The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro in the Eastern Cape was a hive of activity at the weekend as people flocked to the Mandela Bay Arts Festival which started on Friday.
Visitors were treated to theatre, arts, dance and music.
The National Arts Festival Company says the festival will end on the second of next month.
The Member of the Mayor Committee on Arts and Culture Bassie Kaman says the festival will help artists to get back on their feet after the COVID-19 lockdown regulations decimated the industry.
Kaman says, “They are feeling positive because it’s an end product of an Arts Indaba that we held that artists should be involved in their own future.”
Ninety percent of the proceeds from the tickets will go straight to the artists.
Kamo Molebeleli who is one of the artists has welcomed the initiative.
“As artists, many would attest that we’ve had so many challenges, many festivals, different festivals which have happened all over the country, not just in the Eastern Cape but all over the country where most of the tickets are going to the large corporates and not enriching us as artists who are the ones bringing in all the talent and also the money into the bay. We are happy about that.”
Performances featured some theatre and poetry and spoken word such as the Chronicles of Cinderella and the Giant, A Picture Frame and Weeping River.
Welaz Kebah and Imibongo Negubu gave musical performances.
Ubuhle was the third show to be showcased at the festival. It uses poetry and theatre to address the social ills of child abuse, patriarchy and mental health. Ubuhle also educates and heals as three poets collaborate in this performance and a dance piece.
Ubuhle-has just started at The Athenaeum. Ubuhle is the third show that was showcased as part celebrating Mandela Bay Festival today. pic.twitter.com/ozWF75jLrj
— Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (@NMandelaBaymuni) September 25, 2022
VIDEO: Nelson Mandela Bay Arts Festival:
