Flatfoot to Dance in the Park - Botanic Gardens, Durban, 7 - 11 April at 5pm

FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY 

in association with the Durban Botanic Gardens Trust, 

presents  “PARK DANCES #1” Durban Botanic Gardens

 7 – 11 April @ 5pm

COST: R100 per ticket 

Join Flatfoot Dance Company for its inaugural “Park Dances #1” in the lush surroundings of Durban’s exquisite Botanic Gardens for an outdoor sundowner dance experience from 7 to 11 April at 5pm each evening.

This short outdoor season, allows the audience to relax and safely watch Durban’s much-loved dance company in a celebration of joyous dance with good music in true Flatfoot style.

This hour-long explosion of dance has been collaboratively created by the full company: Sifiso Khumalo, Jabu Siphika, Lliane Loots, Zinhle Nzama, Mthoko Mkhwanazi, Sbonga Ndlovu, Siseko Duba and Ndumiso Dube. It offers a rich confluence of African rhythms, with classical and contemporary influence and execution.

This is the first Flatfoot’s “Park Dances” taking place during 2021 that will engage the natural environment of Durban’s parks as renewed and reimagined spaces to watch dance. 

“We are delighted to start off our Park season in collaboration with the Durban Botanic Gardens Trust and to have this opportunity to share this incredibly beautiful living space with audiences,” says Artistic Director Lliane Loots.

This is a family-friendly performance and audiences may bring picnics and blankets to sit on. Entrance opens at 4.15pm for patrons to settle in, enjoy a picnic or a stroll around the gardens before the show begins at 5pm. 

There is ample safe parking at the main Botanic Gardens Visitors Complex entrance. All COVID-19 safety protocols are in place, and masks must be worn. There is a maximum audience of 50 per show with demarcated areas to sit. Tickets are R100 and must be booked and paid for in advance – there are no door sales. To book contact Clare on flatfootdancecompany@gmail.com.

Observing United Nations World Water Day (22 March) with Green Corridors

Media Release

Observing United Nations World Water Day (22 March) &

SA National Water Week (15 – 22 March) with Green Corridors

Green Corridors, the Durban-based NPO which co-creates open green spaces within the City for people in communities to live, work and thrive, calls on citizens to use World Water Day, (22 March) as a time to evaluate their relationship with water.

World Water Day, which takes place during South Africa’s National Water Week (15-22 March), is an annual United Nations Observance that focuses on the importance of fresh water in the world, using the theme “valuing water” in 2021.

According to the Worldwater.org website, “while celebrating the life-giving force of water, the day is also used to raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water.”

Green Corridors clean-up teams and nature guides, working within communities around Durban, see the ongoing devastation of waterways and environmentally important spaces through both alien invasive plants and the irresponsible disposal of litter that ends up in waterways impacting on water health, as well as surrounding community spaces – its people, plants and animals.

“Many people, including businesses, don’t understand that water from our stormwater drains flows directly into our waterways, and so they often discard their litter and waste in gutters or even down stormwater drains” explains Susan Dlamini, from Green Corridors. “All of this flows into our rivers and the sea, with a huge impact on water quality. If we could just start at being mindful of how we get rid of our litter and waste, it would help so much towards alleviating this.”

“We urge everyone to think about how we as human beings contribute to the health, distribution of- and access to our water,” says Susan. “We encourage people to join the World Water Day conversation on social media, which will help effect some change whether through policy or infrastructure or behaviour, working towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 of water and sanitation for all by 2030.”

The World Water Day campaign asks global citizens to discuss how they value water, "(as this) determines how water is managed and shared. The value of water is much more than its price – water has enormous and complex value for our households, culture, health, education, economics, and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource.”

For example, the Green Corridors' footprint across the City includes tourism sites near important water sources where local trained and registered tour guides rely on the health of the water for their and the communities' livelihoods and well-being.

The various Green Corridors Green Spaces teams along with partners such as Adopt-a-River, WESSA, with funders such as RMB, SAPRIPOL and PETCO, and others, such as conservancies, and eThekwini Municipality Cleansing and Solid Waste, Parks Department and Sihlanzimvelo co-ops, focus on environmental hotspots, where clean-up teams remove alien vegetation as well as litter from waterways and their surrounds in their attempts to improve the health of the water. This waste is then channelled to recycling and repurposing projects such as the Green Corridors KwaMashu Materials Beneficiation Centre which is working towards creating products from plastic waste.

“We would love to hear our local voices in this conversation about water and how we can improve water quality and access, so would encourage educators, policy-makers and government officials, civil society, NGO’s and others to join in,” says Susan.

Follow Green Corridors on social media or World Water Day, and tag your post with #water2me and #WorldWaterDay.

-ends

‘Mission Accomplished’ for the Mzansi Edge Expedition

During these dark days of Covid, an expedition of hope to embrace the outline of South Africa and help those in need.

With adventures and exploits reminiscent of Jules Verne’s 1872 novel ‘Around the world in 80 days’, the Kingsley Holgate explorer team have completed the Mzansi Edge Expedition travelling in new Land Rover Defenders, by mountain bike and even on foot, on a marathon humanitarian mission that delivered over 250,000 nutritional meals to needy families still affected by the Covid-19 lockdown and clocking up more than 16,000 kilometres in 80 days.

Starting at Kosi Bay mouth in northern KwaZulu-Natal in mid-September with the filling of the Holgate’s traditional Zulu calabash that travels on every humanitarian and geographic journey, the expedition achieved the extraordinary feat of tracking South Africa’s total land borders with Mozambique, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia, circumnavigating land-locked Lesotho, and following the entire length of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coastlines from Alexander Bay in the Northern Cape back to Kosi Bay. 

The expedition ended at Kosi Bay - where it all began 80 days earlier.

Geographic objectives of the expedition included staying as close to the land borders as possible and reaching South Africa’s most eastern, northern, western and southern geographic points. The team also erected symbolic ‘isivivanes’ (stone cairns) at the six points where South Africa’s border meets two other countries and collected thimblefuls of water from 50 important water sources on Mzansi’s Edge in the Zulu calabash. Staying true to the coastal edge of the expedition’s route, they also reached 50 lighthouses along South Africa’s shoreline.

“This expedition turned out to be one of the most exceptional journeys I’ve ever undertaken without leaving my home country,” said the world-renowned explorer and author Kingsley Holgate, who with his team has completed over 30 geographic and humanitarian expeditions in Africa and beyond, many of them world-firsts. “Every day was a new adventure, and we were constantly amazed at the spectacular beauty, geographic diversity and rich history to be found all along South Africa’s borders and coastline, as well as the kindness and hospitality of people who ‘live on the edge’ of our magnificent country, and who fully embraced the expedition’s mission and pushed us along.”

The challenging route was also the first long-distance test for the recently launched Land Rover Defender on South African soil, with Kingsley and his son Ross Holgate putting two expedition-kitted new Defenders through their paces over some of the most difficult conditions on the continent. This included following the entire length of the Kruger National Park’s fence line with Mozambique; tracking the 500-kilometre straight-edge border with Namibia from Union’s End in the north of the Kalagadi Transfrontier Park to the Orange River; steep ascents and descents along the Lubombo and Makhonjwa mountain ranges and the high-altitude Drakensberg border with Lesotho; and navigating the precipitous cliffs of the Wild Coast.

