51-538: The National Arts Festival (NAF) is an annual festival of performing arts in Makhanda , South Africa . It is the largest arts festival on the African continent and one of the largest performing arts festivals in the world by visitor numbers. The festival runs for 11 days, from the last week of June to the first week of July every year. It takes place in the small university city of Makhanda (previously known as Grahamstown), in
102-460: A black horizontal stripe, and three golden rings on a red triangle). The crest was changed to a plume of ostrich feathers issuing from a golden mural crown, and the supporters were differenced by placing an escallop on each shoulder. In 2017, Makana Revive! an independent civil society organisation was formed. During the first quarter of 2018, Makana Revive made national news when it spearheaded an initiative to repair failing infrastructure and improve
153-559: A major centre for journalism training, Rhodes University also hosts two student newspapers, Activate , established in 1947, and The Oppidan Press , a student initiative launched in 2007 that caters mainly to the student population living off-campus. With the establishment of the Union of South Africa the Grahamstown High Court became a Local Division of the newly formed Supreme Court of South Africa (under Cape Town). On 28 June 1957,
204-586: A significant way. Recipients of this award are: The NAF has grown since its inception. In 1974 there were 64 events on the main programme. (Events refer to productions, exhibitions, workshops, lectures, tours and so forth. A drama or dance production is counted as a single event irrespective of how many times it may be performed.) The Fringe started in 1979 with 10 events. As of 2010 the National Arts Festival comprises more than 350 events with over 1,200 performances. The National Arts Festival claims to be
255-625: A sitting of the Cape Colony legislature (a move to defuse a call for the creation of a separate colony). Grahamstown had its own municipality until 2000. Since then, it has expanded into the Makana Local Municipality in the Cacadu District . From 2012, the Makana Local Municipality was unable to reliably provide water to its citizens. The crisis continued to grow during 2013. In 2013, South Africa's minister of water Edna Molewa
306-530: A small permanent staff comprising around 10 full-time staff members. Nobesuthu Rayi is the Executive Producer and Rucera Seethal the artistic director. Former radio presenter and sponsorship manager Tony Lankester served as CEO for over a decade, stepping down in 2019 to take up a position in the UK. During Lankester's tenure, respected arts administrator Ismail Mahomed served as artistic director until 2016. Mahomed
357-479: A socially responsible festival, this however, has been contested. The Hands On! Masks Off! programme focuses on strengthening the entrepreneurial skills of the arts community by bringing together arts entrepreneurs to share skills and knowledge with a new generation of arts managers. In 2010 the Remix Laboratory saw a 120 community-based artists from around the country participate in a residency programme during
408-569: Is a town of about 75,000 people in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa . It is situated about 125 kilometres (80 mi) northeast of Gqeberha and 160 kilometres (100 mi) southwest of East London . It is the largest town in the Makana Local Municipality , and the seat of the municipal council. It also hosts Rhodes University , the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court ,
459-557: Is also a member of the African Festival Network (AFRIFESTNET). CEO Tony Lankester is chairman and Treasurer of the two organisations respectively. The NAF embarks on numerous partnerships with foreign embassies and presenting institutions, staging several high-profile international works each year. 33°19′10″S 26°31′10″E / 33.31945°S 26.51933°E / -33.31945; 26.51933 Makhanda, Eastern Cape Makhanda , also known as Grahamstown ,
510-721: Is also host to the Puku Story Festival since 2013 presented by the Puku Children's Literature Foundation. The festival was created in partnership with the National Arts Festival and the African Studies Department at Rhodes University with the aim to facilitate access to literature and educational/recreational materials in Xhosa. The town is home to the oldest surviving independent newspaper in South Africa. Grocott's Mail
561-858: Is as follows: (Performance Art) (Poetry) (Performance Art) (Performance Art) (Performance Art) (Performance Art) (Film) Donna Kukama (Performance Art) (Performance Art) (Film) (Film) (Standard Bank Special Award for the invaluable contribution to and significant achievement in Theatre – posthumous award) (Standard Bank Special Award for the invaluable contribution to and significant achievement in Music – posthumous award) (Film) (Standard Bank Special Award for invaluable contribution to and significant achievement in Dance) (Film) (Film) (Drama) (1820 Foundation Special Award) (Music) (Standard Bank / 1820 Foundation 10th Anniversary Special Award) In 2010,
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#1732851598677612-1001: Is home to Rhodes University , the South African National Library for the Blind , the National English Literary Museum , the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (formerly the JLB Smith Institute), the International Library of African Music (ILAM), the Albany Museum , and the Institute for the Study of English in Africa. A number of palaeontological discoveries made from Waterloo Farm in
