Parks Tau says the investment is necessary for job creation and building an inclusive society.
A smorgasbord of art, design and musical talent will be on show at this year’s Basha Uhuru Creative Uprising Festival at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg.
The festival nurtures and showcases local creativity, and among the South African artists performing are Langa Mavuso, Sun El Musician, Bonga Kwana, Ms Party, MX Blouse, SIO, and Marcus Harvey.
Originally scheduled for June, the festival will now be held from 28 to 30 October due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last year, the event was reconfigured in light of the pandemic and was held in a hybrid format to accommodate a small physical audience and full live streaming. This year, the format of the main events will be similar, with limited tickets for in-person attendance.
The festival - once again fired up by long term partner Nando’s - looks to bring the hottest art, music, film, design, dance, theatre, poetry, a makers market and conference sessions to one of Joburg’s most iconic landmarks, Constitution Hill. Participants will enjoy a three-day programme that will also be streamed live - showcasing, celebrating and nurturing creative talent.
“The Creative Uprising has been scaled to support our creative community most affected by the current Covid-19 crisis, and has grown into an always-on programme, not just the three-day festival,” said Constitution Hill CEO Dawn Robertson.
Meanwhile, MEC for Economic Development in Gauteng Parks Tau, said the investment was necessary for advancing the #GrowingGautengT2030 Agenda to promote decent work and build an inclusive society.
“Constitution Hill has reinvented itself as a creative industries aggregator focused on youth self-employment,” Tau said.
“The Creative Uprising Hub and Basha Uhuru Festival are integral to achieving this goal,” he said.
Nando’s Art Initiative head Kirsty Niehaus said they were excited to be part of the musical experience again.
“Creativity is the heart and soul of the Nando’s brand and business philosophy, which is why we’re excited to once again be bringing the heat to Joburg’s favourite creative event. We’re excited to fire up Mzansi’s up-and-coming new art, design and music talent, and to nurture and showcase local creativity.”
500 tickets will be up for grabs for physical attendance at the Music Festival on the 30th of October. Tickets to the festival can be purchased from www.webtickets.co.za. For more information about the festival and line-up, visit www.bashauhuru.co.za.
Sunday Independent