On the 31st of August, the City of Johannesburg successfully launched the month-long 2018 Arts Alive International Festival at the Joburg Theatre.
The launch was followed by an equally successful annual Jazz on the Lake Festival, the premier Arts Alive event, which is in its 26th year on the cultural calendar.
The family event featured numerous renowned artists, including: Siya Makuzeni Sextet, Sydney Mavundla and Band, The Zoo Lake Tribute Band, the Jaziel Brothers, Putuma Tiso, Berita and many others. The legendary Vusi Mahlasela and Oliver Mtukudzi also graced the stage, to the pleasure of the thousands who came out to enjoy the event.
Free Metro Buses shuttled residents from Marks Park, Metro Centre, Killarney Mall and Maponya Mall and back, to ensure minimum congestion to the roads leading to the venue and the inconvenience that may have been caused to the residents of the area around Zoo Lake.
“I am happy that yet again we were able to organise and carry out an event of such magnitude and excellent quality for our residents. I am also glad that residents adhered to the event and venue rules – this ensured an incident free Jazz on the Lake Festival. I urge residents to continue abiding by the rules of each venue where events will be hosted throughout the 2018 Arts Alive International Festival to ensure that we have an incident-free festival. Residents can find out about other events by checking for posters around the City, or by following @CoJCommunityDev or @Arts_Alive on Twitter”, said Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Community Development, Cllr Nonhlanhla Sifumba.
The festival will continue until the end of September in various places across the City, with most of the shows free to allow all our residents, especially the poor and previously marginalised, an opportunity to enjoy the festivities.
The City of Johannesburg is proud to have partnered with the Gauteng Department of Economic Development, the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, the Inner City High School Drama Festival, Quotidation, Moshito, the Heritage Unity Festival, the Global Dance Supreme as well as Showbiz Entertainment Africa (SEAfrica) to bring the 26th offering of this festival of homegrown and international entertainment.
“I would like to thank all those involved in the planning and execution of the Arts Alive programme in the City - especially the staff at the Joburg City Theatres (JCT), as well as those in the Arts, Culture and Heritage directorate. Your hard work does not go unnoticed – you continue to show us what ‘service with pride’ looks and feels like”, concluded MMC Sifumba.
The festival programme continues as follows:
For information and media queries, please contact:
Ms Jacqueline Jacobs
Cultural Officer: Arts, Culture and Heritage
Cell: 071 482 8288
Tel: 011 373 7506
Email: Jacquij@joburg.org.za
Or
Ms Karabo Tledima
Stakeholder Manager: MMC for Community Development
Cell: 061 794 3819
Email: Karabot@joburg.org.za
