The 2021 National Arts Festival planning has begun. And festival organisers are calling for artists to submit their interest in being considered for the festival.
Expected to take place in July 2021, Rucera Seethal, artistic director said although it’s difficult to predict what will happen in the upcoming year they had decided to to go ahead with the festival and if needs be, adapt their formula.
This year’s festival took place virtually due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, but still attracted over 80 000 online visitors during its month-long run.
”The festival team envisages a hybrid festival for 2021 with an online and live component. Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) continues to be the home of the festival but the live event is likely to be smaller, more compact and focused, in keeping with the level 1 lockdown provisions.
“These plans will of course depend on the prevailing Covid-19 regulations and protocols,” said Seethal.
“We are designing a safe and inspiring experience for everyone involved – audiences and artists alike and we think a smaller festival is apt in these times,” she said.
As artists have been particularly hard-hit by lockdown, and the arts are only just starting to emerge from months of inactivity in the live space, Seethal said they are going to do everything to support artists.
“As an arts festival, we are going to do everything we can to support artists, while also facilitating the presentation of new directions in the arts,” Seethal said.
To get a head start the NAF is calling all artists interested in Expressions of Interest General for programmed work for the festival.
The call for the Fringe will go live on January 25, 2021 and those interested in participating in the Village Green will also be invited to apply in 2021.
Artists can apply with a work in progress, an idea for a new work or a piece that has already been made or performed.
The deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest General is midnight, December 20.
Artists who want to find out more about submitting an Expression of Interest General can attend a webinar hosted by the NAF on November 30 at 2pm.
Registration for the webinar can be completed on www.nationalartsfestival.co.za.