The National Arts Festival, Grahamstown
Photo courtesy of Grahamstown National Arts Festival. See photo credits below under "Sources"
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| Country and Region | South Africa — Eastern Cape |
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| Type of Festival | Dance, Drama, Music |
| Location of Festival | Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| Festival Contact Information | The National Arts Festival, Grahamstown |
| Festival Description | The National Arts Festival, Grahamstown: Africa’s largest and most colorful cultural event offers a choice of the very best of both indigenous and imported talent. Every year for 11 days (June/July) Grahamstown’s population almost doubles, as over 50,000 people flock to the city for a feast of arts, crafts and sheer entertainment. Every hall or large room becomes a theatre, parks and sport fields become flea markets, normally quiet streets have to be managed by an army of temporary traffic wardens, and every available bed in the city is booked. The festival offers more than 500 shows from opera, cabaret, drama and jazz to stand-up comics and folk music. From theatre to dance, opera to cabaret, fine art to craft art, classical music to jazz, poetry readings to lectures, every art form imaginable is represented in one of the most diverse festivals in the world. And there’s something for every taste, with techno raves, mediæval banquets, craft fairs, cyber cafes, carnivals, buskers and walking tours. The National Arts Festival, Grahamstown is a section 21 company (non profit) and is run by a Board of Directors. |
| Festival Dates | June 28 - July 8, 2012 |
| Festival Links |
Festival Events:
Call for proposals 2012:
- The 38th edition of the National Arts Festival takes place from 28 June – 8 July 2012 and any parties interested in submitting proposals for productions to be presented on the Main programme are invited to do so by no later than Friday 19 August. For more information please visit http://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/page/2012
Other Sources:
Want more? Click on a color — travel and explore. 
Podcast Interviews:
- If you like this festival — listen to…
- David Roussève, composer, violinist, band leader and educator
http://kadmusarts.com/blog/?p=561 - Ethan Zuckerman, founder of Tripod
http://kadmusarts.com/blog/?p=216
- David Roussève, composer, violinist, band leader and educator
Images:
- Pictures from National Arts Festival 2004 at smugmug
http://africa.smugmug.com/gallery/185072
Photo Credits for Slideshow:
- Image of Three Buskers, photo by Suzy Bernstein
- Mark Fransman, by Magriet Theron
- Clockwise, Marc Uys & Jacqueline Kerrod, by Steve J Sherman
- Madosini, by Suzy Bernstein
- Umrhube 2
- Sibongile Khumalo
- Australia vs SA - theatre
- I Claudia, by Guy Delancy
- Dada Masilo, by Suzy Bernstein
- Anya Carstens, Don Quixote production, by Susanne Holbaeck-Bergh
- Skin, Gwyneth Noot-Griffiths
- Intiem, Tossie van Tonder, by Joelle Chesselet
Practical Info:
How to get there:
By Car
Take the N2 out of Port Elizabeth; some 125km (77 1/2 miles) northeast is the turnoff for Grahamstown.
Greyhound and Intercape operate daily between Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth.
Phone: (27) 46-622-2235
By Plane
Fly in to Johannesburg and on to Port Elizabeth international airport.
http://www.airports.co.za/
Visitor Information:
South African Tourism information and brochure request.
Phone: (27) 870-155-0044
http://www.southafrica.net/
Accomodation (Caravan and Camping Sites):
Albany SPorts Club
Contact: Mr Dyson
Phone: (27) 46-622-3388 (business hours), or
(27) 46-622-2960 (after 17:00)
Conact: Geraldine Sawyer
Phone: (27) 46-622-7207
Contact: Dianna Bates
Phone: (27) 46-603-6093
Contact: Jenny Waters
Phone: (27) 46-622-3322 (between 08:00 and 15:00)
Contact: Conference Manager
Phone: (27) 46-603-8772
Fax: (27) 46-622-3659
Email: rufest@ru.ac.za
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