Inaugural Limpopo Indigenous Art Festival a glimmer of hope for theatre in the province

Between month of October and November 2022 saw the city of Polokwane through Polokwane Auditorium at Library Gardens host series of activities under the banner of Limpopo Indigenous Arts Festival, henceforth LIAF, from artistic direction of Solly Hlabirwa Malaka. Art and theatre fanatics gathered around for the inaugural flighting of LIAF. 

Nat Ramabulana, Solly Hlabirwa Malaka, Moses D Rasekele and Khehla Chepape Makgato (the author) at PolokwaneAuditorium 2022. Pic Supplied 

It was for me a great privilege to be a part of this festival for various reasons. Firstly because of my debut theatre production I produced for The Market Theatre, Man Alone written and directed by Roelf Matlala was on the line-up. Another reason was to watch Moses D Rasekele's seminal work of directing one of the country's theatre classics Beautiful Things written by Selaelo Maredi staring Nat Ramabulana as Muzi and Andisiwe Mkuyana as Noni. The two- day festival was incredibly mesmerizing not only in its outfit of plays lined up but by the quality of work presented on stage. The plays staged included Mashupe Phala's Blood Tied, Mxolisi Masilela's These Are Not My Shoes, Sello Chokoe and Klaas Motebejane's Infants Of Dust, Paul and Matome Rapetsoa's Beyond Written, Abednigo Dlamini's Stevovo, and Julian Seleke Mokoto's Last Mine. 

For many years I had wanted to watch the play Beautiful Things and LIAF presented the opportunity which I could not have missed. Maredi is one of the most prolific playwrights alive in South Africa today with international renown. His play is based on a middle-aged South African man, Muzi, and a younger woman, Noni, who fall in love. They come from very different backgrounds, both have been tragically widowed and both have issues of guilt and commitment to work through. New York Time's D. J. R. Bruckner reviewing it in 2001 he wrote 'Against a background of lives that have known kidnap, rape, murder and corrosive, inarticulate guilt, happiness becomes so palpable a presence that it walks right out of the theater with you and keeps reminding you for many hours of the resilient and subtle people who have captivated you in only 90 minutes.'

Another piece that stood out for me at the festival was Stevovo The Puppeteer by young playwrights  Abednigo Dlamini and Given Hosi Maluleke staring Faith Thobejane and Vusi Nkwenkwezi. This incredible piece of work is infused with enthralling choreographic movements. You watch it and is so mesmerizing that you forget it's based on true realities of creative individuals like Stevovo who becomes victims of living in a country that doesn't do enough to support the arts and artists. Here is a story of young couple, wife heavily pregnant plying her trade as a cashier in a nearby retail store trying her best to find her husband a job and helping him with job applications. On the other hand the husband the who is trying to find a way to do what he loves and hoping one day he gets paid for it. He keeps applying for competitions and funding calls to no success. While enjoying the performance of this two young actors, the play makes you feel like you're part of it. When Stevovo The Puppeteer cannot take it anymore and decided to hang himself, this breaks the heart of audience members because his incredible talent on stage makes traveling with him this artistic journey of the story,  so intimate and relatable, so tragic yet real. This piece is one of the best to watch out for in the present theatre landscape, it will not disappoint. Its a kaleidoscope of real artist's life post Covid19. This is destined to be a classic not in distance future.

LIAF is no doubt the great platform to keep the heatbeat of Limpopo theatre pulsating. Bravo to Solly Hlabirwa Malaka and his team for putting this outfit together. Below is a conversation I had with him via Facebook messenger.

Thank you so much for allowing Samanthole Art Foundation Blog to speak with you. I have enjoyed the LIAF and felt bad I missed the first iteration of Clap and Tap event you organised a week or so earlier. So tell us about yourself and your passion for the the arts in the province and country at large. Where did it all begin?

My name is Solly Hlabirwa Malaka born in 1987 from Tafelkop Limpopo Province, my love for Arts was actually Sharpend by the Market Theatre back in 1999 when they always come to our rehearsals to workshop our plays under John Paile.

What inspired the conception of Limpopo Indigenous Arts Festival?

The Limpopo Indigenous Arts Festival concept has been there in my mind so this year I felt why don't I try it and indeed my ancestors were with me while filling up the form.

What inspired the conception of Limpopo Indigenous Arts Festival?

In 2015 in did light up Africa Month Festival funded by MGE, 2016 I also did Africa Month Arts Festival also funded by MGE, 2020 I helped someone to put Theatre festival of the North, this year 2022 I also helped My former Organisation called Places and Faces Theatre Productions to apply for 015 Arts festival of North proudly funded by NAC and I did Limpopo Indigenous Arts Festival as an individual.

How did you choose your line up of entertainers ?

I took four productions from Gauteng but they are all originally from Limpopo. I personally know all the productions and I wanted to host them one day and indeed it happened.

What did you want to achieve in putting up the Festival of this kind and do you think you have achieved it?

As we all know Limpopo doesn't have Theatre but we can't just sit and relax, we can check most artists who are doing well especially in Gauteng are from Limpopo so with this festivals we will bring them back home. Watch out for National Arts Festival in Limpopo.

What challenges did you encounter along the way?

We only have Auditorium and halls and for us to get those halls we have to compete with Churches and its difficult to get get it as they pay it 12 Months.

What are new trends in the industry that you like?

I'm an independent theatre practitioner, Theatre is my game.

Who funded this festival?

NAC/DSAC Under PESP are the once funded this hard hitting and highly energetic master project.

What's your strategy to stay on the budget?

I did budget break down to cover all things I wanted to do and focus on that.

What's your overall assessment of the quality of work shown at the festival?

Limpopo Indigenous Arts Festival was a project that is different, it brings an Artistic expression that will be rooted in the mind and heart of those who were part of it. We did this to remind all of us what covid 19 did to us, it gave us a new and confusing direction.

What's your dream for Limpopo Indigenous Arts Festival?

I wish to have it yearly as annual festival.