SA: ‘Basha Uhuru Festival’ starts today

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be held under a new name, Constitution Hill Creative Uprising Festival, to develop and elevate creative talent within a variety of art forms including music, film, art, design, dance, theatre and poetry.

All evenings will kick off at 4pm with live DJ sets courtesy of DJ Maple, Fif_Laaa, Basmnt, Kitchen Mess, Ms Elisa the Selector, Van Skosana, Olwee, Jlm, Nouveaux, Nikki Newlands, Taygz and Jussbanks.

The following artists will perform in the Uprising Picnic slot on 21 November from 12pm: 251 Afrika, Ncamisa & The Band, Abafazi, ByLwantsa, Marcus Harvey, Mx Blouse, Sio, Easy Freak, ODC, Rams and The Charles Géne Suite

Featured local films include Moffie, Knuckle City, Loving Thokoza and African Cypher.

“For the last eight years, every June, the Constitution Hill’s Bashu Uhuru Freedom Festival has showcased, celebrated and nurtured artistic talent,” the organisers said. “But this year the festival, like so many other events, fell victim to the harsh regulations of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

“Festival organisers were forced rethink the event and with creative innovation at their fingertips and a mind to the future they have evolved, become more tech savvy and created a user experience that resonates with the creative community. Elements of the programme such as seminars, masterclasses, dialogues and the music festival will be free to view on both the Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival and Constitution Hill social media platforms.”

Online sessions

Due to COVID-19, some of festival’s activities will be held online and feature the Creative Collab programme and Conhill Creative Network. The Creative Collab programme is planned to support designers, artisans, craftspeople, illustrators and digital designers through multiple workshops, masterclasses and mentorship sessions. Speakers on the programme include designers Sifiso Shange, Siyanda Mble and Glorinah Mabasa.

The Conhill Creative Network, meanwhile, seeks to celebrate the individuality of creatives while connecting them as part of a larger network, movement and community.

“The Conhill Creative Network is meant for creatives to support creatives and we want it to be informed and directed by our creative community,” Constitution Hill CEO Dawn Robertson said. “It will offer members access to the resources, knowledge and industry connectivity to support creatives to expand not just business ideas, but also creative ones. It includes monthly best practices talks and discussions, professional development resources, webinars and workshops, both virtual and live.”

Tickets to the event are available here.