How UJ fairs at the Arts Fair

Sharing numerous stages and performance spaces with some of the best in the country, UJ put its best foot forward at this year’s National Arts Festival in Graham’s town. There, Alice Who? and SA Shorts made their mark amidst the vast creative spectrum by being part of Student theatre and representing the new generation of performers who are getting their first taste of the global stage by taking part  this, the second largest festival in the world.

The student theatre festival hosted strong pieces, full of many talented and trained performers who study their art and dedicate their lives to this while UJ stood, an equal, with a cast of volunteer performers who carry the heart and spirit for acting and dancing, respectively, and who performed pieces which “reach out to new audiences” said Christina Kennedy, South African theatre critic and arts writer, about SA Shorts.

The Student Theatre was adjudicated by four esteemed panellists of internationally recognised advisers consisting of Christina Kennedy, Kathy Perkins, Gez Casey and Kemati Porter, who were  assigned to provide input, adjudication and constructive analysis for four categories of competition which included ‘Best student Theatre production’, ‘Most Promising Student Director’, Most Promising writer’ and ‘Best Student Theatre Poster’.

Of the four categories that were open for competition UJs’ SA Shorts walked away with the best poster which had a great impact ‘artistically and as a promotional tool’ as was the criteria. Featuring among the 16 other student productions at the festival, SA Shorts was never at a lack of an audience and received great praise as well as constructive critique from the panel.

“The student theatre advisors at this year's National Arts Festival were extremely impressed with the level of commitment and enthusiasm displayed by the UJ students in SA Shorts, particularly bearing in mind that they are not studying drama and are participating in such productions on a purely voluntary basis, giving of their free time to enrich themselves and add to the burgeoning cultural renaissance on campus. For this, the students and their supervisors are to be heartily congratulated” added Kennedy and the panellists.

Hosted the Kingswood Theatre were Alice Who? and 13 other pieces, but there was a lot of enthusiasm around Alice. Sivu Situngu, who is a Rhodes student and worked for the festival, found Alice to be one of two shows that stood out to in all aspects of professionalism and performance quality for that venue and also added that it was worthy enough to have featured in the Main stage rather than on the Fringe.

All the performers felt that when it came to their craft they had a hunger to display with their love and passion, and they put in all they had and wanted to keep their eyes on growing through this experience in their respected styles and keeping to a high standard of professionalism as well.  

When it came time to perform SA Shorts did not have room for any butterflies to intimidate them. They focused on staying true to the stories that they were telling and doing justice to their talents and to themselves. They felt that through the diversity and intention of their show, they had the inspiration to participate in contributing to the celebration of theatre. Nathanael Chanza explained the experience as “It’s like being in the Spanish La Liga yet, we’re only just in the PSL”.

Alice found that the National Arts Festival is not just a platform to showcase the arts as any other form of entertainment but it holds a vast array of skills, talents and meaningful lessons also tackling social issues through individual performance pieces. “The Arts are there to educate people, to send a message and to change lives” commented Jacob Nofemela (The Mad Hatter) from Alice Who.

After seeing different pieces from other performances at the festival, it became a more eye opening experience, not only as a display of the rich talent which is held in our country but also as a source of inspiration, admiration and provoking aspiration within the performers. “Their technique, energy and skill, to not only dance but to perform, showed us that we need both passion and dedication in our craft and the versatility and creativity of this sparks a new appreciation and respect for dance” continued Jacob.

SA Shorts felt this experience was one of immeasurable value. Being on the road together gave them a chance to conceptualise each other’s energy and personalities so to better understand one another and this only aided their on-stage dynamic. Being among likeminded people in the midst of the festival also aided in their growth as performers and finding their drive intensified through the commonality and likeminded performers whom they interacted with.

The results of this years’ Arts Festival only holds a brighter future in the development, stimulation and growth of the arts community and more so among young performers. Proving to be a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration and growth, the array of exhibitions, performances, workshops and other offerings held by this festival, is an encouragement to embrace our reality and explore our creativity, to grow personally and learn from our humanity. Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic) also said “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”