New dance and flash mob festival to rock Ekurhuleni shores
People can expect random flash mob groups popping up along the city's major arteries and transport routes
A new arts festival is about to hit Ekurhuleni shores soon.
My Body My Space is a new dance and flash mob festival co-ordinated by The Forgotten Angle Theatre (FATC), and will blend staged performance with “guerrila” style events that aim to contribute to raising awareness of key issues such as social cohesion and nation building.
It will take place between February 2 and 7 at different venues, so people can expect random flash mob groups popping up along the city’s major arteries and transport routes, including taxi ranks, markets and parks in Katlehong,Thokoza, Wattville, Benoni and Daveyton.
The festival celebrates 20 years of democracy while exploring critical and social issues such as gender violence and the impact of HIV-Aids, and will feature a range of Johannesburg’s top choreographers, dance companies and community based artists and craft.
The festival has also been designed to bring together communities that have been previously separated and shine light on the role of women, children and other vulnerable members of society.
“As we celebrate 20 years of democracy and political freedom, the festival is a call to artists, both the public and private sector, and the citizens of Ekurhuleni to actively engage in a process of personal and social transformation and healing in addressing critical issues that are our current stumbling blocks to true emancipation,” says PJ Sabbagha, the festival’s mastermind and founder of FATC.
Using the City as a metaphor for the human body, FATC envisages My Body My Space and events unfolding along Ekurhuleni’s numerous critical routes and arteries, which serve as major transport routes but are also significant in their linking of historically, politically, socially and economically separated communities.
Monica Newton, deputy director general of the Department of Arts, Culture, Promotion and Development, agreed that this kind of creation, and the arts as a whole, work towards bringing together the country.
My Body My Space aims to be an annual event. The festival is free of charge and food and soft drinks will be on sale.
In addition, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, the project that instigated a Knitting Revolution in South Africa and recently voted ANN7’s campaign of the year, presents a “knitathon” as a part of MBMS on February 7 between 10am and 3pm.
On the same day a crafters’ market will be set up.
The “Central Nervous System” part of the show will feature a programme of public arts events and performances at Wattville’s OR Tambo Cultural Precinct on February 7 from 11am until 6pm. The programme comprises dance, music, cultural events and performance art, as well as a craft and vendors market, creating a rich experience that activates every corner of the cultural precinct.