“As a family, we have had the incredible opportunity to have adventured in every country in Africa but we never expected this homegrown Mzansi Edge expedition to throw so much at man and machine,” said expedition leader Ross Holgate. “Following a fence line day after day and week after week, is not easy. The road conditions were a complete mishmash: deep sand ruts, sharp jagged rocks, high Kalahari dunes, overgrown tracks and wash-aways were part of our everyday journey. We also experienced intense heat up to 50 degrees Celsius and days of endless mud and torrential rain.” 

At the Kruger National Park Mozambique border

Joining the adventurous father and son duo were Kingsley’s partner Sheelagh, Ross’s wife Anna, Kingsley’s 19-year-old grandson Tristan who is learning the ‘expedition ropes’, and expedition veteran ‘Shova Mike’ Nixon, one of only four people in the world to have completed every Absa Cape Epic, said to be the toughest mountain bike race in the world. He cycled over 4,500-kilometres of the Mzansi Edge expedition route, including a gruelling, solo 300-kilometre journey along the beaches and cliffs of the Wild Coast from Cintsa to Port St Johns. Other South African adventurers who joined the expedition for short spells included Project Rhino ambassador Richard Mabanga and mountaineers Andre Bredenkamp and Sibusiso Vilane, the first African to successfully summit Mt Everest.

Staying so close to South Africa’s borders created some interesting moments for the team. “With travel bans still in place, some of the fence lines were heavily guarded by the SADF and we had to get permission from the top military brass beforehand,” recalled Ross. “They were always supportive of the expedition’s mission, but sometimes the message wouldn’t get all the way down the line and we’d have to do some fast talking.  On one occasion, Shova Mike on his mountain bike was nearly shot when he crested a hill ahead of the Defender team and surprised a patrol unit on the lookout for border jumpers and vehicle smugglers.”

The expedition witnessed the illegal cross-border trade, particularly along the Limpopo border with Zimbabwe, where innumerable holes in the fence, well-worn tracks and a busy bush-taxi service showed it was alive and kicking. They also saw first-hand the devastation that Covid-closed border posts have wrought on local communities who rely heavily on tourism and the continent-wide trucking industry. 

“It was disturbing to see border posts like ghost towns,” said Kingsley. “No business at all – from the empty shisanyama and fruit stalls lining the road, to short-stay motels and upmarket game lodges – everything closed. The loss of income must be terrifying; it really brought home the severity of the Covid-19 lockdown and how people in these outlying areas are still struggling to put food on the table.”

“Building on our motto of using our adventures to improve and save lives, this expedition wasn’t just a geographic mission – it also had a strong humanitarian focus,” explained Ross. “Supported by Land Rover, the DoMore Foundation and our partners at Goodbye Malaria and Project Rhino, we were able to distribute well over 250,000 meals-worth of vitamin-enriched DoMore nutritional porridge, as well as thousands of facemasks, sanitizing soap and digital thermometers to early childhood development centres, orphanages and needy families all along the route, especially to those living close to game reserves who have been particularly hard-hit by the loss of tourism. It was a mammoth team effort, and we were amazed at the inner strength of so many South Africans, who seem more determined than ever to improve the lives of others during these difficult Covid times.”

SA Adventurer Sibusiso Vilane helping with humanitarian work near Songimvelo NR on Eswatini border

On the final dash from Durban Harbour to Kosi Bay, the expedition’s well-travelled Zulu calabash was borne up the coast on the National Sea Rescue Institute’s state-of-the-art ‘Alick Rennie’ vessel to Umhlanga Rocks and then flown by microlight from Ballito to the Tugela River mouth. Reuniting with the Defender convoy, it journeyed up the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, still collecting water from key river mouths and lakes in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. To mark the end of its Mzansi Edge odyssey, expedition members then carried it on a 14-kilometre beach trek from Bhanga Nek to Kosi Bay Mouth, where it was symbolically emptied at the exact point where the expedition started from 80 days previously, in a jubilant end-of-expedition ceremony. 

The expedition’s Scroll of Peace and Goodwill is full of inspirational messages from hundreds of remarkable people we met all along Mzansi’s Edge,” said Kingsley. “Especially in these difficult times, it’s been good to be reminded of the unique diversity of nature, culture and community that make up our country. Wherever possible, let’s get out there and enjoy the incredible adventure destinations South Africa has to offer, staying Covid-safe of course.”

-ends

Realness/Netflix Development Executive Traineeship extended to 7 March 2021.

Development Executive Traineeship – The Second Partnership Between Netflix And The Realness Institute

The deadline for submissions for the Realness/Netflix Development Executive Traineeship (DET) has been extended to 7 March 2021.

The DET is the Realness Institute’s latest initiative, presented in partnership with Netflix, with the Episodic Lab offering the 6 selected trainees a monthly stipend of U$ 2,000.00 for three months to fully immerse themselves in the experience, accompanying the development of 6  potential Netflix African Original series.

The purpose of this traineeship is to foster this integral role and expand this expertise across the continent. Creative development is a skill that broadens opportunities for film professionals to work with national film bodies, film commissions, funders, story consultants and critics.

The programme was piloted in 2020 in conjunction with the Realness African Screenwriters’ Residency. Producers, Cait Pansegrouw and Ayanda Halimana were part of a group that shadowed the Story Consultants, Selina Ukwuoma and Mmabatho Kau, and contributed to story discussions and one to one sessions with writers. They also had sessions together without the writers, to debrief on the different creative processes and approaches in order to carve a way forward in the development of each project in the residency.

“It was refreshing to be exposed to different methods of assisting storytellers to find solutions to some problems in their development process. I particularly enjoyed that we were not only exposed to the usual stories told in the country but to have access to filmmakers from other contexts and countries.” - Ayanda Halimana, Script Consultant and DET pilot programme participant.

“As a creative producer who is passionate about working closely with writer-directors, it was really meaningful for me to actively track the development journeys of various projects, engage with several creatives at once and be able to share perspectives and techniques with my peers. I left the experience feeling even stronger in my ability to champion the development of my slate.” - Cait Pansegrouw, Producer and Head of Artistic Operations, Urucu Media and DET pilot programme participant.

“The deadline for the Episodic Lab closed with a total of 425 submissions from the three participating countries, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa,” says Asanda Biyana, Project Manager of the Lab.  “The volume and quality of these submissions show that there is a wealth of African stories needing to be told. Story development is a vital part of bringing these films to life. “

DET is now open to film professionals from ALL African countries with experience in story development, including but not limited to story/ script consultants, creative producers, commissioning editors or working for a funding body.

For more information and to apply, visit realness.institute/det

All enquiries can be sent to submissions@realness.institute

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Call For Abstracts, Papers and Digital Participation - JOMBA Dialogues

Media Release

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts and the

Jomba! Contemporary Dance Experience presents

JOMBA! 2021 Masihambisane Dialogues

2 – 4 June 2021

Call For Abstracts, Papers and Digital Participation

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts and the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Festival will launch its first inaugural 3-day dance colloquium/conference in 2021 from 2 to 4 June 2021.

