National Arts Festival to present a multi-layered experience this 2021

The National Arts Festival (NAF) recently announced that it will present a multi-layered art experience for its 2021 edition.

Curating a more intimate festival

Yes, the National Arts Festival will revive its live 11-day festival in its home city of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape from 8 to 18 July 2021 and later stage a festival online as well. The festival will also present a series of shows, in partnership with Standard Bank, in cities across the country. The collection, called Standard Bank Presents, will give audiences across the country a taste of what the festival has to offer from 17 June to 4 July 2021. 

“The National Arts Festival has adapted its festival experience to bring the arts to audiences where they are and at a time when we still need to be very careful about where we go and what we do to prevent the spread of the coronavirus,” said festival CEO, Monica Newton. “The gathering of artists is an important catalyst to reignite the industry and the festival remains committed to presenting the best and safest possible space for artists and audiences to come together, experience and appreciate the arts.”

Image: National Arts Festival CEO, Monica Newton.

The NAF successfully transitioned into an online festival in 2020, drawing a global audience of over 83 000 visitors and breaking new ground for the South African arts sector.

“Online experiences are here to stay and we are excited about further integrating this element into our offering,” Newton said further. 

The festival’s decision to present work in other cities was founded on the realisation that some audiences may not be willing or able to travel far and that many artists would struggle to afford the costs of travel to Makhanda as a result of the impact of the pandemic.

Image: The 2020 Standard Bank Young Artists will perform live at the National Arts Festival Experience.

The 2021 National Arts Festival experience’s Makhanda Live 

The 2021 National Arts Festival experience’s Makhanda Live will showcase the works of the 2020 Standard Bank Young Artists and will also be the stage on which the 2021 artists will be announced. What’s more, the Standard Bank Jazz Festival will take place live and online, reaching a jazz-loving audience locally, on the continent and across the world.

Newton acknowledged that long-standing partnerships were key to the festival’s adaptability, “We are very lucky to have the support of the Eastern Cape Government and Standard Bank, Sarah Baartman Municipality, Distell and Business and Arts South Africa who are willing to evolve with us to ensure that the festival continues to be a showcase of the arts, no matter the circumstances.”

Image: Birthing Nureyev at the 2019 National Arts Festival in Makhanda. 

Important Dates to remember

• The programme for the festival will be announced on 7 June 2021
• The Standard Bank Presents showcase takes place in various cities from 17 June to 4 July
• The National Arts Festival’s Makhanda Live will take place in Makhanda from 8 to 18 July 2021
• The Online National Arts Festival takes place during the month of August on the festival’s official website

Image: The Rebirth of Iqawe, one of the shows at the 2020 Virtual National Arts Festival.