Litnet

National Arts Festival Artistic Director, Ismail Mahomed (picture by Suzy Bernstein)

The first-ever Cape Town Fringe Festival kicks off this week. Taking place from 25 September to 5 October, the programme consists of 100 productions across the artistic fields of theatre, music, dance, physical performance and comedy. Steyn du Toit chats to the festival’s artistic director, Ismail Mahomed, about this new initiative, Cape Town as host city, and the benefits for independent artists taking part in the event.

How would you describe the Cape Town Fringe Festival?

The Cape Town Fringe Festival draws on the expertise and the reputation of the National Arts Festival (NAF), which has been built over four decades, as well as the enthusiasm of South African artists to partner in a new, innovative platform supported by the City of Cape Town to continue to stimulate the creative economy.

Why Cape Town as host city for the festival?

The NAF was looking for additional opportunities to grow its operations and activities year round. The City of Cape Town was looking for an arts event that would continue to grow the city’s agenda as a cultural tourism destination. There was a synergy in vision between the Festival and the City; thence the birth of the Cape Town Fringe.

What were the criteria you used when considering all the programme applications?

Key to the selection process was how the work would complement the vision and the ethos of the Cape Town Fringe. Coupled with this was the emphasis on excellence, creative risk-taking, encouraging new work and providing extended opportunities for productions that have proven successful in Grahamstown.

How would you describe the final programme – what do these 100 productions have in common?

The majority of the productions are from Cape Town’s independent theatre producers; and that in itself is an indicator of the high level of productivity and creativity of the independent arts circuit in Cape Town.

Just how easy/difficult is it for independent artists to make a living and find platforms to show their work? What does a festival such as Fringe mean to them?

At an artistic level, the festival circuit in general creates an opportunity for artists to create new work, observe new trends introduced by their peers and be inspired by one another. At a market level, festivals create the opportunity to showcase new work to audiences, festival producers and theatre managements. Essentially, the festival becomes a trading place for the arts. At a broader social level, festivals are a barometer of both the creativity of artists and the issues or subjects they are engaging with through their artistic expressions.

What is your advice to artists staging work at this year’s Fringe - how can they make most of this opportunity given to them?

Embrace the opportunity that any new platform creates to grow opportunities for the artists. Every new festival introduces new audiences, new sponsorship opportunities and a new dynamic through which we can reflect on the way in which art is produced, who produces it, who consumes it, who funds it and ultimately also, in some way, who ends up directing the arts agenda.

Since this is a first, any advice/tips for Capetonians and other festivalgoers planning on attending the festival? 

Try to see a broad selection of work. Take advantage of seeing some of the successful Standard Bank Ovation Award-winning productions, but also stretch your boundaries by taking risks and seeing some of the bold, new and fresh work on offer. Engage with the artists. See the Festival as a new lifestyle opportunity.

For the full Cape Town Fringe Festival programme, or to book tickets, see www.capetownfringe.co.za and www.facebook.com/CapeTownFringe, or follow @CTFringe on Twitter.