Northern Arts Fest set to rock

EXCITEMENT is building as the countdown to the fifth annual Northern Arts Festival begins. Only three weeks remain before the Festival kicks off with a gala dinner and organizers and participants are hard at work to make this year's event a milestone.

Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism has come on board in support of the event which sees local performers take to the stage with a positive message. “We are behind the Northern Arts Festival as we have watched it grow into a viable annual event over the past five years,” said Mandlakzi Skefile, NMBT chief executive.

Local organisers are confident the event is set to raise the bar. “The festival is really coming into its own – as with all five year cycles you start to see the rewards and the legacy,” said event co-organiser, Billy Paulson. “The idea and long-term goal is to build an international platform for artists to come from around the world while at the same time putting our local artists on world stages.” 

Well-known artists and groups are set to entertain the crowds, including MC's Earl and Agemi and favourites like Stone, Gino Lee, Afro Teens and popular dance group XXX.

The ever-popular Dawnay, no stranger to the city, is guaranteed to get the feet tapping when he takes to the main stage. Apart from the performing artists there will also be a host of crafters who will be displaying their handiwork.
“The organization Families against Drugs, who have been very involved in combating the scourge of drugs in our community, will also, be present to highlight the dangers associated with drug abuse,” said Paulson. “This year, in commemoration of the Festival's fifth year, five community-based organizations will be setting up stands in order to highlight the services which they offer as well as to sell products in order to raise much-needed funds. These organizations are the Association for People with Disabilities (APD), the POPS Foundation, the Bethelsdorp Heritage Trust, Alcoholics Anonymous and the Cleary Park Cheshire Homes.”

The Festival kicks off with a gala dinner on Thursday 22 September. A flag hoisting ceremony will take place the next day at Varsvlei and executed by the South African National Defense Force.

This year a kite-building competition has been arranged by an NMMU-based student group, the SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise). The competition will involve kite-building using waste materials. Families, young people (and the young at heart) as well as companies can enter teams. The idea behind this project is that the community is encouraged to participate and have fun while the environment benefits by the effective utilization of waste material which would otherwise be destined for landfill.

A little Miss Northern Areas Festival pageant is also being arranged, and already there have been many enquiries from prospective entrants.

The jam-packed weekend programme will culminate in a gospel extravaganza on the Sunday, where popular artists like CJ will provide the entertainment. Benny Koen, who is also known as South Africa's 'Jim Reeves', will also be performing some of his gospel classics. Newcomers like Lamla Nyondo, the 16-year old Motherwell opera singer, will be delivering a few well-known Pavarotti classics.

“With such a wide variety of activities on offer this year's Festival is definitely worth notarizing in your diary,” added Paulson.