August 24, 2007
By Ndaba Dlamini
ART and culture will be explored in the Shared Histories - Celebrating India in South Africa Festival, an extravaganza of music, theatre, food, craft and literature from the Indian sub-continent.
Speaking at the Indian consulate in Parktown on Wednesday, 22 August, the consul-general in Johannesburg, Navdeep Suri, said the festival would give people a peek into contemporary India, and draw upon the rich traditions of South Africa.
Transposition - a spectacular production from India, featuring dance, martial arts and puppetry
It forms part of the annual, month-long Arts Alive festival, which is supported by the City of Johannesburg.
"The nine-week festival will provide a platform for dialogue and collaborative work between eminent local and Indian musicians, crafts persons, literary figures and dancers," Suri said.
It started on Thursday, 23 August and runs until 31 October; there will be a host of workshops and performances at various venues across the city.
Words on Water
Words on Water, focusing on Indian writers in South Africa, kicked off the Shared Histories festival at the Origins Centre, at the University of the Witwatersrand, on 23 August at 5.30pm. Words on Water will involve book readings and signings, meet the author opportunities, and talks and discussions between South African and Indian writers, so bringing together the two diverse cultures.
Stephen Gelb, the director of the Edge Institute who is researching economic links between South Africa and India, said Words on Water would also showcase a cross-section of fiction and non-fiction Indian writing.
"Well-known South African authors like Liz McGregor and Elinor Sisulu will engage in topical issues including sex, cricket, biography and bestsellers. We hope to capture the mind space of a broad swath of people and introduce South African audiences to the trends in Indian writing in English of recent times. There will also be seven to eight authors from Indian who will be participating in the festival."
There will also be readings at Exclusive Books in Hyde Park. Words on Water runs until 28 August, and entrance is free.
Festival of Indian Films
A festival of Indian films is also on the cards. Sanjay Roy, the chief executive of India's Teamworkfilms, said it would provide an opportunity for Indian filmmakers based in India to get to know what is happening in South Africa, and vice versa.
"It's been incredible to see such beauty of the people of South Africa. As Indian artists from India, we are here to look for collaborations and partnerships and take what we have seen in the country back to India and the diaspora."
CEO of Teamworkfilms in India, Sanjoy Roy
The Festival of Indian Films will include a retrospective of the actress Sharmila Tagore and will include screenings of her seminal films. Tagore will inaugurate the festival and will take part in a discussion, In Conversation. She will talk about her 50 years in the industry and her marriage to Nawab "Tiger" Pataudi, India's famous cricket captain.
Threads in Time
One of the main attractions of Shared Histories is an exhibition of textiles, jewellery and crafts from India, called Threads in Time, at Museum Africa. The curator of the exhibition, Sandra de Wet, said India had a long and interesting textile history.
"India has managed to keep these textile traditions alive. Even today Indian textile plays a big part of fashion worldwide. Visitors in the first two weeks of the exhibition will be introduced to live demonstrations by master weavers and craftsmen in block printing, weaving and bangle-making techniques. Workshops will also be held."
A performing arts festival incorporating music, dance and puppet theatre is also planned. The music group Mrigaya and Grammy Award-winning maestro Vikku Vinayakram will perform at Zoo Lake and Bassline, respectively.
Indian Spice Trail
Of course, an Indian festival would not be complete without the tastes of the country's spicy cuisine. Indian Spice Trail, a week-long festival exploring food from India's different regions, would take place at Le Canard restaurant in Sandton from 30 August to 7 September, Roy said.
Food Festival brings together different cuisines originating from various regions of India
"Two chefs straight from India will prepare Indian culinary specials ranging from Kashmiri Wazwan to Tamil Nadu's Chettinad. This promises to be an incredible festival."
For more programme information, visit the Arts Alive website, the Shared Histories website, or the India in South Africa website.
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