Fourth Annual City Impact Arts Festival

Preparations for Limpopo's Fourth annual two weeks long event tagged as "The City Impact Arts Festival" are well underway. Conceptualised and coordinated by one of the Limpopo's most repertory organisation Swahombe Dramatic Ensemble in partnership with CICA, The City Impact Festival will run from the 25 November to 10 December 2012 in all five district municipalities of the Limpopo Province. The fun jammed filled and educative festival is aimed extensively to give comprehensive support, care and generate an increase level of awareness during the 16 days of activism campaign against women and child abuse, world Aids day commemoration and International day for people with disabilities.

On its fourth edition of existence, The City Impact Festival which was launched in 2009 and since its inception it is gradually becoming one of Swahombe's main and huge project that display a strong foundation in advocating human rights, raising awareness through its simplicity method of combining both the physical performances of various artistic activities and media to campaign against social rampages as well providing a platform to young artists of Limpopo to presents their talents to the wider audience. Another part of this year's program is to reach out to prisons where inmates will watch theatre plays and there after engaged in discussion based on the latter.

In reaching broader audience and ensuring that the festival's objective is executed, Swahombe has partnered with Black House Wives League, a women and children's law and advocacy organisation to jointly conduct a program that will promote and educate community about the rights of women and children through series of workshops that will culminate in children's fun fest. Other partnering organisations includes City Campaigners of South Africa, Khanimambo Youth Development, Kafrique Productions and Harapo Communications in organising performances and awareness to all the districts during the 16 days of activism campaign against women and child abuse, world Aids day and International day for people with disabilities.

Major activities of the festival's programmatic thrust will include a thematically broadcast of radio drama in three languages (Xitsonga, Sepedi and Tshivenda) to various community radio stations, theatre performances, poetry, storytelling, puppets, creative writing, music, workshops, and giving gifts to Aids orphaned, abused and disabled children and many other outdoor activities such as soccer and netball tournament. All these activities are free of charge.

Swahombe is one of the Limpopo's repertory non profit organisation that has over the past year achieve remarkably and putting the Limpopo province on the map transforming both the artistic landscape of the province as well as campaigning for human's rights particularly women and children's. The organisation has also worked with the department of health and social development in various awareness projects. In 2010 Swahombe became the first organisation from the Limpopo Province to scoop the most prestigious South African seventh Naledi Theatre productions for its community work with its play Sekwatlapa.

Previously the festival was generously funded and supported by organisations such African Women Development Funds from Ghana, Limpopo Youth Commission, Limpopo Arts and Culture Associations, Youth Aids, NTK Company, Capricorn District Municipality, CICA, Pep Store, Harapo Communications to mention by the few.

Date: 25 November 2012 to 10 December 2012
Venue: Differenet venues in Polokwane and other areas of Limpopo, Polokwane
Cost: Free entrance to all the activities