This dialogues series’ called the  “Jomba! Masihambisane Dialogues” aims to support focused South African and African (and Diaspora) dance and performance scholarship in an accessible and community-driven manner. The idea is to host a “Jomba! Masihambisane Dialogues” each year with a focus on new ways of engaging dance/performance scholarship, practice, and practice-led research in innovative, provocative and interesting ways. While there is some measure of ‘conference’ about it, the idea is to imagine new and innovative ways of sharing knowledge that helps support a community of African (and African Diaspora) scholars and practitioners. We also welcome support in this endeavour from key partners in India, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The CCA and JOMBA! will host, manage and run this annual colloquium/dialogues, but it has an international community of dance/performance scholars to sit on the steering and editorial committee who will work annually to imagine fresh and innovative ideas for delivery and for access to content each year.  

The 2021 committee comprises Mr. David Thatanelo April - University of Pretoria (SA), Ms. Clare Craighead - Durban University of Technology (SA), Mr. Gift Marovatsanga - University of Zululand (SA), Dr. Lliane Loots - University of KwaZulu-Natal CCA (SA) [chair and organiser], Dr. Sarahleigh Castelyn - University of East London (UK), Ms. Thobile Maphanga - Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN - SA) [postgraduate student representative and colloquium administrator] and Dr. Yvette Hutchison - Warwick University (UK)

With COVID and the digital move to offer dance (and dance festivals) via on-line platforms and digital spaces, one of the results has been an upsurge of deeply intimate dance and screen dance work. This colloquium will take as provocation the (revised) words of Mexican poet and scholar Luis Vicente de Aguinaga that “even though every kind of politics needs a public square to exist, the politics of [dance] takes place in an intimate square

“The colloquium aims to explore/interrogate how political, economic, social, cultural and technological forces are (re)shaping the meanings of intimacy in dance making in Africa (and the African Diaspora) in the recent wake of COVID-19,” says Dr Lliane Loots. “And it will explore past and present African/African Diaspora histories of dance and performance practice that has set up shifted boundaries around ‘intimacy’ whether this has been through re-imagined performance spaces, audience engagements, choreographic process and delivery, and the actual narratives of the performance.”

The 2021 version of the Dialogues (colloquium) will be offered on-line/digitally and in livestream.

The colloquium will facilitate keynote speakers, live and digital performance making of the keynote artist-scholars as points of discussion, debate and analysis, a focused on-line workshop/panel and a number of short selected papers/digital submissions.

The CCA calls for the submission of short abstracts/proposals for consideration for inclusion in the 2021 “Jomba! Masihambisane Dialogues”.

All the details about the colloquium and submission pro0cess can be found on the JOMBA1 website https://jomba.ukzn.ac.za/jomba-masihambisane-dialogues/ . Deadline for submissions is 20 March 2021.

For queries, should the website not have answered these queries, email Dr Lliane Loots at: lootsl@ukzn.ac.za

-ends

Coming 2 America - on Amazon Prime Video - March 5 - official trailer

Amazon Studios will exclusively release COMING 2 AMERICA globally on Prime Video March 5th, 2021

The official Coming 2 America trailer is here.
Take part in the Royal festivities on Prime Video March 5th!

Directed by Craig Brewer
Screenplay by Kenya Barris and Barry W. Blaustein & David Sheffield
Story by Barry W. Blaustein & David Sheffield and Justin Kanew
Based on characters created by Eddie Murphy
Produced by Kevin Misher and Eddie Murphy
Costumes by Ruth E. Carter
Executive Produced by Brian Oliver, Bradley Fischer, Valerii An, Kenya Barris, Charisse Hewitt-Webster, Michele Imperato Stabile and Andy Berman
Starring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, Shari Headley, with Wesley Snipes and James Earl Jones. Also starring John Amos, Teyana Taylor, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Paul Bates, Nomzamo Mbatha, Bella Murphy

Set in the lush and royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi(Arsenio Hall) embark on an all-new hilarious adventure that has them traversing the globe from their great African nation to the borough of Queens, New York – where it all began.

Rated PG-13 (USA)

#Coming2America

Durban FilmMart Institute - 14th Talents Durban 2021 Call For Entries

Media Release

Durban FilmMart Institute - 14th Talents Durban 2021 Call For Entries

Durban, South Africa: The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) has opened the call for projects submissions for the 14th edition of Talents Durban.

The DFMI in cooperation with Berlinale Talents, an initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival, is proud to open the call for projects for the 14th edition of Talents Durban. Talents Durban, a project of the DFMI, will run alongside Africa’s premier co-production market and finance forum, the Durban FilmMart. 

“Our vision is to stimulate the growth of the African film industry through the development of film projects, and to network African filmmakers within the continent, and the rest of the world,” says Magdalene Reddy, Acting General Manager of the Durban FilmMart Institute. “We intend to build on the success of the 2020 virtual edition to drive African cinema forward.”

Talents Durban opens entries to African screenwriters and directors with fiction, documentary, animation, and hybrid projects in development. The programme will again welcome projects of all media formats such as film, television series, web series and content for mobile platforms. Talents Press invites emerging film critics and journalists to apply for  mentorship and hands-on training.

Talents Durban will select 32 Talents, carefully chosen by a panel of industry experts to participate in mentorship labs, workshops, discussions, market screenings, and specialised programmes for specific disciplines including directing, scriptwriting and reviewing films for digital and traditional media..  Selected Talents will also participate and interact within the formal DFM programme.

Prospective Talents must have a recognised portfolio of previous work and a project in progress (see terms and conditions for criteria).  Filmmakers are directed to complete the online application form.

Applications are now open on: 

http://www.berlinale-talents.de/bt/durban/ap/info/index

For more information contact:

Menzi Mhlongo; talentsdurban@gmail.com & menzi@durbanfilmmart.com

DEADLINE: 19 March 2021

Talents Durban is an initiative of the Durban FilmMart Institute in cooperation with Berlinale Talents. Through the international programme, with a network that extends to Talents events in Berlin, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Guadalajara, Sarajevo, Beirut, and Tokyo, as well as Durban, participants are initiated into a global community of filmmakers and connected through the Berlinale’s wide social network platform: (http://www.berlinale-talents.de).

For further enquiries contact: menzi@durbanfilmmart.com

-ends

Realness Institute & Netflix Launch Development Executive Traineeship

Realness Institute and Netflix  Extend Episodic Lab Entry Deadline and Launch New  Development Executive Traineeship 

Realness Institute’s newest program, Episodic Lab, created in partnership with Netflix, has received an overwhelmingly positive response from members of the industry online and offline. The deadline has thus been extended. submissions. Online submissions will now close upon receiving 150 additional applications or on the 8 February 2021, whichever comes first. 

The Episodic Lab offers African writers from South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria the opportunity to nurture their concepts into the series format, receive feedback and pitch them with the possibility of further production with Netflix. 

As part of the partnership, Realness Institute and Netflix will also run a Development Executive Traineeship (DET). While the Episodic Lab is open to applicants from Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, the DET will be open to applicants from across Africa and the Diaspora. It is aimed at film professionals with an interest of being trained as story consultants or to gain insight into the story development process, working with writers and directors in the development of their stories. 

“Development is a crucial part of the creative process in storytelling. At Netflix, we’re fully committed to partnering with organisations like Realness Institute to achieve our goal of ensuring Africa’s creative professionals are equipped with all the skills necessary to deliver the quality best-in-class stories from our continent,”  - Dorothy Ghettuba, Netflix Manager for African Originals.

