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2023 Kalahari Arts Festival Attracts Cultural Groups From Descendants of San, Khoi People
February 28, 2024
CategoryAfrica Central
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptINTRO:
The 2023 Kalahari Arts and Heritage Festival held in the Kalahari Desert, Northern Cape, South Africa has been hailed by organizers as a resounding success. The unique event targets the almost extinct San and Khoi population. Festival visitors were entertained by fifteen music, dance, poet and drama groups from the San and Khoi communities. Thuso Khumalo has more.
((NARRATION)) (clips of performances)
Different San and Khoi cultural groups from parts of the Kalahari Desert in Namibia, Botswana and Northern Cape in South Africa came to the festival prepared to demonstrate why their culture must survive.
((Evelyn Van Rooyen, Member, Trek Die Ding Dance Group – Botswana))
“We don’t want this to die, for our culture to just fade. Our forefathers would have wanted us to do this.”
((clips of community workshops))
((NARRATION))
As part of the festival, a team of theatre directors visited the local community and school, to ensure even the youth do not lose their self-identity in the midst of a world where many may have forgotten them.
((Ntshieng Mokgoro, Theatre Direct))
“This community here almost seems like a forgotten nation. A forgotten people. A Forgotten tribe. So, the reason why we are doing this it’s for the purpose of the people so that they may be able to stand up and speak for themselves.”
((clips of campfire gatherings))
((NARRATION))
In the evenings, campfires were lit. It’s a key tradition for the San and Khoi people.
((Jan Kaffer, San Elder from Namibia))
“The fire was also a place where people were sitting and telling stories and this is how the culture was going from one generation to another.”
(clips of language sessions)
((NARRATION))
Language preservation was also a key element of this festival causing excitement from young people who now largely speak Afrikaans.
((clips of short films sessions))
((NARRATION))
And youngsters got to watch short films they had been assisted to produce from their communities.
((Clips of performances))
((NARRATION))
Organisers of the festival are very happy with its success and look forward to even doing better on the next one.
((Luce Steenkamp, Festival Director))
“It’s the third year of the festival and every year it was like a new experience, new challenges and everything and it really helps us every other year to try to do more than we did the first year.”
((More clips of performances))
((NARRATOR))
Festival organizers say the event preserves and revives the hope of an entire forgotten nation and brings them joy.
((Davison Mudzingwa, Festival Co-Organizer))
“There is the glitz glamour red carpets and all the bright lights in all other festivals that are held in big cities. But, we believed that there was this niche or gap to fill to ensure that people in the communities, more so, the marginalized populations like the Khoi and San need to own a festival, that is intentionally based in the communities reflecting their way of life, reflecting their values, reflecting their culture and also preserving their heritage and owned by them.”
((NARRATOR))
“It’s time to say good bye for these performers from Namibia, Botswana and different parts of South Africa. One thing, however, will remain in their minds about this festival; the culture, the dances, the music and the coaching they received to preserve their language. In the Kalahari Desert, Northern Cape, South Africa, I’m Thuso Khumalo"
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
