Samanthole Arts Foundation

African Classical Poetry and Contemporary Dance came to interact with each other at the Polokwane Auditorium at Library Gardens, presented by Botho Arts Festival 2023 in partnership with the City of Polokwane. This two week-long basket of theatre performances is curated by its artistic director Mashupe Phala. Friday the 24th February 2023 evening was not only a night of theatre but of visual art exhibition too. The precinct of the city is doing its best to present a dose of art festivities at no entry fee to the general public. Both the evening events are funded by the National Arts Council of South Africa through the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme from the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.  The evening started with a group exhibition at the Polokwane Art Museum titled Anti Bullying Exhibition coordinated by Frans Phooko and Jonas Mailula, whose artworks are part of the show. The exhibition was opened by the city of Polokwane’s arts and cultural desk exper

Moses D. Rasekele presents Khebhebhe Arts Project  We are excited to announce the upcoming Khebhebhe Drama Festival! The festival takes place in the land of The Rain Queen Modjadji, Bolobedu, Kgapane on the 4th of March 2023.  A shot from Training session at Kgapane Youth Centre January 2023. The Khebhebhe Drama Festival is the continuation, culmination and final component of the much anticipated Khebhebhe Arts Project, a project which consisted of three phases: (1) Auditions and Training, (2) Rehearsal and Creation and (3) the Khebhebhe Drama Festival.  We auditioned 412 aspiring youth artists and 25 were selected. We then put them through an intensive and rigorous multilayered training programme in dramatic arts by the industry expert leaders. They have since been divided into five groups and are creating theatre productions drawing from and inspired by the knowledge and various skills attained from the training that they received.  We are now waiting with gre

Motlamogadi Bioscope Screening Press Release  18 January 2023 Immediate Release Public Invite and Call for public participation Khehla Chepape Makgato presents the Motlamogadi Bioscope  Screenings We are delighted to bring people closer  and together for social engagement through the Motlamogadi Bioscope screenings which are earmarked to take place in the Limpopo Province’s Capricorn Region from 03 February 2023 to 03 March 2023. The project is a 5 week long project of screenings and discussions of two productions, namely  Sesasedi sa Tsodio by Rangoato Hlasane and Man Alone by Roelf Matlala. The series will take place every Friday weekly over five weekends. The screenings will be followed by panel discussions by experts in the Film and cultural sector. The screening are about opening the doors of learning exposing opportunities that are in the arts and cultural sector while catalysing the culture of film consumption in our communities. &

Khebhebhe Arts Project  7th January – 4th March 2023 Press Release – For Immediate Release Call for actors! Moses D. Rasekele presents Khebhebhe Arts Project We are excited to announce the upcoming Khebhebhe Arts Project (KAP) which will take place in Bolobedu from the 7th of January to the 4th of March 2023. The project consists of three phases: (1) Auditions and Training, (2) Rehearsal and Creation and (3) finally the presentation of the actual Khebhebhe Drama Festival.  We are looking for 25 young aspiring artists (actors) to be part of the project. On the 7th of January 2023, we will hold auditions to identify and select 25 young actors aged 18 to 35 at Kgapane Youth Centre. The selected youth will undergo theatre making and acting training from the 9th to the 13th of January 2023. Training will be facilitated by professional theatre practitioners who possess extensive experience and knowledge in the arts field. The project will train youth specifically in the form of dramatic arts

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

Xoli B in his element during a recent show. Photo: Khehla Chepape Makgato Watching Xoli Bongwana dance is magical, watching him sing on stage is an enthralling and healing experience. From my humble knowledge of the local music, his performance from onset was resplendent of Jabu Khanyile’s influence. This punctuation was attested by his rendition of Khanyile’s popular number Sponky-Ponky. So many exciting spiritual moments attends the ear trained in the South African Afro Soul/Afro Ballad/Authentic contemporary music with a twang of Xhosa with employment of other local languages such as Sesotho, Setswana, IsiZulu and a bit of mouth-beats. Xoli B which is his stage name is an articulate, modest man with a distinctively mellow, soulful voice and the eagerness to be modest and humane with his audience. His first music solo concert at The Lesedi at Joburg Theatre on Friday, 21 May and Saturday, 22 May 2021 titled UZURI, featured a six-piece accompanying band. He continues to te

Ugandan-born collage artist, Benon Lutaaya draws inspiration from his own life experiences and explores issues related to homelessness, isolation, fear and identity. He works with paper collage, acrylics and mixed media to construct fragmented, fragile and visually rich collages that speak to his continuing journey of creativity through vulnerability. Following his most recent exhibition at GIBS, which we brought to you a few weeks ago, The Journalist’s Khehla Chepape Makgato speaks to Lutaaya about life as an artist, his obsession with hard work and being an entrepreneur. Ugandan born artist Benon Lutaaya. Photograph courtesy newvision.co.ug What are the origins of your interest in the cultural meanings of collage, and how did you come to evolve the wide-ranging, interdisciplinary approach to collage? First of all, I believe that, our life itself is a collage of a series of experiences. My interdisciplinary approach to collage was born out of my total lack of financial res