Trainees will shadow and work alongside the creative producers and creative consultants as they run the Episodic Lab and be active contributors in the writers’ rooms. They will also engage with guest experts in story development and have separate sessions from the group of writers. 

“The biggest strength of this initiative is the living breathing journey they will embark on. Different writers work in different ways and trainees will have the opportunity to witness and learn from this with projects in active development” - Elias Ribeiro, co-Founder and Head of Creative Studies. 

“No one is thinking about training development executives in Africa yet these executives are critical for increasing the quality and volume of production in local markets. So this program is filling an incredibly important gap in the local media ecosystem.” – Mehret Mandefro, Director of Development and Partnerships 

Trainees will receive a stipend of $2000 a month for the three months, to be able to dedicate their full time to the programme. DET will take place at the same time as the Episodic Lab from 1 June until 31 August 2021.

To qualify for the Development Executive Traineeship, you will need: 

●      Development experience, as a story consultant, creative producer, commissioning editor, reader for a funding body, or a writer interested in becoming a consultant (either in Film or television)

●      Open to holders of an African passport. 

Apply online at realness.institute/DET

-       1 paragraph bio (max. 200 words)

-       CV

-       Note of Motivation - How your work would benefit from participating in this program and how your personality would fit with working with writers (max. 500 words)

-       Max. 2 professional recommendations 

-       List of projects that you have worked on as a development consultant (if applicable)

-       Proof of payment for 30 Euro Application Fee (R550 Wire Transfer fee for South African applicants)

Applications to DET will close on the 28 February 2021, Midnight SAST

‘Mission Accomplished’ for the Mzansi Edge Expedition

During these dark days of Covid, an expedition of hope to embrace the outline of South Africa and help those in need.

With adventures and exploits reminiscent of Jules Verne’s 1872 novel ‘Around the world in 80 days’, the Kingsley Holgate explorer team have completed the Mzansi Edge Expedition travelling in new Land Rover Defenders, by mountain bike and even on foot, on a marathon humanitarian mission that delivered over 250,000 nutritional meals to needy families still affected by the Covid-19 lockdown and clocking up more than 16,000 kilometres in 80 days.

Starting at Kosi Bay mouth in northern KwaZulu-Natal in mid-September with the filling of the Holgate’s traditional Zulu calabash that travels on every humanitarian and geographic journey, the expedition achieved the extraordinary feat of tracking South Africa’s total land borders with Mozambique, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia, circumnavigating land-locked Lesotho, and following the entire length of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coastlines from Alexander Bay in the Northern Cape back to Kosi Bay. 

The expedition ended at Kosi Bay - where it all began 80 days earlier.

Geographic objectives of the expedition included staying as close to the land borders as possible and reaching South Africa’s most eastern, northern, western and southern geographic points. The team also erected symbolic ‘isivivanes’ (stone cairns) at the six points where South Africa’s border meets two other countries and collected thimblefuls of water from 50 important water sources on Mzansi’s Edge in the Zulu calabash. Staying true to the coastal edge of the expedition’s route, they also reached 50 lighthouses along South Africa’s shoreline.

“This expedition turned out to be one of the most exceptional journeys I’ve ever undertaken without leaving my home country,” said the world-renowned explorer and author Kingsley Holgate, who with his team has completed over 30 geographic and humanitarian expeditions in Africa and beyond, many of them world-firsts. “Every day was a new adventure, and we were constantly amazed at the spectacular beauty, geographic diversity and rich history to be found all along South Africa’s borders and coastline, as well as the kindness and hospitality of people who ‘live on the edge’ of our magnificent country, and who fully embraced the expedition’s mission and pushed us along.”

The challenging route was also the first long-distance test for the recently launched Land Rover Defender on South African soil, with Kingsley and his son Ross Holgate putting two expedition-kitted new Defenders through their paces over some of the most difficult conditions on the continent. This included following the entire length of the Kruger National Park’s fence line with Mozambique; tracking the 500-kilometre straight-edge border with Namibia from Union’s End in the north of the Kalagadi Transfrontier Park to the Orange River; steep ascents and descents along the Lubombo and Makhonjwa mountain ranges and the high-altitude Drakensberg border with Lesotho; and navigating the precipitous cliffs of the Wild Coast.

“As a family, we have had the incredible opportunity to have adventured in every country in Africa but we never expected this homegrown Mzansi Edge expedition to throw so much at man and machine,” said expedition leader Ross Holgate. “Following a fence line day after day and week after week, is not easy. The road conditions were a complete mishmash: deep sand ruts, sharp jagged rocks, high Kalahari dunes, overgrown tracks and wash-aways were part of our everyday journey. We also experienced intense heat up to 50 degrees Celsius and days of endless mud and torrential rain.” 

At the Kruger National Park Mozambique border

Joining the adventurous father and son duo were Kingsley’s partner Sheelagh, Ross’s wife Anna, Kingsley’s 19-year-old grandson Tristan who is learning the ‘expedition ropes’, and expedition veteran ‘Shova Mike’ Nixon, one of only four people in the world to have completed every Absa Cape Epic, said to be the toughest mountain bike race in the world. He cycled over 4,500-kilometres of the Mzansi Edge expedition route, including a gruelling, solo 300-kilometre journey along the beaches and cliffs of the Wild Coast from Cintsa to Port St Johns. Other South African adventurers who joined the expedition for short spells included Project Rhino ambassador Richard Mabanga and mountaineers Andre Bredenkamp and Sibusiso Vilane, the first African to successfully summit Mt Everest.

Staying so close to South Africa’s borders created some interesting moments for the team. “With travel bans still in place, some of the fence lines were heavily guarded by the SADF and we had to get permission from the top military brass beforehand,” recalled Ross. “They were always supportive of the expedition’s mission, but sometimes the message wouldn’t get all the way down the line and we’d have to do some fast talking.  On one occasion, Shova Mike on his mountain bike was nearly shot when he crested a hill ahead of the Defender team and surprised a patrol unit on the lookout for border jumpers and vehicle smugglers.”

The expedition witnessed the illegal cross-border trade, particularly along the Limpopo border with Zimbabwe, where innumerable holes in the fence, well-worn tracks and a busy bush-taxi service showed it was alive and kicking. They also saw first-hand the devastation that Covid-closed border posts have wrought on local communities who rely heavily on tourism and the continent-wide trucking industry. 

“It was disturbing to see border posts like ghost towns,” said Kingsley. “No business at all – from the empty shisanyama and fruit stalls lining the road, to short-stay motels and upmarket game lodges – everything closed. The loss of income must be terrifying; it really brought home the severity of the Covid-19 lockdown and how people in these outlying areas are still struggling to put food on the table.”

“Building on our motto of using our adventures to improve and save lives, this expedition wasn’t just a geographic mission – it also had a strong humanitarian focus,” explained Ross. “Supported by Land Rover, the DoMore Foundation and our partners at Goodbye Malaria and Project Rhino, we were able to distribute well over 250,000 meals-worth of vitamin-enriched DoMore nutritional porridge, as well as thousands of facemasks, sanitizing soap and digital thermometers to early childhood development centres, orphanages and needy families all along the route, especially to those living close to game reserves who have been particularly hard-hit by the loss of tourism. It was a mammoth team effort, and we were amazed at the inner strength of so many South Africans, who seem more determined than ever to improve the lives of others during these difficult Covid times.”