663-572: Is home to more than forty religious buildings and is nicknamed the "City of Saints". According to one story recorded by H. V. Morton , The town earned its nickname from Royal Engineers stationed in Grahamstown in 1846 who were in need of building tools. They sent a message to Cape Town requesting a vice to be forwarded to them from the Ordnance Stores. A reply came back, 'Buy vice locally'. The response was, "No vice in Grahamstown". According to
714-399: Is one of the biggest contributors to the economy of the region. A committee of curators in the various disciplines selects the content of the main programme. The planning process takes into account what is available locally and from outside South Africa. Three considerations that influence decisions are the artistic merits of any submission, the creation of a varied and balanced programme, and
765-458: Is the largest Arts festival in Africa and sees some of the leading talent on the South African and international art scene arriving in the town for a celebration of culture and artistic expression. South Africa's National Science Festival, was established in 1996 to promote the public awareness, understanding and appreciation of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation. The town
816-426: The 2011 census the population of the town was 67,264, of whom 78.9% described themselves as " Black African ", 11.3% as " Coloured " and 8.4% as " White ". Since 1994, there has been a considerable influx of black people from the former Ciskei Xhosa homeland, which lies just to the east. The first language of 72.2% of the population is Xhosa , while 13.7% speak Afrikaans and 10.8% speak English . The town
867-471: The Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The NAF comprises a Main programme and a Fringe festival, both administered by the National Arts Festival Office, a non-profit Section 21 Company. The Festival programme includes performing arts (theatre, dance, stand-up comedy and live music), visual art exhibitions, films, talks and workshops, a large food and craft fair and historical tours of
918-526: The High Court , as well as the Magistrate's Court for the Albany District. As a result of the presence of a High Court, several other related organs of state such as a Masters Office and a Director of Public Prosecutions are present in the town. A few other Government (mostly provincial) departments maintain branches or other offices in the town. Grahamstown was the only settlement outside Cape Town to host
969-529: The South African Library for the Blind (SALB), a diocese of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa , and 6 South African Infantry Battalion . Furthermore, located approximately 3 km south-east of the town lies Waterloo Farm , the only estuarine fossil site in the world from 360 million years ago with exceptional soft-tissue preservation. The town's name-change from Grahamstown to Makhanda
1020-502: The South African Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has rescued from road cuttings from back in the mid- 1980s. The legacy of disparate education during Apartheid still echoes in the provision of secondary education in this former frontier town, where significant discrepancies in matric pass rates and general quality of education exist. Addressing this problem is one of the town's greatest challenges. In March 1984,
1071-502: The Zuurveld . During the campaign, which formed part of the Xhosa Wars , Graham ordered the adoption of numerous scorched earth tactics, which included the burnings of Xhosa farms. By 1812, Graham had completed his assignment, and transformed Grahamstown into the central military outpost in the region. On 22 April 1819, a large number of Xhosa warriors , under the leadership of Nxele (or
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#17328515986771122-632: The ArtsReach Programme the National Arts Festival takes the arts to hospitals, clinics, old age homes and rural areas. A number of artists on the Fringe volunteer their performances for the ArtsReach programme during the NAF. The Arts Encounter Project distributes a number of tickets to indigent individuals to enable them to enjoy productions from the NAF's main and fringe programmes. The National Arts Festival has
1173-607: The City of Grahamstown adopted a flag, one of six designs prepared by heraldic expert Prof. Hugh Smith, of Rhodes University. The following is a list of tower clocks in the town, with their location and if they are in working order: Two large festivals take place annually in the town: the National Arts Festival in June/July and SciFest Africa in the first term of the year and attracts some 50,000 people. The National Arts Festival
1224-520: The Eastern Districts Court, under the name Eastern Cape Division, became a provincial division. In certain other areas of provincial government, Grahamstown similarly served as a centre for the Eastern Cape. In 1994, Grahamstown became part of the newly established Eastern Cape Province , while Bhisho was chosen as the provincial capital. It is the seat of the Eastern Cape Division of
1275-731: The Festival launched the Adelaide Tambo Award for Human Rights in the Arts to "honour an artist or company whose work on the Fringe programme embodies Adelaide Tambo's passion for the arts and her deep commitment for human rights." Since the Featured Artist Programme was launched in 2012, the National Arts Festival has celebrated and showcased established artists who have built up a substantial body of work that has contributed to South Africa's national discourse on race, class or gender in
1326-491: The NAF. The scholars attended workshops, seminars, performances and visits to galleries while being mentored in arts practice and arts appreciation. The Art Factory teaches local marginalised and vulnerable youth performance skills such as juggling and acrobatics and combines this with a strategic focus on building the life skills and confidence of the youth. The Art Factory functions as a year-round project in Makhanda. As part of
