatre Festival on the 6th of November 2021, at Alexsan Kopano Resource Centre from 09h00 to 17h00.
The festival will host productions mostly from the City of Joburg and some from different Regions in Gauteng. The festival seeks to put the spotlight on the arts and culture in our communities.
“The Imbalance Phenomenon of Economy Exhibition” by Joburg born fine artist and sculptor, Azael Langa will begin on the 13th of November 2021. This is a body of work from the medium of fumage.
Fumage is the use of smoke and fire to create artistic works that are unique yet very striking. These works will be an artistic representation of the City of Johannesburg. They will depict the lived experiences of the people of Johannesburg and capture their aspirations.
The community of Soweto and surrounds will yet again be treated to “I Love Soweto” – the Joburg Arts Alive Edition which will take place on the 13th and 28th of November. Interested parties can find more information on http://www.sowetoartandcraft.co.za/.
The move to level one comes as an exciting development for theatre audiences who will have the privilege to experience the South Africa premiere of a Theatre Production titled “The Red on the Rainbow” written and directed by Monageng Motshabi; recipient of the Standard Bank Young Artists of the Year Award. The Red on the Rainbow, primarily inspired by recent real life events in Coligny, the play follows the aftermath of the death of a young man on a maize farm at the hands of a farmer’s son and his friends. The play explores how time seems to remain frozen, picture-style, in an unending apartheid-ghost-dance. How with each dreary step into the future, reality seems to loop, stoop and reloop, forever trapping the amper-people of these towns in a cartoonish and feverish attempt to leap into the much lauded blissful change that our country’s simunye moment is said to have unleashed for all.
“We are delighted that the Arts Alive Festival has made a remarkable difference in the Creative Industries up to date. The impact of the programmes and their uniqueness has excited many audiences and artists alike. This month we intend to deliver greater interaction with more physical audiences whilst still making our virtual presence”
The production will be presented for a limited season at the Soweto Theatre from 18-21 November 2021. Stage Actors will also have the opportunity to attend an Acting Masterclass to polish their skills and techniques that may have rusted over the period of the lockdown and inactivity.
Arts Alive in collaboration with the DTI and SEDA will host The IP Rights and Market Readiness workshops from the 22nd to the 23rd of November 2021, focusing on the export and import of design and craft products. The workshops will also focus on market development skills, export readiness, business formalization, intellectual property and its legal implications, amongst other themes. One of the workshops will be targeted at the Clap ‘n Tap fraternity in particular as it relates to intellectual property rights.
Gospel music lovers are set to be enthralled by the Indigenous Gospel Festival, put together by the City of Johannesburg. The festival is a cultural initiative that is aimed at stimulating indigenous gospel music development within the city. The Amazion which will be recorded on the 20th of November 2021 and streamed on the 28th of November 2021, and the Clap n Tap which will be recorded on the 21st of November 2021 and streamed on the 5th of December 2021, are some of the key cultural as well as spiritual activities that communities have consistently and relentlessly produced over the years. Their involvement in the Arts Alive Festival is one of the City’s ways of recognizing their craft and is also part of the broader strategy to promote creative industries in the City of Johannesburg whilst promoting social cohesion.
This year, the programme will be expanded to include other genres of the indigenous gospel such as “Amazion”. The programme has been a successful intervention to develop this musical genre and create performance platforms.
From the 26th to the 28th of November 2021, an exhibition of photographic works by artists of the Umhlabathi Collective which speaks to notions of regeneration concerning how creative imagination contributes to the return of confidence and investment in urban renewal will be held. These works will be exhibited to audiences both physically and virtually.
SEAfrica showbiz and Entertainment Conference themed “Digital Audience Development” (DAD) will take place on the 27th of November this year. The programme will see SEAfrica support, strengthen and advance the arts marketing and audience engagement skills of arts and cultural professionals. The 2021 edition features hybrid workshops and conference sessions that are designed to empower attendees with tangible and applicable solutions to today’s digital challenges. The various 2021 conference sessions are a window into cutting edge methods and trends of taking art forms to online markets.
Sowetans and the rest of Joburg community will get an opportunity to end the November month on a high with Seven Colours Sunday – The Joburg Arts Alive Edition on the 28th of November 2021. The event is known as one of South Africas favourite food markets where Music Meets Food.
Please log onto www.artsalive.joburg for detailed information about our various activities.