Newtown HIV/AIDS festival

Cutting-edge dance, art and word wizardry at HIV/AIDS festival

The arts have the ability to unite and heal as well as entertain, and this will once again be the focus of the sixth annual When Life Happens arts and culture festival, taking place from 3 to 14 December 2008 in Newtown, Johannesburg.

Held to coincide with World AIDS Day on 1 December, the festival aims to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS through a varied programme of visual art, performance poetry, music, literature and contemporary dance.

As has been the case in previous years, entrance to all events is free, but members of the public are advised to book in advance at the various venues for the live events.

The programme kicks off on Wednesday, 3 December with an art exhibition at Museum Africa, featuring works by a group of emerging artists who have been specially commissioned to create works for the festival. The participating artists – including Phumzile Buthelezi, Happy Dlame, Michel Mhlungu, Yvonne Harvey, Vusi Mfupi, Themba Mofekeng and Mandla Manana – were invited to explore and communicate their thoughts on the current HIV and AIDS situation in South Africa.

Also on display will be all the submissions received for the 2008 When Life Happens Festival Poster Competition. Scholars from grades seven to 12 have been submitting self-designed and hand-made HIV/AIDS awareness posters that effectively communicate the message to the country’s youth. The winners will be announced at the festival’s official opening, at Museum Africa on 3 December at 6.30pm. Both exhibitions can be viewed between 10am and 5pm daily, until 14 December.

Thursday, 4 December, sees the return of one of the annual highlights of the festival – the performance poetry and music concert at the Bassline, from 7.30pm. This popular event will see musicians, DJs, poets and wordsmiths throwing their weight and their words behind the HIV and AIDS cause. Expect provocative and insightful fare from the likes of DJ Khenzero, Fifi, Poker, Nomsa Mazwai featuring Ntsiki Mazwai, and MC Kabomo.

A treat for fans of cutting-edge contemporary dance can be seen at the Dance Factory on 5 December at 7.30pm and 6 December at 6pm, when some of South Africa’s most celebrated choreographers and performers showcase three specially commissioned works.

Included on the programme is Nstoana Dance Theatre in Sello Pessa’s Moving Rituals, as well as Tracey Human’s Soft, created with and performed by two of South Africa’s most renowned dancer-choreographers, Gregory Maqoma and PJ Sabbagha.

Dada Masilo, last year’s Standard Bank Young Artist for Dance and the toast of the National Arts Festival for her performance in Romeo and Juliet, will be dancing in a work titled dying, dying, dead. Adapted and performed in collaboration with Bafikile Sedibe and Songozezo Mcillizeli, this piece was originally a solo created by Masilo while she was studying in Brussels.

Also on 5 and 6 December, prepare to be intrigued by a provocative outdoor performance intervention and mass installation artwork by Bronwyn Lace and a team of performers and artists from the Bag Factory, which will unravel at Mary Fitzgerald Square throughout the course of the two days.

A reading and discussion forum will take place at Xarra Books from 2.30pm on 6 December, with renowned surgeon Dr Gareth Edwards reading from the autobiography of the late actor and AIDS activist Blaise Koch. The reading will be followed by an open forum, enabling artists, members of the public and activists to speak their minds.

When Life Happens Arts and Culture Festival is sponsored by The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative, The City of Johannesburg, Newtown Management District, Museum Africa, Bassline, Buz Publicity, The Dance Forum, Phindamzala Art Productions, CF Zwane Promotions and Christina Kennedy

Gear up for a stimulating and informative few days as the When Life Happens Festival returns to Newtown, to heighten awareness around HIV and AIDS by getting people thinking and talking about it. For more details about the festival visit www.newtown.co.za.

To enquire about entering the schools’ poster competition, phone (011) 363-3680 or e-mail forgottenangle@mweb.co.za. The competition closes on the 24th November 2008.

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