SA Adventurer Sibusiso Vilane helping with humanitarian work near Songimvelo NR on Eswatini border

On the final dash from Durban Harbour to Kosi Bay, the expedition’s well-travelled Zulu calabash was borne up the coast on the National Sea Rescue Institute’s state-of-the-art ‘Alick Rennie’ vessel to Umhlanga Rocks and then flown by microlight from Ballito to the Tugela River mouth. Reuniting with the Defender convoy, it journeyed up the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, still collecting water from key river mouths and lakes in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. To mark the end of its Mzansi Edge odyssey, expedition members then carried it on a 14-kilometre beach trek from Bhanga Nek to Kosi Bay Mouth, where it was symbolically emptied at the exact point where the expedition started from 80 days previously, in a jubilant end-of-expedition ceremony. 

The expedition’s Scroll of Peace and Goodwill is full of inspirational messages from hundreds of remarkable people we met all along Mzansi’s Edge,” said Kingsley. “Especially in these difficult times, it’s been good to be reminded of the unique diversity of nature, culture and community that make up our country. Wherever possible, let’s get out there and enjoy the incredible adventure destinations South Africa has to offer, staying Covid-safe of course.”

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Durban FilmMart Institute – 2021 Project Submissions Call Out

Durban, South Africa: The Durban FilmMart Institute has opened the call for project submissions for the 2021 Durban FilmMart (DFM).

“Our vision is to stimulate the growth of the African film industry through the development of film projects, and to network African filmmakers within the continent, and the rest of the world,” says Magdalene Reddy, acting General Manager of the Durban FilmMart Institute. “The success of the DFM over the years can be seen in the many independent film projects that have reached festivals as well as big and small screens, and the connections and relationships that have been developed and forged over the years.”

 “In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the DFM took place as a virtual edition which attracted over 1000 online delegates from 64 countries. These delegates represented producers, directors, scriptwriters, distributors, broadcasters, sales agents, financiers, investors, festival programmes and other film industry representatives from around the world, and we are hoping to grow these numbers and attract more interest in our 12th edition.”

The DFMI independent adjudication committee will select ten feature-length documentaries and ten feature-length fiction film projects from the submissions. These projects will undergo a two-day packaging and mentorship programme during the DFM, followed by one-on-one meetings with a panel of film financiers, buyers, and distributors from across the globe.

Full-length fiction and documentary film projects with Africans in the major creative roles (writers, directors, and producers) seeking co-producers, financiers, sales agents, and funders are invited to submit. These are read and reviewed by an adjudication committee for consideration. A producer and director must be attached to the project. The deadline for submission is 21 February 2021.

For more about the Durban FilmMart Institute, project submission criteria, and how to submit your project, visit http://www.durbanfilmmart.co.za/ProjectSubmissions . The submission link is opened for applications.

For further enquiries contact: info@durbanfilmmart.com.

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Realness Institute opens call for submissions for Episodic Lab in partnership with Netflix

Media Release

Realness Institute opens call for submissions for Episodic Lab in partnership with Netflix

30 November: Realness Institute has opened its call for submissions for its latest offering, Episodic Lab, a series development lab presented in partnership with global streaming service Netflix.

Episodic Lab will be looking for screenwriters from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa with authentic and original stories of all genres. The initiative is only open to writers from the 3 countries where Netflix is currently focusing its African Originals strategy.

The Lab will take place online from 1 June 2021 to 31 August 2021 where selected writers will work on developing pitch documents for their story concepts.

Six writers will be chosen to spend 3 months in a ‘writers room’ format where they will work with a script consultant and a creative producer to fully develop their story concepts into an episodic pitch. Along with creative training, writers will receive feedback from Netflix Originals’ development team.

Speaking from Cape Town South Africa, Asanda Biyana, Realness Partner and Project Manager of the Episodic Lab says, “Series give writers the space to make bigger worlds and more layered stories. There is no limit for what can be submitted, and we believe that with the pool of talent on our continent, and our incredible ability to tell stories, that we will see some extraordinary talent emerging from this process. We are excited and are preparing to work really hard to select the first cohort for the Lab.”

A stipend of US$2000 per month will be paid to the participants to cover living expenses as they dedicate their time to the process.  At the end of the Lab, each writer will have an opportunity to pitch their finished product to Netflix and have their series developed for production. If Netflix does not commission further development and/or production, the rights to the developed material default to the authors. Creators should not be committed to a producer or director to participate in the Lab.

To apply applicants must meet the following criteria: 

●     The Writer/writing team* must have either Film or Television experience, (*only one writer will be able to participate if selected.)

●     They can write in any genre of fiction

●     They must be able to communicate and work in English (although the story can be in a local language but would require translation for the Lab)

●     The concept must be set in South Africa, Kenya OR Nigeria

●     No producers or directors should be attached to the script

●     Pay a submission fee

To apply:

Applicants must complete the online application on the Realness Institute website at www.realness.institute/episodic-lab-application. Applicants are advised to read through the form before submitting.

Applicants will be required to pay a submission fee of 30 Euros via Paypal or 55 Euros via international wire transfer to cover the banking charges.

The deadline for submissions is the 31 January 2021 at midnight SAST.

Queries about the programme or application process can be directed to email submissions@realness.institute.

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Asanda Biyana, Realness Partner and Project Manager of the Episodic Lab prepares for the opening at submissions with Mehmet Mandefro - Realness Institute Director of Development and Partnerships.

Teboho Edkins’ Days of Cannibalism awarded top documentary prize at El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt

Teboho Edkins’ Days of Cannibalism awarded top documentary prize at El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt

South African film-maker Teboho Edkins’ documentary Days of Cannibalism took tops honours in the documentary competition section of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival last week.

Still from Days of Cannibalism directed by Teboho Edkins

The film was awarded the El Gouna Golden Star for Documentary Film which comes with a cash prize of $30 000.

Days of Cannibalism premiered at the Berlinale International Film Festival earlier this year where it was nominated for best documentary. It had its South Africa premiere at Encounters in August 2020 where it was awarded second place in the documentary competition. It has since gone on to screen at the Durban International Film Festival, CPH:DOX, Visions du Réel, amongst others, and will be screened at Porto/Post/Doc and the New Directors / New Films in New York in December.

The Western-styled documentary is set in the bleak rugged terrain of a remote rural Lesotho, Southern Africa. It is here that economic pioneers are met with unease by local communities, and these self-made Chinese merchants negotiate their place alongside traditional Basotho cattle breeders.

Edkins, who works between Cape Town and Berlin, Germany was elated about the award: “After years of focusing on this film project, which explores the impact of globalisation in Lesotho where I grew up and more broadly on the African continent., it is so humbling to watch it being appreciated in the market place at festivals,” he said. “This was the first physical screening of my film in Africa. It is a great honour to see the film on an African stage and to be recognized with this prize. I would like to express my appreciation to the organizers for making the festival happen in these challenging times.”

