Inclusion and unity. These were the messages from performers from a wide array of disciplines who are taking part in the Infecting the City Festival (ITC).
The NGO Africa Centre, along with Jay Pather from the Institute for Creative Arts, have teamed up to present the festival.
The festival began on Wednesday and is set to conclude tomorrow.
It focuses on exposing the general public to various arts forms and affording audiences a fully immersive experience by having artists and dancers perform in the communal spaces of the CBD and share their voices on current affairs.
The co-curators Khanyisile Mbongwa and Leila Anderson put together a collection of over 20 performing ensembles, including groups and solo performers.
Participating performers and groups include Darkroom Contemporary, Indoni Dance, Art and Leadership Academy and solo artist Allison-Claire Hoskins.
The performance was mobile and the audience accompanies it through the city to the designated areas where performances take place.
Mbongwa said the aim of the festival is: “Re-inventing the City, reclaiming the streets and re-imagining public precincts". This is at the heart of the festival’s immersive experience.
“By encouraging new directions in performance for the 21st century, Infecting the City navigates intentional and incidental audiences on theatrical pathways that are still to be discovered,” Mbongwa said.
The artists and organisers hope to encourage the public to understand the strains of xenophobia, to move past it, as well as provide a platform where young artists can develop and become the leaders that our country needs, Mbongwa said.
“While the contamination of censorship plagues us all, Infecting the City’s artists administer the antidote.
"The festival has become a laboratory and springboard for thought leaders, and a stalwart of public art platforms,” said Mbongwa.
The festival is in its 10th year, with organisers wishing to encourage the public to embrace the performing arts and establish a new appreciation for the power that it possesses through captivating their audience in their own city spaces.
“Infecting the City heralds a new season of possibility in South Africa and illuminates the critical role of performance in our shared history,” said Mbongwa.
For more information on the festival visit: http://www.africacentre.net/