1377-516: The National Arts Festival launched a new set of awards for Fringe productions – the Standard Bank Ovation Awards. These awards recognise excellence on the Fringe, and aim to seek out those productions that are innovative, original and creatively outstanding. At the end of the Festival, Gold and Silver awards are selected from the list of winners, rewarding the best productions in the categories theatre, dance, comedy, music. Recipients of
1428-450: The Standard Bank Ovation Awards benefit from the recognition provided by the acknowledgement, with companies or artists often being offered extended tours, international opportunities to perform, increased opportunities for funding, and an invitation to submit a proposal for the following year's Arena programme. Artists who win Gold and Silver awards receive modest monetary incentives. In 2014,
1479-515: The Xhosa prophet Makhanda ), launched an attack against the British garrison stationed at Grahamstown. The Xhosas had warned Colonel Willshire, the commanding officer, of their planned attack on the settlement. It was one of countless attacks launched on the nascent colony by the Xhosas. During the course of the battle, the British were running low on ammunition. The Xhosas, with a force of 10,000 troops under
1530-530: The capital and cultural centre of the Albany area , a district that was traditionally English-speaking and had a distinctive local culture. In 1872, the Cape Government Railways began construction of the railway line linking Grahamstown to Port Alfred on the coast and to the developing national railway network inland. It was completed and opened on 3 September 1879. Grahamstown grew rapidly to become
1581-593: The city council had a new coat of arms designed by Ivan Mitford-Barberton and H. Ellis Tomlinson in 1950. It was granted by the College of Arms on 20 July 1950, and registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in September 1994. The new arms were: Or, on a pile Gules, three annulets placed 2 and 1 Or; on a chief Sable, three escallops Or (in layman's terms: a golden shield displaying, from top to bottom, three golden scallop shells on
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1632-527: The city. The NAF runs a children's arts festival over the same period and a number of other festivals take place in Makhanda over the period of the NAF, such as the National Youth Jazz Festival . Performances take place across the city in approximately 60 venues (such as theatres, churches, schools) as well as in various outdoor locations for the street performances. The Festival attracts significant numbers of local and international visitors and
1683-468: The construction on the corps' new headquarters, located on the site of the present Church Square. Grahamstown went on to become a religious, military, administrative, judicial, and educational centre for the surrounding region of Albany . Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa announced the name change from Grahamstown in the Government Gazette No. 641 of 29 June 2018. The purpose of gazetting
1734-645: The costs involved. A number of subsidiary festivals take place as part of the National Arts Festival: The Young Artist Awards, sponsored by Standard Bank, are presented by the National Arts Festival Artistic Committee to emerging, relatively young South African artists who have demonstrated exceptional ability in their chosen fields but who have not yet achieved national exposure and acclaim. Festival Committee members, fellow artists and interested members of
1785-584: The indigenous people of the area. Municipality (1) — The first arms were assumed in September 1862. They quartered an incorrect version of the arms of Graham of Fintry with those of Jan van Riebeeck (in incorrect colours), with an ostrich as a crest. The supporters were a leopard and a giraffe, and the motto was Virtute et opera . Municipality (2) — In response to a call by the Cape Provincial Administration for municipalities to have their coats of arms checked and, if necessary, re-designed,
1836-483: The loan farm Noutoe, now known as Table Farm, but at the recommendation of Ensign Andries Stockenstrom it was moved to the homestead of the loan farm De Rietfontein, belonging to Lucas Meyer . Construction on the new headquarters, located on the site of the present Church Square, thus began in June 1812. As part of the campaign, Graham was ordered to clear 20,000 Xhosa living in the region led by Ndlambe ka Rharhabe from
1887-632: The location of the testing of the first diamond find by Henry Carter Galpin. In 1904, Rhodes University College was established in Grahamstown through a grant from the Rhodes Trust. In 1951 it became a fully-fledged University, Rhodes University . The name "Grahamstown" originated from the Cape Hottentot Corps in the Zuurveld's Commander of the Regiment, Colonel John Graham, who, in June 1812, oversaw
1938-439: The mounting of an exhibition or the staging of a production. A maximum of five awards are made annually in any one of the disciplines of drama, music, jazz, visual art, dance and film. Since the inception of the awards in 1981 more than 150 awards have been presented plus five special awards to artists in recognition of their contribution to the National Arts Festival and the arts of South Africa. A complete list of previous winners
1989-425: The overall command of Ndlambe 's warrior son, Mdushane , were unable to overpower the garrison of some 300 men. Nxele surrendered and was taken captive and imprisoned on Robben Island . On Christmas Day in 1819, he tried to escape but drowned in the attempt. Grahamstown grew during the 1820s, as many 1820 Settlers and their families left farming to establish themselves in more secure trades. In 1833, Grahamstown