The film has been picked up by Indie Sales. For more information go to www.indiesales.eu

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Note to Editors: More about the El Gouna Film Festival

One of the leading festivals in the MENA region, GFF aims to showcase a wide variety of films for a passionate and knowledgeable audience, while fostering better communication between cultures through the art of filmmaking. Its goal is to connect filmmakers from the region with their international counterparts in the spirit of cooperation and cultural exchange. The festival is committed to the discovery of new voices and strives to be a catalyst for the development of cinema in the Arab world.

Shabnam Palesa Mohamed reviews Mogul Mowgli - directed by Bassam Tariq, starring Riz Ahmed (European Film Fest SA)

MOGUL MOWGLI- reviewed by Shabnam Palesa Mohamed

(12 November - 22 November - online and free at European Film festival SA)

Making a film that has both art and commercial appeal is a stand-up and applaud feat. In fact, if I wasn’t watching this film from the comfort of my home, I might stand up in the cinema, and slow clap.

Riz Ahmed in Mogul Mowgli

Mogul Mowgli nails this Holy Grail appeal with authentic, out-the-box imagination. It’s a film about Zaheer Anwar – a British-Pakistani rap artist whose slam poetry speaks to being a POC, identity, the challenges of immigration, assimilation, and love - certainly some of the best rap lyrics written for screen. I was reminded of Eminem film, 8 Mile. Except this time, I could relate to the character better.

Anwar’s mother adores him, but it is his loving father who is his champion. On a trip home to visit his doting parents, who he hasn’t seen in two years, there are relatable scenes where he is called a “coconut” for changing his name from Zaheer to Zed. Just one week before he goes on a dream rap tour to Europe, Anwar increasingly loses feeling in his legs, gets into a scuffle with a fan, and collapses outside a mosque that he hasn’t been to, in years. There’s also an amusingly ridiculous debate scene involving a marijuana joint that Muslims and non-Muslims may understand. You decide who is right!

Still from Mogul Mowgli

His hospital chapter is fascinating. From discussions about chilli rituals to ward off nazr or the “evil eye” that made him sick, to his father arranging traditional cupping (hijama) treatment to heal his legs. But the scenes that stand out - because we are never told who he is - are Anwar’s hallucinations of a mysterious man with a flower veil who bizarrely stalks him.  As a child, Anwar saw this man at a Qawaali (Sufi style singing) event at his father’s modest restaurant. These scenes are interspersed with surreal, almost time travel-like scenes of Anwar on a train his father fled in after the British colonial partition of India. Because of this pain, Anwar seeks POC unity with African-American rappers.

It turns out Anwar has a hereditary auto-immune disease, which he is angry at his father for not telling him about. Meanwhile, his father does everything, from bathing him, to pray for him. His manager becomes stressed about the rap tour and brings in a replacement, a typical “Gucci gang” mumble rapper, who Anwar despises for polluting the art of conscious lyrics. Anwar is forced to sell one of his songs to the third eye tattooed fan, almost as painful for him as his mom working at a grocery store.

Riz Ahmed

Bismillah, Anwar has a biopsy. He is told his disease is degenerative and chronic. There is an experimental treatment, but it comes with chemo-like side effects and possible infertility. He is advised to save his sperm before the infusion treatment. His ex-girlfriend Bina phones just as he awkwardly stares at the ‘material’ intended to motivate him to release sperm - to be frozen just in case he wants kids. Bina doesn’t want to get back together; Anwar’s career has always been a priority.

Nelson Mandela makes an appearance, well, his name anyway. RPK the sex lyrics rapper says “Without apartheid, there would be no Mandela. Without you, there would be no me”. Ahmed’s acting is so brilliant, I could sense him wanting to mentally vomit. Gaunt and weak, there is a heart-breaking scene where Anwar, on the floor, has his stressed, arguing parents removed from his hospital room. Having recovered from a rare form of leukaemia myself, I could relate to his anguish, and his parent’s grief.

The closing scene, of his traditional father rapping with him as he sits on the toilet, is probably my favourite. But it’s the last shot that lingers in my mind. He looks towards the camera, and his expression changes. Did he see the veiled man again? Was it him or his father hiding on that train? Who was laying on the floor in the hospital? What was on his face after his seizure? The EUFF organisers chose the perfect film to whet my appetite to watch the other eleven! Bravo to the writers Riz Ahmed and Bassam Tariq. Does Zed recover? You will have to watch, and like me, will him to walk.

Catch this and 11 other films at the European Film Festival (12-22 November - online - click on this link to book - https://films.eurofilmfest.co.za/

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Shabnam Palesa Mohamed is an award-winning activist, author, poet, radio journalist, and former documentary filmmaker. She manages the Centre for Fine Art, Animation and Design in Durban.

Shabnam Palesa Mohamed

Climate Action Activities during European Film Festival

Sharpening the spear for climate justice and building back better after Covid-19

One of the films in this year’s European Film Festival is I am Greta the new documentary on Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager whose quiet yet laser-sharp focus has generated massive public attention on climate change, and inspired a generation of young activists.  The film will be screened online in South Africa, from 12 to 22 November, and will be augmented by a number of climate action activities including a live discussion on Friday, 13 November at 18:00 (SA Time).

Climate change is undoubtedly one of the greatest crises humanity has ever faced. In 2015, 196 countries signed the Paris Climate Accord to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming. There are many who say the Paris Climate Agreement does not go nearly far enough to address the urgencies, or the imperative of climate justice. Another question is how effective the commitments are in practice. Signing a non-binding Agreement is one thing, but implementation is another – especially here in the world’s most unequal country, where an internal Global North way overproduces and overconsumes our fair share of the continent’s emissions. This hard-to-hear reality underscores the importance of both climate action and climate justice organisations and watchdogs. They monitor progress or shortcomings, and hold governments, corporations, the wealthy and multilateral transgressors accountable. 

Sharpening the spear

The festival’s climate programme includes screenings of the I am Greta documentary and awareness discussions in schools and community centres around the country and the live Zoom event Climate Justice South Africa: sharpening the spear.  This Zoom event brings pertinent experts together for a series of short presentations articulating the status of local climate change impacts, and outlining mitigation strategies, initiatives, and ways forward for South Africa.

In a presentation entitled From Climate (in)Action to Climate Justice, an author of numerous books and articles, Professor Patrick Bond of the University of the Western Cape School of Government, will offer an overview of climate politics and projects in South Africa. His critiques are razor sharp, and tackle the UN, national and municipal governments, corporations and activists, in turn. 

Ulrich Steenkamp of Earthlife Africa

From the renowned advocacy and activist group Earthlife Africa, Ulrich Steenkamp’s  presentation on Energy Democracy is framed against the democratic rights of the citizens of this country, the need for access to clean energy, and for participation in decision-making processes. 

Avena Jacklin of the Pietermaritzburg-based NGO groundWork/Friends of the Earth South Africa  addresses Environmental Protection Urgencies. She connects the dots from climate to the devastating water crises – droughts and periodic floods – and the importance of reshaping management of this basic resource. 

Ayakha Melithafa from the Africa Climate Alliance.

The younger generation is whose future is most at stake, as explained by Ayakha Melithafa from the Africa Climate Alliance. What innovative approaches do the youth bring to advocacy efforts and awareness campaigns, how does Youth Activism feed into policy and legislative processes so that South Africa is able to address the challenges with integrity, fairness and justice? What ecological and social rights do we need to recognise what must be ensured for future generations? 

