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The Grahamstown National Arts Festival
June 27, 2019 @ 8:00 am - July 11, 2019 @ 5:00 pm
27 June – 7 July 2019
The National Arts Festival is an important event on the South African cultural calendar, and the biggest annual celebration of the arts on the African continent.
Starting at the end of June/beginning of July, it runs for 11 days and is held in the small university city of Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown), which is situated in the Eastern Cape, 130km from Port Elizabeth.
The key Festival programme comprises a Main and Fringe programme. The Main Programme showcases curated works that have been selected by an Artistic Committee after a lengthy application and consideration period.
A parallel process by the Festival’s Executive Producer results in the Festival Selection, works that include productions made possible by partners and sponsors as well as a selection of plays or initiatives necessary to complete the programme both for artistic as well as strategic reasons.
The Fringe, with is diverse mix of works across genres, is on an equal footing with the Main programme. Brand-new as well as seasoned performers and directors can just as easily be found on either programme, and a slot on the Main programme one year does not preclude a return to the Fringe the next. The distinguishing feature of the Fringe is that it is open to all and exempt from the selection and curation processes that apply to the Main programme. Fringe participants are responsible for their own costs and 85% of their box office sales accrue to them directly. They are liable for certain payments for venue hire and registration fees.
[ Words taken from: https://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/about/]
