Festival upholds the freedom in our Constitution, says EC premier

THE National Arts Festival is a living expression of the freedom enshrined in the Constitution, Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle told hundreds of cheering, whistling festinoes when he officially opened the 41st festival in the Guy Butler Theatre on Wednesday night.
Guests received a festive greeting at the entrance of the Monument Building by clowns on stilts, a uniformed brass band, marimbas and dancers.
Masualle used the platform to highlight 2013 Rhodes University research which found that festival annually contributes R350-million to the provincial economy, and that Grahamstown earned R90-million from the 12-day arts event.
Commenting on the wild cheers which earlier greeted Chinese visitors, who, when introduced, stood up in the auditorium and bowed, opened their arms and even blew the crowd kisses, Masualle said representatives from 29 countries were attending the festival.
He urged artists and patrons to use the festival as a place to “reflect who we are, where we come from, and how this shapes our destiny”.
South Africa would be a “dull land” without the penny whistle kwela, Miriam Makeba’s Pata Pata, Brenda Fassie’s Black President, Gerard Sekoto’s breathtaking art, and musicians Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim’s genius.
He noted that Black President was sung in honour of Nelson Mandela, to whom the month of July was dedicated.
“We gather to mark the 41st edition of the National Arts Festival. For 11 days we will give full expression to Section 60 when the freedom of artistic creativity will be unleashed. We welcome to our friends from 29 countries who will be here for us. You left Angola, Benin, Colombia, the DRC, England, France the Scandanavian countries, the USA, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and our Chinese friends. This is a concrete realisation of the international solidarity, peace and friendship which is in our constitution which was inspired by the Freedom Charter.”
He invited festival-goers to indulge in the beautiful sounds and created by our living legends, and please visit the stalls of our Eastern Cape crafters and buy a piece of jewellery for friends or family to take the spirit of Grahamstown home with you,” said the premier.
Deputy arts and culture minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi said the festival brought audiences from different backgrounds together.
“The national arts festival is a catalyst for promoting social cohesion and nation-building,” she said.
She artists during the apartheid era and post-apartheid era had consistently reflected the “architecture of their society and have inspired social change. They capture the painful rhythms and aspirations of society.
Mabudafhasi said South Africans needed to open their minds, rather than the borders, to the African experience.
“We have not yet placed Africa at the centre of our thinking. I encourage every South African to learn the words and sing the African Union anthem,” she said.
Pemmy Majodina, the MEC for sport, recreation, art and culture, had the crowd cheering and whistling when she said: “God was our main artist and God created us!”
National Arts Festival chairman Ayanda Mjekula said the festival celebrated the “intersection” of freedom of expression and freedom of artistic expression, and that artists “challenge conventional wisdom and speak in a brave, bold, clear voice to keep people from despair.”
“But the one recurring them on our artists’ landscape is is funding. At the moment we face a perfect storm of funding challenges.”
Despite a tough, low-growth economic environment, and both big business and the public purse “tightening their strings”.
Mjekula thanked the government for supporting the NAF-inspired Creative City project for Grahamstown, which plans to create a new generation of artists while turning public spaces in the city into places for creative expression “so that Grahamstown continues to be alive with creativity and illustrates where our hearts and passions lie. And all of this is only possible because of this giant event which we are custodians of.
He said the US Arts Agencies’ top reasons for funding the arts applied to SA: arts created jobs and stimulated the economy, and drove tourism in rural areas.
The arts also unleashed the creativity which helped young minds solve complex problems and promoted the physical and emotional health of the public.
“The arts support democracy and civic discourse and preserves culture and heritage. The arts deserve funding. Let Amazing (NAF slogan) begin.”

— Mike Loewe