Former PE Opera House elevated to be a mecca for arts

Former PE Opera House elevated to be a mecca for arts

Nelson Mandela Bay is well on its way to reclaim its space in the national and international arts stages with the historic Mandela Bay Theatre Complex which was previously known as PE Opera House in Central, opened as a National Cultural Institution for performing Arts on Monday.

This comes after Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa joined by Arts and Culture MEC Fezeka Nkomonye and NMBM Executive Mayor Cllr Nqaba Bhanga officially declared and opened the newly refurbished complex where budding artists will harness their skills in preparation for world stages. Minister Mthethwa declared the complex as the National Cultural Institution in terms of cultural institutions Act 119 of 1998 which means the complex will now be managed and funded by the National Department of Arts and Culture and will rank up with other National Theatres like the Market Theatre in Johannesburg, the Durban Playhouse in Durban and the Artscape in Cape Town. "The Opera House which was built by the Municipality, was handed over to the provincial authority as its property, as the title deed shows. Today I’m announcing that the National Department is claiming responsibility for its ownership.

As part of the FIFA Soccer World Cup, the Department of Arts and Culture contributed R31million towards the renovations and extensions to this historic building. We vowed that whilst it did not happen in 1994, it will happen in 2021 that this is a National Institution,” Mthethwa said. The Minister added that through the declaration of the National status, job opportunities would be created for many young people who are passionate about the arts. "The arts shall meaningfully contribute to the economy. There will be extensive touring ventures, artists travelling and artists getting wider recognition,” he said. Mayor Bhanga said the new investment came at the right time as the City was committed to revive the arts in the Bay. "To us this centre is so important, it provides a platform for many of our people in particular those who want to showcase their skills in art. We want to build a City for all South Africans, we commit to make sure that we make this City a sporting, touring and entertainment destination. We do this through our commitment in financing institutions such as this, we have just launched the Mendi Arts Centre in New Brighton which will be working closely with this complex.” "We have been financing this centre and we have increased the funding to R8.1million.

Our commitment to art is to ensure that we make this part of town as the mecca of entertainment once again. We want to claim our part and say our artists will no longer go to Johannesburg, Durban and Johannesburg will come down to the Eastern Cape. It is not a theoretical commitment, that is why we put in a lot of money.” General Manager at the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex, Monde Ngonyama said: "We are very excited about this move. We will be working very closely with all the arts centres across the province as we are now the only National Theatre in the province. It’s a beacon of hope for all our artists.”