All the member states participating in this European Film Festival are signatories to the Paris Agreement. South Africa is a signatory. Now that the United States is going to rejoin Paris, once Donald Trump vacates the White House next January 20, a global-to-national-to-local scan is vital. Greta Thunberg teaches us how to do this through the idealistic eyes of the youth, and we must turn a laser glare to addressing this greatest crisis humanity has ever faced, especially since the “Just Transition”, “decarbonisation” and “Build Back Better” refrains are still being heard from the South African presidency. This Live Zoom discussion is a reminder of the climate catastrophe and a call to action, to all of us. Access the event at 18.00 (SA time) on Friday 13 November through a link from the Special Events page on www.eurofilmfest.co.za.

Fikile Ntshangase, the anti-mining activist wy

This event is dedicated to the memory of Fikile Ntshangase, the anti-mining activist who was assassinated on 22 October. Ntshangase was the deputy chairperson of the Mfolozi Community Environmental Justice Organisation (Mcejo), which has stood steadfastly against the Tendele Coal Mine’s expansion in the Somkhele village area.

The European Film Festival 2020 is a partnership project of the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa and 12 other European embassies and cultural agencies in South Africa:  the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Wallonie-Bruxelles International, the French Institute in South Africa, the Goethe-Institut, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the British Council. The festival is organised in cooperation with CineEuropa and coordinated by Creative WorkZone.

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Free special events programme at the European Film Festival in South Africa

Special events programme at the European Film Festival in South Africa

A programme of free special events and filmmaker engagements will augment the European Film Festival which kicks off its 2020 edition on 12 November with free online screenings of new European films.  

To enrich the viewer experience a number of pre-recorded Q&A sessions with the directors will be available immediately after the screening of certain films.   In addition, a series of live online discussions will keep the conversations flowing during the festival footprint. “We live in a new world of COVID protocols so the pre-recorded interviews and online engagements are a good way to maintain the connection to the filmmakers, hear about the filmmaking processes, and discuss topical issues,” explains Magdalene Reddy, co-director of the festival.

 Online Engagements

To synergise with the new documentary on Greta Thunberg, an online event called Climate Action South Africa – sharpening the spear will focus attention on the climate crisis in this country.  This 6pm discussion on 13 November will feature presentations from Earthlife Africa’s Ulrich Steenkamp on Energy Democracy, Groundwork’s Avena Jacklin on Environment Protection Urgencies, African Climate Alliance’s Ayakha Melithafa on the crucial role of Youth Activism, and the University of Western Cape’s Patrick Bond on the shift from Climate Action to Climate Justice and the ways forward for South Africa.

Using the film Sweat as a starting point the discussion Social Media and Me – who is winning? with director Magnus von Horn and clinical psychologist Dr.Khosi Jiyane will take a prescient look at the impact of social media on individuals and society, and how we manage our actual and virtual realities. Catch it on 16 Nov at 6pm

On Tuesday 17 November (6pm)  Griet Op De Beeck, Flemish author of the award-winning book Kom Hier Dat Ek Jou Kus joins Sabine Lubbe Bakker and Niels van Koevoerden, the directors of Becoming Mona, which is based on the book, to explore the process of Transforming Books to Film. Also participating in this discussion is Oscar-winning Stefan Ruzowitzky whose film Narcissus and Goldmund is an adaption of Hermann Hesse’s legendary novel of the same name.

The following evening (18 November at 6pm) Op De Beeck will discuss her book on the occasion of the launch of its translation into Afrikaans as Kom Hier Dat Ek Jou Soen.

Wednesday 18 November (6pm) also brings Films and Fake News- an unfortunate true story where filmmakers and investigative journalists discuss the use of film in spreading fake news and exposing fake news.  It features Johannes Naber, director of Curveball, and German journalist Holger Stark, in discussion with Diana Neille and Richard Poplak, directors of Influence which has been winning awards around South Africa since its premiere at Sundance earlier this year.

The festival film The 8th focuses on the campaign to repeal the 8th amendment which criminalised abortion in Ireland. Expanding on the issue of reproductive rights in South Africa is a webinar entitled Making the Right to Choice a Reality taking place on Thursday 19 November  (2pm) and featuring leaders of the Irish campaign in discussion with local specialists.

On Friday 20 November (6pm) is the discussion Filming Unspoken Histories – Sylvia Vollenhoven in conversation with Lucas Belvaux. Here the director of Home Front discusses the making of his film with a focus on the uncovering of toxic or buried histories and its impact on societies and individuals.  

Community Centre and school programmes

There will also be a regulated programme of physical events at selected community centres and schools where screenings of the films I am Greta and Sweat will be followed by mediated discussions on the film topics of climate action and social media.  Participating community centres include Isivivana Centre in Khayalitsha, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation Youth Activism programme,  and Windybrow Arts Centre in Johannesburg, Wushwini Arts Centre and the Wilderness Leadership School in Durban.  The Climate Action programme at Isivivana Centre will also include three short films and discussion with local ocean activists, Loyiso Dunga, Faine Loubser and Mogamet Shamier, whose work highlights the wonders of the Cape ocean and the Great African Sea Forest.

For more information about the various special events visit the Events page on www.eurofilmfest.

The European Film Festival 2020 is a partnership project of the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa and 12 other European embassies and cultural agencies in South Africa:  the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Wallonie-Bruxelles International, the French Institute in South Africa, the Goethe-Institut, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the British Council. The festival is organised in cooperation with CineEuropa and coordinated by Creative WorkZone.

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ArtsAbility 2020 Festival during International Month of Persons Living with Disabilities

Media Release

ARTSABILITY 2020  - During International Month of Persons Living with Disabilities

The ArtsAbility Festival, presented annually by Cape Town’s UNMUTE Dance Company, is Africa’s premier inclusive arts festival which takes place online from 3 November until 3 December.

In its sixth year, ArtsAbility 2020 continues to present an exciting, innovative space for both disabled and able-bodied artists and performers, offering a plethora of performances, webinars, and creative works. This year the festival moves online to present this FREE virtual experience, which pays tribute to International Month of Persons living with Disabilities.  

Under the overarching theme, Spaces & Homes Invasion Festival of Transmission (SHIFT) ONLINE it has taken advantage of the constraints of the Corona Virus Pandemic, by using the virtual space to increase the usually six-day event to a month-long online feast of inclusive talent and creative genius. ArtsAbility 2020 has opened its doors to not only local South African creators, but also Africa and the World.

“The theme is a striving to taking inclusivity in the arts to community spaces and people,” says Nadine McKenzie, Unmute Artistic Director. 

“This year, with the virtual innovation, Unmute has taken the opportunity presented by a month-long on-line event to incorporate many more artists and performances. This has not been possible in previous festivals.”  

This year the objectives of the festival are three-fold, firstly to provide exposure for those young inclusive artists who are already producing works in communities. Secondly, to provide a platform for collaborative works between South African, African and global inclusive artists. And lastly, to provide learning opportunities through the Access Lecture, Inclusive Webinars, Sign Language lessons, and Integrated Dance workshop programme. 

