{"id":21101,"date":"2013-07-12T23:43:58","date_gmt":"2013-07-12T21:43:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/2013-national-arts-festival-attendance-figures-stable\/"},"modified":"2013-07-12T23:43:58","modified_gmt":"2013-07-12T21:43:58","slug":"2013-national-arts-festival-attendance-figures-stable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/2013-national-arts-festival-attendance-figures-stable\/","title":{"rendered":"2013 National Arts Festival attendance figures stable"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the back of a call for innovative and groundbreaking proposals for its 2014 Main programme, the National Arts Festival today announced \u201csatisfying\u201d attendance figures for this year\u2019s arts showcase which came to an end on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Overall attendance to the Festival was at 211 701, a marginal 7 000 decrease over the 2012 figure, according to CEO Tony Lankester. \u201cBearing in mind that 2012 was an all-time record audience for the Festival, coming close to maintaining attendance is a major achievement and points to the quality of work our artists are capable of producing,\u201d he said. The rand value of tickets sold increased marginally, by 1.56%. This figure excludes \u201cdonations\u201d received by approximately 108 productions which made up the \u201cFree Fringe\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver a 5-year rolling average we have seen audience growth of around 20% since 2009. This is a healthy trajectory for the arts and for the economics of arts,\u201d Lankester said. \u201cAnnual spikes and drops in audience would be worrying \u2013 organic, steady growth over time is a lot more reassuring and sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the Main programme, audiences flocked to a variety of performances. \u201cThe list of sold out shows on the Main is long, but includes the Gala Concert, Beautiful Creatures, Asinamali, Woza Albert, The Last Moustache, My Name is Rachel Corrie and Pieter Dirk Uys\u2019 two performances. On the Standard Bank Jazz Festival programme, Gloria Bosman, MiCasa, Jonas Gwangwa, Vusi Mahlasela and Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner Shane Cooper were among those who played to packed houses,\u201d Artistic Director Ismail Mahomed said.<\/p>\n

A series of talks on the ThinkFest programme by music guru Richard Haslop called Richard Haslop\u2019s Listening Lounge, in which he explored topics as diverse as Bob Dylan, Touareg Blues and the accordion were all sold out. So too was the end-of-Festival Pops Concert featuring the Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Richard Cock and featuring Zwai Bala.<\/p>\n

Gold Standard Bank Ovation Award winner Dan Patlansky\u2019s collaboration with Karen Zoid sold out the Guy Butler Theatre mid-Fest, while the final weekend saw audiences taking advantage of the \u201c50% Fringe\u201d on the Festival\u2019s last day.<\/p>\n

Several new initiatives in Grahamstown this year, such as the introduction of the late-night \u201cStandard Bank Jazz Blues Caf\u00e9\u201d drove support for live music higher; while the Fringe saw an increasing amount of collaboration between performers working in collectives to share their costs and spread the financial risk of performing at the Festival.<\/p>\n

The Festival attributed part of the success of its Main programme to a number of partnerships which boosted both production and marketing budgets \u2013 these included deals with the Mandela Bay Development Agency, the SA Post Office, the National Film and Video Foundation and the Eastern Cape Performing Arts Council. \u201cThese partnerships contribute directly to the content of our programme, freeing us up to invest in some new voices and create a wider platform for our artists,\u201d Mahomed said.<\/p>\n

Turning his attention to the Fringe, Mahomed said \u201cAttendance figures for individual productions indicate that Comedy and Theatre are still the staples of the Fringe.\u201d The top grossing production on the Fringe was Festival newcomer Riaad Moosa\u2019s Doctors Orders Tour, closely followed by two Fringe stalwarts \u2013 the 2013 incarnation of the \u2018Raiders\u2019 franchise, The Whiskey Raiders, and Big Boys II, the follow up to the smash Big Boys Don\u2019t Dance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is gratifying is that in the Top 10 grossing productions there are three theatre shows \u2013 The Three Little Pigs, Crazy in Love and Dirt. Last year only one theatre production \u2013 London Road \u2013 featured on that list, the rest was comedy,\u201d Mahomed said.<\/p>\n

Two productions on the Fringe \u2013 The Brothers Streep and Epicene Butcher and Other Tales for Consenting Adults \u2013 were 100% sold out for their whole run in Grahamstown, with Butlers and Billionaires, Big Boys II, and Siv Ngesi\u2019s Race Card having just a handful of seats to spare.<\/p>\n

A feature of the Festival this year was the large number of free performances.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that the economic climate has a potentially damaging effect on audiences, and so we consciously tried to create events that crowds could enjoy on the streets of Grahamstown and in our venues,\u201d Lankester said. These initiatives included two Street Parades which saw about 200 local community based artists perform alongside artists from elsewhere in South African and abroad; an investment in the Fingo Festival which ran workshops and staged productions for audiences in Fingo Village; and a number of free performances in the Monument\u2019s Guy Butler Theatre and Fountain Foyer.<\/p>\n

Apart from the attendance figures, the Festival also highlighted other data which helps paint a picture of the impact of the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2009 we saw the Festival making a contribution to the GDP of Grahamstown of around R60m,\u201d Lankester said. \u201cWe commissioned some fresh research this year to establish the wider impact of the Festival \u2013 on both the District and Province. \u201c The results of that research are expected to be made known later this year.<\/p>\n

The 40th edition of the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown will take place from 26 June to 6 July 2014. See www.nationalartsfestival.co.za, or the National Arts Festival Grahamstown on Facebook, or @artsfestival on Twitter, for more information.<\/p>\n

The National Arts Festival is sponsored by Standard Bank, The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Eastern Cape Government, Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council, City Press and M Net.<\/p>\n

URL<\/strong>: http:\/\/www.nationalartsfestival.co.za<\/a>
Twitter<\/strong>: @artsfestival
Facebook<\/strong>: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nationalartsfestival?ref=br_tf<\/a>
YouTube<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Author: Fiona Gordon<\/strong> from The Famous Idea Trading Co.<\/a>. Originally distributed by MyPR.co.za<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

No of Images Uploaded: Three<\/strong><\/p>\n

To gain access to Three<\/em> image\/s please Like, Tweet or +1 this article:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Images:<\/strong>
\"Riaad-Moosa-Doctors-Orders-at-National-Arts-Festival.-pic-by-Bazil-Raubach-1\"
\nRiaad Moosa Doctors Orders at National Arts Festival. Photographer: Bazil Raubach (1)\"Kate-Liquorish-in-My-Name-is-Rachel-Corrie-at-the-National-Arts-Festival-Grahamstown-pic-by-Bazil-Raubach-26\"
\nKate Liquorish in My Name is Rachel Corrie at the National Arts Festival Grahamstown Photographer: Bazil Raubach (26)<\/p>\n

\"The-Epicene-Butcher-at-the-National-Arts-Festival-2013-pic-by-Sam-Lowe-1\"
\nThe Epicene Butcher at the National Arts Festival 2013 Photographer: Sam Lowe (1)<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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