National Arts Festival: Rising above the political malaise

National Arts Festival 2023 has been and gone.

When Monica Newton took over from Tony Lankester as CEO in 2019, she couldn’t have known what she was letting herself in for.

The 2020 event had to go completely virtual because of Covid-19, at very short notice in terms of the timelines of such a large event. The following two years presented similar planning nightmares, although 2021 was clearly going to be virtual. Last year remained difficult as the festival returned to in-person shows but with Covid restrictions. Two big complications were whether in-person would go ahead and whether load-shedding would sabotage events.

Nonetheless, 2022 went ahead and was successful, if on a smaller scale than pre-Covid. Not only was the programme smaller but the Village Green market was significantly downsized.

This year, there were additional challenges, with ongoing failures of the Makana municipality to get its act together to deliver basics such as supplying water, fixing potholes and keeping streets clean.

Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) and the festival rose to the occasion. Festival managed thousands of social employment fund workers to clean up and to fill potholes. Residents, students and civic movements worked hard to pressure the local government to get its act together, resulting in a somewhat better water supply than we have had in years.

Even in a less-than-ideal environment, was the festival worth it? I review a few shows to illustrate what you missed, if you were not here.

On the night of 23 July, I attended a performance of one of the world’s top orchestras, the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, conducted by the incomparable Benjamin Zander. In his mid-80s, he is unlikely to be back, despite his excellent health, so this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

An enthusiastic house was treated to his interpretation of how Beethoven would have wanted the fifth played, as well as Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben and an encore. With the excellent acoustics of the Guy Butler Theatre, we could hear every note. Zander’s commentary between pieces was another delight not to be missed. All this for the extraordinarily low price of R100.

Another exceptional performance was Daniel Anderson in Vincent, ably accompanied by pianist Jacques du Plessis. In an emotional roller-coaster ride, he captured the shambolic genius of Vincent van Gogh, somehow weaving in works from such dissimilar backgrounds as a stirring rendition of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On and Roxanne by The Police. Plus, of course, Don McLean’s Vincent (often mistitled as “Starry, Starry Night”). 

There was much more to his performance than I can convey in a short review. At the age of 23, Anderson has a great future ahead; it was a real treat to see and hear him perform.

A very different show was the play The King of Broken Things, in which Cara Roberts plays a differently abled boy who struggles to fit in, but relates to broken things. Much outside his life is only hinted at — the absent father, the frustrated mother who struggles to cope, others who do not understand him, children who tease him. 

Yet the focus is on how he is able to relate to broken things and turn them into something creative. The subtext — people who are regarded as broken are special. Anyone who has dealt with people who have social adaptation issues, such as those on the autistic spectrum, will find this deeply moving but, as theatre, it works in an interesting and different way. 

Stage props spring to life in unexpected forms. The sole character is developed and made sympathetic without being didactic. Roberts carries off the role so convincingly that it is hard to believe that the actor is not a little boy but a woman three times the portrayed age.

Yet another great performance was an energetic revitalisation of the old anti-apartheid classic Woza Albert. Thulani Mtsweni and Hamilton Dhlamini play multiple characters with energy and wit. They revive memories of how things were in Deep Apartheid, with pass laws, racist insults and demeaning behaviour. But they also remind us how much we miss genuine struggle heroes like Albert Luthuli, Robert Sobukwe and Steve Biko, who were prepared to give up everything for freedom. 

With minimal stage props, miming and vocalising non-existent effects, and impeccable delivery, they bring this classic to life.

These small slices of festival show that it is still a world-class event and highly accessible, with many shows priced in the region of R100. It showcases top national and international talent — some emerging, some well established.

What about Makhanda as a venue?

The area where the majority of shows were on had had the potholes fixed and water was back on for most of the time. However, residents and civil society still have a battle ahead to get the government to perform. This is the wider story of South Africa — most of the country is blighted by dysfunctional, corrupt government.

Makhanda ought to be a developmental hub for the Eastern Cape, with one of the country’s top universities, the provincial seat of the high court and a strong cultural history. It ought to be a major tourist attraction, with its significance in the colonial wars recognised by renaming Grahamstown after Makhanda, a key fighter against colonial power. It is also the place where Biko (if for negative reasons) was inspired to found the Black Consciousness Movement.

Yet, despite all these advantages, residents and civic organisations are in a constant battle to stop the decline, as the government either wilfully neglects its job or actively connives with the capture of state resources.

As a city with great history and cultural resources, it should be the natural home of the country’s most significant cultural event. Residents believe this, anyway, and will fight to keep it that way.

What, exactly, the government wants, aside from creating more opportunities to loot public resources, is anyone’s guess.

But the overall picture is that the festival is alive and well. See you here next year. We will fight to make it happen and value your support.

Philip Machanick is an emeritus associate professor of computer science at Rhodes University and former Makana Citizens Front Councillor.