The theme for the 7th Artscape Women / Humanity Arts Festival is Against all Odds and focuses on women, societal challenges and disability. “The main objective of this annual festival is to create a sustainable artistic response which addresses the on-going challenges, violence and human rights violations against women and how they and people faced with disability celebrate their lives”, explains Marlene le Roux, Artscape’s Director of Audience Development and Education.
The Women / Humanity Arts Festival which takes place from 4 to 10 August at the Artscape Theatre Centre gives a platform to the countless women, who tirelessly work and strive towards achieving a society where women are acknowledged and treated with the respect they deserve.
Marlene le Roux with Zanne Stapelberg and Chaeli Mycroft. Photo provided by Artscape
Through a panel discussion, various stage productions, activities, workshops and exhibitions the Festival aims to raise awareness, educate and inform survivors, families and communities that they have the human and constitutional right to live in a non-oppressive and non-violent society.
On Sunday 4 August Nianell, Zanne Stapelberg, Louis Brittz, Ivan Siegelaar, Rouchelle Liedermann, Elton Jansen and Piper James will be the curtain raisers for the Borrowed Angels Healing Initiative (BAHI) Healing Concert. The artists will tell their stories of hope and bring healing with inspiring songs accompanied by the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
The opening of the Shonaquip wheelchair display and exhibition takes place on Wednesday 7 August. Shonaquip manufactures individual-need wheelchairs, and the exhibition will raise awareness of the importance of access to support services for people with disabilities. Renowned British visual artist, Rachel Gadsden, whose work focuses on disability, will be the guest speaker. Guest artist will be well-known Cape Town drag artist, Roxy.
The official launch of the Festival will take place on 8 August with the guest speaker, Chaeli, of the Chaeli Campaign.
Chaeli has cerebral palsy and uses a motorised wheelchair to get around. As an ability activist, Chaeli has made it her life’s work to challenge the world’s understanding of what it is to create an inclusive society. As a first year university student at UCT, living in residence with a personal assistant, Chaeli is showing first-hand how differently-abled students can have a full student experience as they positively impact the perception of what that means to their fellow students.
Stage production highlights include:
Nancy a play directed by Abduraghmaan Adams and which comments on the South African / universal gay experience. It raises themes such as friendship, homophobia, hate crimes, HIV and AIDS through the lives of three central characters. The play features Riaan Visman, Peter Treurnicht, Jill Levenberg, Brian Robson, Isgak Stemmet and Eddie Newman. (7, 8, 9 and 10 August).
In The Wings an original play written and directed by Jared Kruger, featuring Bo Petersen, Danieyella Rodin, Madele Vermaak and Jaques de Silva, choreographed and co-directed by Nicola Elliott and produced by The Chaeli Campaign. The play is a coming of age story of two sisters, one of whom has cerebral palsy. (8 and 9 August).
It’s A Man’s World is a theatre play by Durban director and composer Jerry Pooe and the Netherlands-based Het Waterhuis theatre company. Directed by Jerry Pooe and Roel Twijnstra, the play focuses on the issue of macho culture and the spread of HIV. (8, 9 and 10 August).
Ngangelizwe is a one woman show about the construction of a woman’s identity, taking into account issues of culture, sexuality, and sexual orientation. The play is written and performed by Siphumeze Khundayi and directed by Sara Matchett. (9 August).
BlackByrd is a dynamic trio of three beautiful young ladies from Cape Town, who are talented, friendly and charming, and who made a big impact on the South African music scene in 2012 when the group shot to fame with the chart-topping single All For Me. Their energetic, polished performances also include their trademark choreographed dance routines. (9 August).
With generous sponsorship from the British Council, visual artist, Rachel Gadsden and musician and sound producer, Dom Coyote both from the UK, join forces with director Mandla Mbothwe and dancer, Andile Vellem from South Africa in a stage production at Magnet Theatre. (9 and 10 August).
The 2013 Artscape Women/Humanity Arts Festival ends on a high note with two dazzling local stars, Nianell and Vicky Sampson. The concert will also feature The Chaeli Campaign Dancers with Michaela Mycroft, Gladys Bullock’s wheelchair dancers, Charne Hugo, Andile Vellem and Nola Matinise. (10 August).
The Festival is well-known for its stimulating and thought provoking panel discussion and this year the panel discussion with the theme Against All Odds will focus on violence against women; the sobering facts on rape and how women survive and celebrate their lives. Keynote speaker will be national icon and world famous satirist, Evita Bezuidenhout.
Panelists will include an international representative, Ms Mamta Sharma, Chairperson of The National Commission for Women in India; Professor Amanda Gouws – Commissioner at the Commission for Gender Equality and Professor of Political Science at University of Stellenbosch; Undere Deglon – Chief Executive Officer of the Disability Workshop Development Enterprise; Vainola Makan – Manager and Founder of the New Women’s Movement; Reverend Michelle Boonzaaier – Reverend at IAM (Inclusive and Affirming Ministries); Patrick Godana – One Man Can Manager at Sonke Gender Justice; Kathleen Dey – Director of Rape Crisis; Charmaine Morris – Legal Advisor at Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children and Abduraghman Adams – Director and Actor. The panel discussion will be facilitated by Dr Marlene Wasserman – aka Dr Eve.
Festival participants will be able to have health screenings for blood glucose and blood pressure conducted by the TB / HIV Care Association and GCIS (Government Communication and Information Systems), as well as breast examinations by CANSA on 8 and 9 August.
The following information workshops will also be presented:
• Marketing your own Business: 8 August 15:30 to 17:00,
• Law Matters by the Southern Suburbs Legal Advice Centre: 9 August 10:00 to13:00
• Women in Business: 9 August 14:00 to15:00,
• South African Women in Construction Western Cape (SAWIC:WC) : 9 August 09:45 to11:00,
• Gymnastics: 9 August 09:00 to 17:00,
• Self Defence: 9 August 09:00 to 17:00,
• BRAWA Writing: 9 August 14:00 to 15:00.
Exhibitions, talks and book launches will also form part of the Festival line-up. On 8 August Nenio Mbazima will launch his autobiography Strong Wind, in which he shares his story of living with deafness. On 10 August a book launch of Afrikaans women writers will take place. Mary Holroyd, Chairman and Founder of the well-known healthy eating lifestyle plan, Weigh-Less will give a talk on 9 and 10 August.
For further information and venue details, please contact Debbie Damons on 021 – 5. Tickets can be purchased through Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 – 5. Please also consult the Artscape website for up to date information:
- Marlene le Roux with Zanne Stapelberg and Chaeli Mycroft. Photo provided by Artscape