The National Arts Festival is the biggest arts festival on the African continent. Every year since 1973 Africa’s artists have come together for eleven days in June/ July in the City of Saints. Here they showcase their talents to the thousands of South African’s that flock into the city to enjoy the diverse cultural feast of art, music, crafts, jazz, theatre and a whole lot more.
The artists depend on the festival to generate income, showcase their work and network with one another. The crafters and small business people of Makhanda, and the greater Eastern Cape, depend heavily on the income generated by the crowds of festival followers who come from all corners of the country to watch the shows.
Festival management realized early in the year that the Corona Virus threatened the feasibility of the annual event. Realising that many artists depend on the festival to promote their art, management chose not to cancel the show. In the true spirit of “the show must go on”, and with only 100 days to go, management decided to take the festival into the virtual realm. Ensuring that the show foes is made possible by the funding which is received through annual sponsorships.