2040-565: The past two decades have sparked a global interest in the fossils of the Eastern Cape Province and this has resulted in numerous international collaborations. These discoveries and collaborations have been made possible by the persistent work of Robert W. Gess of the Devonian Ecosystem Laboratory, Albany Museum, who has dedicated most of his life excavating and studying blocks of black shale that he, with later support from
2091-478: The public, nominate artists. The NAF Committee, a group of experts in the various arts disciplines, decides on the final recipients. Designed to encourage the recipients in the pursuit of their careers, a key aspect of the awards is that they guarantee the artists a place on the main programme of the forthcoming National Arts Festival. Apart from a cash prize, each of the winners receive substantial financial backing for their Festival participation whether this involves
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2142-474: The second-largest city in South Africa after Cape Town until 1930. The early 1860s saw the development of more schools, the botanical gardens, and the Eastern District Supreme Court was established. In 1864, a full parliamentary session was held in Grahamstown, instead of Cape Town. There was talk of making Grahamstown the capital of the Cape Colony because of its central position. Grahamstown was
2193-631: The security and hygiene in the CBD. Donations were received from both local and international citizens and alumni. The South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement has a strong presence in Makhanda. Adelaide Tambo Award for Human Rights in the Arts The Adelaide Tambo Award for Human Rights in the Arts is an annual award by the South African National Arts Festival to "honour an artist or company whose work on
2244-458: Was described as having "two or three English merchants of considerable wealth, but scarcely any society in the ordinary sense of the word. The Public Library is a wretched affair". As of 1833, it was estimated that the population of Grahamstown was approximately 6,000. In a few decades it became the Cape Colony 's largest town after Cape Town . It became a bishopric in 1852. It was traditionally
2295-729: Was founded in 1870 by the Grocott family, and bought out a newspaper called the Grahamstown Journal , which was founded in 1831. Robert Godlonton , a previous owner of the Journal had used it and his other papers to oppose Andries Stockenström 's treaty system and advocated seizing more land from the Xhosa . It is now a local newspaper operated by the Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies, and still retains its name. As
2346-531: Was officially gazetted on 29 June 2018. The town was officially renamed to Makhanda in memory of Xhosa warrior and prophet Makhanda ka Nxele . Makhanda was founded as Grahamstown in 1812 after the Fourth Xhosa War as a military outpost by Lieutenant-Colonel John Graham as part of a campaign to secure the Eastern frontier of the Cape Colony . Initially Colonel Graham decided to establish his headquarters on
2397-580: Was officially renamed Makhanda in the memory of Makhanda, The Prophet. St. Michael and St. George Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Grahamstown . The town also has Roman Catholic , Presbyterian , Ethiopian Episcopal , Methodist , Baptist, Pinkster Protestante, Dutch Reformed (Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk), Charismatic, Apostolic and Pentecostal churches. There are also meeting places for Hindus, Scientologists, Quakers, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Muslims. The city
2448-519: Was responsible for overseeing the curation of the NAF's artistic content. He was replaced by playwright and arts administrator Ashraf Johaardien , who left at the end of 2018. During the Festival, the staff complement grows to around 400, including technical staff, largely drawn from the local community of Makhanda. The National Arts Festival is a member of the World Fringe Alliance, a grouping of 10 Fringe Festivals from different countries. It
2499-501: Was tasked with restoring the water supply of Grahamstown following protests over a nine-day water outage. Causes for the outage include financial mismanagement, with under-spending on infrastructure. The task force established by Molewa had not solved the problem by 2014. A 2021 auditor-general's report found that the municipality’s liabilities exceeded its assets by R813 million (equivalent to US$ 54.2 million) and that it has failed to keep full and proper records. By 2022 senior management
2550-492: Was the subject of a criminal investigation and provincial government had to make quarterly reports to the Supreme Court of Appeal on the municipality's financial recovery. In October 2015, more than 500 people were displaced and more than 300 shops looted during a wave of xenophobic violence. Some people use traditional African medicine because it is believed to be effective. There are some plants which are popular with
2601-445: Was to publicise the minister's decision for objections or comments by 28 July 2018. Prompted by a Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendation that geographic features, including geographical names, be renamed as a "symbolic reparation to address an unjust past", a proposal was for the town to be renamed after Makhanda , in recognition of his failed attack against the settlement's garrison in 1819. On 2 October 2018, Grahamstown
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