ACT and Nedbank support festival projects

The South African Arts Writers & Critics Association (SAAWCA) spearheads an exciting and much needed initiative, whereby a young writer interested in the realm of arts journalism is offered the valuable opportunity to write reviews, under the guidance of Mary Corrigall from the Sunday Independent newspaper.

On the visual arts front Paul Greenway's "UBOM! Stage to Paper", a photographic exhibition that coincides with the tenth anniversary of UBOM!, has been selected for support by the ACT. The exhibition is a personal endeavour spanning eight years of photographing theatre productions and in-studio portraiture for UBOM! The exhibition is first and foremost a visual celebration of the group and the characters brought to life on their stages.

Training the youth to dance

The Cape Town Edge opening is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 1 July. This platform offers independent theatre companies from Cape Town attending the festival in Grahamstown an opportunity to work together in a single venue, offering mutual marketing and technical support.

The fourth initiative at the National Arts Festival is the "Dance Spectrum" presented by the National School of the Arts. This youth-training dance initiative offers 15 learners the experience to participate in a world-class arts festival.

Another project supported through the ACT Development Programme, which will be performed at the festival, is Baba Yaga Theatre's "Kitchen Fables in a Cookie Jar".

Inspired by fairy-tales, this slightly offbeat theatre piece stimulates all the senses and creates magical pictures with objects flying through the air, coloured lights, enchanting sounds and smells.

The ACT Development Programme is aimed at the development of new South African work, training for the youth and professional development. The programme is open for application on an on-going basis with the next funding cycle closing at the end of September 2012.