Grahamstown prepares for 2012 National Arts Festival

The main programme's core is the cutting edge work of the 2012 Standard Bank Young Artist Award winners who continue to challenge and explore new directions as they establish their artistic voices. The winners will be presenting a varied and exciting programme of work in drama, dance, music, jazz and visual art.

Other theatre highlights include the Fugard Theatre making its debut on the festival's main programme with a world premiere of Athol Fugard's newest play, The Blue Iris, directed by Janice Honeyman. The visceral struggles of contemporary South Africa are laid bare in director Yael Farber's adaptation of August Strindberg's classic Miss Julie, set in the remote beauty of the Eastern Cape Karoo.

Giving insight on puppetry

An exciting aspect of this year's programme is the launch of the French/South Africa season in Grahamstown. The launch sees several productions premiering across several genres. Ster City, an exciting multi-disciplinary production by French theatre-maker Jean-Paul Delore, is the featured production in the theatre programme.

In I Love You When You're Breathing the Handspring Puppet Company will give audiences the unique opportunity of seeing a puppet deliver a meta-theatrical address, using comedy and generous amounts of self-reflexive humour to give insight on the nature of puppetry, the process of creating life in the object, and the role of the audience in making meaning. A Season of Solo Plays will feature five productions by some of South Africa's top established and up and coming directors and performers, including Pieter-Dirk Uys, Thembi Mtshali-Jones, Omphie Molusi, Nick Warren and Nicky Rebelo.

Contemporary dance has a much bigger footprint at this year's festival with the Transnet Great Hall being enhanced as a second dance venue for the main programme, while the music programme is headlined by Standard Bank Young Artist for Music, Kelebogile Boikanyo, who will enchant audiences with a vocal recital that includes, amongst others, works by Verdi, Gershwin, Mozart and Handel.

The new face of jazz

Mikhael Subotzky, the 2012 Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art will present an entirely new body of work, centered on a four-channel film installation, produced specifically for the National Arts Festival and a national exhibition tour. Photographic, video and installation works will
complete his exhibition Retinal Shift.

The Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz 2012, Afrika Mkhize, represents the exciting new face of South African jazz. Steeped in South Africa's musical heritage he displays a fresh, international perspective that places it in a new light. Other highlights on the programme for the Standard Bank Jazz Festival include a once-off performance by Mango Groove, and performances by Ernie Smith, McCoy Mrubata, Morris Goldberg and Andy Narell.

The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2012 with a suitably powerful line-up of musicians and teachers, brought here not only to perform for the audiences of the National Arts Festival, but also to inspire the 350 young South African jazz players.

For more information on the programme, accommodation and travel options, go to www.nationalartsfestival.co.za.