FESTIVAL SEASON 2010

The month of August to the very end of year is one hectic month for the Arts, especially in the Gauteng region. Arts goers are currently indulging on the Drama For Life Festival which opened this past Sunday the 22nd of August. This is one of those rare festivals as it is exclusively focused on sex issues therefore engaging with the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. The festival kicked off with a performance from the Forgotten Angle Collaboration with their dance work entitled Deep Nights, directed by PJ Sabbagha.


From this show, one can easily tell that Sabbagha has passion for educating people about HIV/AIDS and he finds delight when that education can be done in a form of art, being dance in this case. Sabbagha is a gay man, living with AIDS and he shares some part of his life story in Deep Nights.

He has collaborated with big names such as Dada Masilo, Songezo Mcilizeli and other renowned dancers. The cast adapt to the story and make it their own as their engage in an intense moment of story telling through superlative sexually inclined body movements’ which express technique overflowing with emotions and infatuation.

The story is about an awareness of the night life which is usually intended to be fun and end up despondent as one engages in “different” forms of fun, such as drugs, alcohol and sex. Sabbagha does not dispute the pleasures derived form a night out but, his main focus is to place a careful mind set, an informed decision-making and to tell a story of an HIV affected youth.

Personally, this is one of the most powerful edutainment performances I have seen and would encourage any young person to check it out. There are many other shows that one would look forward to such the other PJ’s show , Sexscape, Blankets of Shame by Moving Into Dance Maphatong, Missing by Tracy Human, I am Here by Peter Heyes (This is a definite must. I call it a white man’s poetry of truth, art and shocking reality) and many others…

The Drama For Life Festival is not the only attraction this season. There is also Arts Alive which promises to be off the hook and Wits, Market Theatre and National Arts Festival collaboration of the annual 969 Festival which is basically a re-run of the Arts Fest. I saw the programme and felt like I was in Grahamstown again. I guess they are trying to accommodate theatre lovers that chose soccer over the festival…whatever really.

My favourite for September would be the Arts Alive Festival…I honestly can’t wait for this one. The programme is hip, fresh and very exciting. I am looking forward to Dada Masilo’s Swan Lake, the Comedy Nine Nine effort and some of the Hip Hop and House DJ’S. I’m not really one to fuss about parties and music but I strangely feel like this year is going to be hot.

I will put up posters and website info for you guys to check out. Please book for your tickets in advance and lookout for the posters for more info.

Visit www.wits.ac.za/witstheatre for Drama For Life and 969 Festival and visit www.artsalive.co.za for Arts Alive.