Factory Plaza celebrates creativity with Festival of Arts
Talented young artists were rewarded for their art pieces.
Factory Plaza transformed its walls into a vibrant celebration of creativity when its first-ever Festival of Arts kicked off on Heritage Day (September 24) with the much-anticipated Ultimate Braai Broodjie Battle.
The three-day festival continued until Saturday (September 26), bringing together artists, young creatives, families and members of the public for a celebration of artistic expression in all its forms.
The vision behind the festival was simple yet meaningful: to create a safe, welcoming space for all creatives; whether their talents lie in painting, drawing, food, music, singing or any other creative pursuit.
Young artists transform plaza into a gallery
The highlight of the festival was undoubtedly the children’s art competition, which invited young artists from Newcastle and surrounding areas to enter original artworks in any medium.
Artists aged from just three years old to 18 years old participated, and Factory Plaza’s walls were transformed into a colourful gallery showcasing the imagination, individuality and remarkable talent of the region’s youngest creatives.
The competition attracted an impressive range of artwork, demonstrating that creativity has no age limit.
With experienced judges bringing educational and artistic backgrounds to the table, choosing the winners proved far more challenging than anticipated. The judges were so impressed by the standard of the entries that they revisited the exhibition room several times before finally reaching their decisions.
Alongside the children’s exhibition, the festival featured works by local artists and hosted a variety of creative workshops, giving members of the public opportunities to explore their own talents, learn new skills and experience the joy of creating something themselves.
The Ultimate Braai Broodjie Battle added a distinctly South African flavour to the festivities, making Heritage Day the perfect starting point for a festival that celebrated not only artistic expression but also the traditions, flavours and community spirit that bring people together.
Factory Plaza also recognised the schools behind the young artists’ achievements. Schools whose learners achieved first place in their respective age categories were awarded R1000 Factory Plaza vouchers, helping extend the celebration beyond the individual winners.
After much deliberation, the judges announced the following winners in the various age categories:
- Ages 16-18: 1st – Amihle Mbatha (Ferrum High School); and 2nd – Arno van der Merwe (Ferrum High School).
- Ages 13-15: 1st – Siyamthanda Maphumulo (Arborpark); 2nd – Joshua Pentz (Huttenpark); and 3rd – Harista Mohunram (NSPS).
- Ages 10-12: 1st – Mine van Staden (Huttenpark); 2nd – Ziyad Hussain (St Dominics); and 3rd – Evlyn Misslehorn.
- Ages 8-9: 1st – Khanya Nkosi (Drakensberg Primary School); 2nd – Lonwabo Shabangu (Arborpark); and 3rd – Zenande Nyembe (Huttenpark).
- Ages 6-7: 1st – Husna Moola (NH Art Studios); 2nd – Zaidaan Randere (NSPS); and 3rd – Zayd Dawjee (NSPS).
- Age 5: 1st – Ndabe Xaba (Sunnybank); 2nd – Alondwe Mkonza (Sunnybank); and 3rd – Ayathandwa Phakathi (Arborpark).
- Age 4: 1st – Elani Smit (Sunnybank); 2nd – Alayna Stucky (Sunnybank); and 3rd – Amelia Roodt.
- Age 3: 1st – Izane de Villiers; 2nd – Jeremiah Hopkins; and 3rd – Azaria Manisunker.
“Factory Plaza extends its heartfelt thanks to every young artist, participating school, judge, local artist, workshop facilitator and community member who helped make the inaugural Festival of Arts a memorable celebration of Newcastle’s creative spirit.”
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