“The golden thread running through ArtsAbility 2020 is the vision of Unmute; Inclusivity, Accessibility and Integration. The aim is to SHIFT perceptions, to aid society in a way that inclusivity becomes a daily practice and not a once-off event,” say McKenzie.

One of the must-see performances on offer is Access Denied; a video presentation/film where three artists from Unmute Dance Theatre explores different accessibility challenges these artists deal with daily in a society that overlooks persons with disabilities and their need to move around freely and independently. Other companies presenting work include Flatfoot Dance Company (South Africa), Axis Dance Company (USA), BewegGrund (Switzerland), and including new digital dance work coming out of a series of incredible residencies hosted by Unmute that include artists from Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, DRC and South Africa.

To view the fest - “subscribe” (there is no charge) to the Youtube Channel : https://youtube.com/channel/UC7ZLr5TYIWE1TnofgYxOtwg 

ArtsAbility 2020 is made possible by the National Arts Council of South Africa, in partnership with Artscape Theatre Centre and Survé Philanthropies.

For more information follow the Unmute Dance Company on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artsabilityfes 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artsabilityfes/ 

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC7ZLr5TYIWE1TnofgYxOtwg 

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For media queries contact candice@headsupcomm.co.za

or email nadine@unmute.co.za

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Durban holiday fun? Try eNanda Adventure Park!

Durban: It has been a long tough grind for those in the tourism industry hard hit by the COVID-19 regulations and travel bans. So it is not surprising that one small exquisite spot in Durban has begun to capture the imagination of local tourists, and things appear to be on the rise. 

Nestled in a far corner of the expansive Inanda Dam is the Green Corridors eNanda Adventure Park – a 30-minute drive from central Durban, and an ideal spot to enjoy now that holidays are upon us. This is one of the many “green spaces” managed by this NPO, which has as its vision for people and nature to connect and thrive together.  And an ideal spot to enjoy

This particular spot, with secure parking, is easily accessed via the M25, which runs east to west from the N2. The park boasts a picturesque picnic site on the dam for day-trippers, with accommodation in either rustic cabins, glamping-style tented camp, or in the Ezweni Lodge self-catering establishment set up on the hill overlooking the park. There are many exciting activities to choose from with trained and experienced local guides, including hiking and MTB trails, canoeing, and birding-watching. There is also a fast-action bike pump-track for the die-hard cyclists wanting to test their mettle on a world-class developed tarred circuit. There is something for the whole family here.

The Inanda Adventure Park is managed by businessman and owner of Ezweni Lodge, Futhi Sibiya, who says he has been “surprised at how local tourists have been discovering the beauty of their back yards.”

“The Green Corridors ethos is to act as an enabler for people to work within green spaces, and this goes hand in hand with the development of local skills and businesses which key to the community’s well-being,” says Sibiya. 

Recently Sibiya has introduced a small craft market, which operates every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, where one can get takkies/ sneakers washed, buy locally made jewellery, clothes, and food, and even get a back massage.

Seeing a gap in the corporate market for authentic adventure team building in nature, Sibiya has introduced several packages in which companies and organisations can spend a day in a beautiful rural setting, learning team-work skills and bond, with everything from catering to the programme included.

‘We have seen an incredible increase in local visitors booking hikes and enjoying the park, much more than in the past. I think people have become tired of being locked away in their homes. This is great news for us - the more people that visit this community, the more the local economy in this rural heartland will benefit.”

There is a nominal fee of R30 for day visit to the site which is falls away when guests pay for any of the other activities in the park. Hikes, trails, and canoeing also attract a nominal fee. There is no bike hire, so bring your own bike, and helmets must be worn. All Covid-19 protocols are adhered to. 

For more information go to https://durbangreencorridor.co.za/ or to book contact 031-3226062 or 073 189 6780.

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Snakes in the City - have a snake you need rescuing?

Call 063 234 6932 - Greater Durban Area - until 4 November 2020

There is nothing that motivates an adventurous spirit more than being in lockdown for months during the COVID19 pandemic, and passionate reptile-lovers and conservationists Simon and Siouxsie of National Geographic Wild’s globally popular reality series Snakes in the City, are no exception.

Back in South Africa, after returning home to the UK just before international borders closing earlier this year, this dynamic, adrenaline-loving couple hope to soon continue with the filming and are on standby to rescue, remove, or relocate snakes in and around Durban.

“We are loving being back as the Spring rains start to turn the KwaZulu-Natal countryside a gorgeous green, and the weather is warming up, bringing out the incredibly diverse range of snakes,” enthuses Siouxsie. “It was quite difficult for us, with our adrenaline-filled lifestyle, to bunker down for all these months, but we are very blessed to have got through it, and are over the moon about starting the filming process again.” 

“We look forward to meeting the many different people in and around Durban, many of whom, have a fear of snakes, and have no idea what to do when encountering them,” says Simon. “Filming our rescues, removals, and relocations, enables us to educate people about snakes, and that they are a vital part of the eco-system and, for the most part, are harmless. It truly heartens us when we manage to convince a person that killing a snake is not an option and that they are not as terrifying as they think.”

The series, which reaches a global audience, is produced by local production house Earth Touch, will be filmed using strict SA government COVID-19 guidelines and regulations. “We have developed a best practice and protocol plan that the whole crew and cast have been thoroughly briefed on, to make filming safe for the team, as well as the members of the public with whom they will come into contact whilst filings,” explains Graeme Duane, Creative Director: Earth Touch. 

Simon and Siouxsie are available to attend to a snake that needs to be rescued, removed or relocated, from properties of people living in the greater Durban area, including as far south as Illovo Beach, inland to Botha’s Hill, and north to Tongaat. There is no charge for a call out, and depending on the circumstances, the caller may (with permission of course) end up on the international reality TV series. 

The number to call is 063 234 6932.

Artify is a brand new e-commerce site for - well - ART!

Artify is a brand new e-commerce site specifically designed for the sale of visual art.

It was created, initially, by the Hilton Arts Festival as a part of the Virtual Celebration which took the place of the Festival this year. It can be viewed on either www.hiltonfestival.co.za (click on Artify) or artify.africa

Artify is an ideal platform for visual artists of all genres to make their work available to the public.  Although only two months old, the 55 artists who have already joined are thrilled with the ease with which the site works, the quality of the art for sale ad – most importantly – that there have already been sales. Feedback from the public has also been positive, with buyers finding the site easy to navigate and very secure. It is possible to search for work by artist name, genre and medium – so finding your favourites is easy! Artify offers a door to door courier service between buyer and seller.  Nothing could be easier!

Artify is profiling many well-known names in the art world from internationally acclaimed potter, Andrew Walford, and KZN’s own much loved oil painter, Anton Benzon’s, iconic landscapes to many artists offering the public a great variety wildlife, portraits, botanicals, abstract, architectural  and still life work. Mediums range from photography to watercolours, pottery to charcoal, acrylic to sculpture.   Plans are afoot to include sections on pop, graffiti, anime, bespoke craft and contemporary African work.

Art is an everlasting gift to give. As we approach the festive season of this extraordinary year in the history of mankind, choose art to give friends and loved ones, support those who are trying to generate their own income rather than global conglomerates with mass produced goods.

Art is the soul of the nation – be a part of this creative soul.

Artify can be found on artify.africa and on FB, Instagram and Twitter. It can also be accessed via www.hiltonfestival.co.za