October 31, 2005
By Tammy O'Reilly
NEWTOWN will live up to its name as the city's art and culture hub when it hosts the main leg of the Playtime Festival.
The festival is a celebration of the spirit of the city and the arts. Artists will perform and exhibit at various venues around Newtown from Thursday, 3 November to Saturday, 5 November.
In a bid to expose as many people as possible to the arts, a portion of the festival will be staged at the Soweto Kliptown Youth Community Centre, in Kliptown, on Sunday 6 November.
"We are taking art and performance out of the galleries and theatres and bringing it to a wider audience," says Catherine Duncan, the event's publicist. "The Playtime Festival is against artistic exclusivity; we aim to make contemporary culture available to everyone."
Apart from providing a platform for emerging artists, the festival aims to lure people into the inner city and expose them to the venues and positive developments in the area.
"The positive and vibrant Newtown neighbourhood was overshadowed by the negative impression people had about the city. The Playtime Festival was, and still is, about inviting and encouraging audiences to come back into the city and see for themselves that it is an exciting nucleus of art and culture."
There will be poetry readings, live music, outdoor film screenings and visual art exhibitions on the last two days of the Newtown leg of the festival.
"Playtime has always striven to be a family event, where people can get together outdoors. It is accessible to everyone either for free or for a minimal charge, but the heart of the festival life is the outdoor cinema, where audiences can really feel a part of the city and not simply race from one enclosed venue to another."
On Friday, 4 November Newtown Park will be transformed into an outdoor cinema for a screening of Beauty and the Beast by French cinematic genius Jean Cocteau. This masterpiece has enchanted audiences for more than 50 years and everyone is invited to witness its surreal beauty and magical visual effects.
The highlight of the day is the exhibition walkabout at Drill Hall. Artist Guy Tillim will be exhibiting Jo'burg, a series of his photographs that document the city's inner city residents and street kids.
Poetry reading performances fill each of the last three days of the festival. John Matshikiza, Xarra Books and Professor Korapetse Kgositsile are just a few of the names in the line-up.
Horror Café in Newtown will host the Playtime Groove Time Party. DJ Nicky Blumefeld will be on the decks with her signature blend of sounds inspired by jazz and Latino beats. Tickets are R30 at the door.
The line-up for the Kliptown leg of the Playtime Festival includes a performance by Ntja-Pedi - Two Dogs, a group of talented youngsters whose sound is a blend of jazz, pop and traditional African music.
Soweto born artist Rasik Greane will also exhibit his paintings depicting life in the township.
The Playtime Festival is organised by the French Institute of South Africa. For more information contact the institute on 011 836 0561.
Schedule for Playtime 2005
| THURSDAY 3 | 15:30 Walkabout of Joburg photographic exhibition with Guy Tillim and the MPW students, The Drill Hall
18:30 Launch of Guy Tillim's Book - Joburg |
| FRIDAY 4 | 18:00 Exhibition: Mothlabane Mashiangwako, Market Theatre Gallery
18:30 Poetry performance by John Matshikiza and Jahn Beukes, Market Theatre Gallery (free performance)
20:00 Performance: Tony Morkel and Fred Koenig, Newtown Park (free performance)
21:00 Outdoor Film Screening: Beauty and the Beast, Newtown Park (free screening)
22:30 Music: Ntja-Pedi line up, Shivava (free concert) |
| SATURDAY 5 | 18:00 Poetry reading with Prof. Kgotsisile (Bra Willy), Xarra Books
18:30 Exhibition/ performance: Jean-Christophe Lanquetin, Bag Factory
19:30 Exhibition: Sandile Zulu and Goncalo Mabunda, Afronova Gallery
20:30 Outdoor Film Screening: Jules and Jim, Newtown Park (free screening)
22:00 Music: Nicky Blumenfeld and the Banana Boys, Horror Café (R30.00 at the door) |
| SUNDAY 6 | 14:00 Workshop Simon Kohn, SKY
14:00 Performance/Exhibition: Graffiti, Visitors Centre
16:00 Exhibition Rasik "Ekse" Graene, Visitor's Centre
17:00 Poetry performance by John Matshikiza and Jahn Beukes, Visitor's Centre (free performance)
18:00 Performance: Tony Morkel and Fred Koenig, Visitors Centre (free performance)
18:30 Music: Ntja-Pedi line up, Visitor's Centre (free concert) |
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
