Stellar line-up expected at storytelling festival
National Storytelling Day will for the first time be included as part of the Nozincwadi Festival. The day coincides with the founder, Dr Gcina Mhlophe’s birthday. It will be marked by morning and evening events.
THE annual Nozincwadi Storytelling Festival, which is a flagship event of the internationally respected story-teller, activist, poet, playwright and director, Dr Gcina Mhlophe, will be held in two cities this year, in Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
Currently in its 12th year, the Nozincwadi Storytelling Festival hosted by Gcinamasiko Arts and Heritage Trust has touched many communities as performers have travelled schools from as far afield as oPongolo in the Northern KZN to Kokstad, Eastern Cape.
The festival has also seen performers travel from Northern Cape, Limpopo, Gauteng as well as over the seas from USA and the UK.
“It continues to be like a central fireplace for seasoned storytellers and also those just beginning to find their voice,” said Dr Mhlophe, “Music and dance have always found themselves at home at the Nozincwadi Storytelling Festival.”
The festival will kick off with a media launch in Pietermaritzburg at the Bessie Head Library, on Wednesday, 21 October and will be opened to the public on Thursday, 22 October at Pietermaritzburg City Hall. Themed Chanting the Bridges, the festival will honour the living legends of Pietermaritzburg on this day.
The festivities will continue in Durban on Friday, 23 October with Art in the Park under the Storytelling Tree at the Bluff Showgrounds, Tara Road, from 10am where display stations will be set up and open to the public. Guests will indulge in art and crafts which include fine artists, beadwork, chefs, and many other delights.
The displays will be accompanied by music and storytellers with performances from MaBhengu, Balungile Myeza, Zanele Ndlovu, Mpume Mthombeni, Nompucuko Zakaza, Gomolemo Moagi, Philippa Namutebi Kabali Kagwa, Bongiswa Kotta Ramushwana and Dr Mhlophe.
The National Storytelling Day which was officially inaugurated on 24 October 2019, will for the first time be included as part of the Nozincwadi Festival. The day coincides with the founder, Dr Mhlophe’s birthday. The day will be marked by morning and evening events.
The morning event will kick off at 10.30am opening with drummers and MaBhengu playing indigenous music. At 11am the storytelling will begin and as has happened last year, numerous arts groups, schools and libraries across the country will join in the magic.
Under the Storytelling Tree, storytelling by a number of KZN based storytellers will be followed by Dr GcinaMhlophe; an acultural dance group, and finally storytelling by Mala Gounden and Zanele Ndlo.
The festival will conclude with an evening event that will be live-streamed on Gcinamasiko’s Facebook page and YouTube channel for the public. The event will take place at the Durban Art Gallery and it is strictly by invitation only.
“Seeing that the pandemic hasn’t allowed for the physical presence of the international line-up of storytellers this year, Gcinamasiko has made use of the digital space to allow for their presence to be felt,” said Dr Mhlophe.
The event will include the screening of the international performers’ film as well as live performances by local performers and musicians including Dr Mhlophe, Bongiswa Kotta Ramushwana, Nompucuko Zakaza, Gomolemo Moagi, and Madala Kunene Some of the international mouth-watering line-ups include world-renowned storyteller Amina Blackwood from Jamaica, multi-award-winning storyteller and founder of Rhode Island Black Storytellers, Valerie Tutson, from the USA, musician, poet and composer Eugene Skeef from the UK/RSA, Zenith Naverrete of Chile, Len Cabral from the USA, KK Chee of Malaysia, Seema Wahi Mukherjee of India, Bevin Magama from Zimbabwe/ UK, and Itah Sadu from Canada.
Updates on the specific events can be found on the Gcinamasiko Arts & Heritage Trust social media pages as well as view the international storyteller’s film and follow the live stream of the National Storytelling Day live performances from 7.30pm.
The Durban leg of the festival has been made possible through the support of eThekwini Municipal Libraries, Video Vision Entertainment and the Department of Arts and Culture.
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