Heritage Month in Nelson Mandela Bay will receive a massive cultural boost when the Metro hosts the first Mandela Bay Arts Festival.
The partnership between the National Arts Festival and the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality was announced on Monday and will see the staging the inaugural Mandela Bay Arts Festival from 23 September to 1 October.
The CEO of the National Arts Festival, Monica Newton, said the Eastern Cape is brimming with cultural and creative talent that deserves more exposure.
"The Mandela Bay Arts Festival is an arts experience by the city and for the city, where residents and visitors can see and celebrate the talent that's right on our doorstep," she said.
She said the Mandela Bay Arts Festival will provide a mix of entertainment, more serious and contemplative drama, comedy, visual exploration, music, and family fare.
"The event will be an excellent opportunity for school groups to take a cultural dip and will also feature workshops aimed at local artists as well as some created for the general public," Netwon said.
Nelson Mandela Bay executive mayor, Eugene Johnson, said the Festival is committed to working with local artists and arts organisations to present a multi-disciplinary showcase of the best that our city has to offer for all communities.
"We are looking forward to working with the National Arts Festival to create this exciting new initiative," she said.
The full programme will be announced in August 2022 and the presenters have pledged to make ticket prices as accessible as possible with some elements of the event offered free of charge.
The call for submissions of work to be considered for the Festival is now also open.
