Cue Online (Grahamstown)
Shea Karssing
14 July 2009
Ushered from one interview to the next, Advocate Brenda Madumise, chief executive of the National Arts Council (NAC), remains composed and enthusiastic. Her goal for the arts in South Africa is clear: “We need to preserve the talent in this country.”
The NAC, one of the Festival’s presenting sponsors, donates R2-million to the event itself, but also channels additional funding to many artists and groups who perform in Grahamstown.
“But we can’t fund for the sake of funding,” Madumise says. “We have to seek sustainability, quality and development to make transformation happen.” In particular, Madumise wants to use the power of her position to “situate artists in the mainstream of the economy. Once they have created a platform to expose themselves, they need to market themselves; they are artists, not marketers”.
With this in mind, the NAC has funded training in marketing for artists. There are also been two new projects introduced to the Festival this year: the script-reading festival and the craft exhibition.
The craft exhibition is at the Village Green. “We want the traders to see the quality of the other crafters’ work. We are hoping they will be highly motivated for next year,” Madumise says.
Bright future ahead
According to Madumise, the script-writing festival aims to foster a culture of reading and writing in South Africa. The initiative also provides aspiring script writers with a platform to “unearth their product and allow for positive feedback”.
Like many South Africans, Madumise is thinking ahead to the possibilities offered by the 2010 World Cup. “There is a plan for 2010 that will be unveiled soon,” she says.
She mentions providing script writers who took part in the 2009 script writing festival with funding to take their work from page to stage next year.
Back in the present, Madumise describes her Grahamstown experience as “warm”. “I brought all my coats and I can’t even wear them!” she says.
“The ambience of Festival is great. I saw a beautiful production by the Cape Dance Company. I was proud to be associated with it.”
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Cue Online. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
