The National Arts festival celebrated its 35th birthday in style with the opening event taking at Mikiyili stadium in Grahamstown. The cold winter chill, that is synonymous with the town, subsided yesterday allowing dignitaries and the people of Rhini to converge and celebrate the strides the festival has taken in its 35 years of existence.
"It is a milestone of great importance in the cultural history of our country and for many years a platform has been developed on which we can express the truth of our dream through art and also share the power of our dream as a nation," said a jovial Arts and Culture Minister Lulu Xingwana.
Every dignitary who took to the podium waxed lyrically about the importance of the arts festival in promoting and developing both the arts and cultures of various demographics in South Africa. The Minister urged parents among the crowd of more than 2 000 in attendance to be conscious and wary of allowing their children to ignore the importance of indigenous language in everyday life.
Minister Xingwana encouraged the public to avoid the extinction of indigenous languages by communicating in their mother tongues as languages have a great role to play in building the heritage, culture and history of the people.
Minister Xingwana, an Eastern Cape born leader, further alerted those in attendance, mostly the youth, about the role language played in the liberation of South Africa from white minority rule.
"Through arts and culture we must continue to mobilise our people to fight poverty and to create a coherent nation and fight crime," said Xingwana.
Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet and MEC Xoliswa Tom accompanied national Minister for Arts and Culture Lulu Xingwana at the opening of the internationally renowned National Arts Festival.
The importance of youth involvement in taking the arts to another realm was more evident in the address by Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet when she alluded to her State of the Province Address about the big role the youth can play in developing the province.
"The Eastern Cape government is committed to promoting and strengthening of culture by starting in school and as a result will help in promoting patriotism and community solidarity from an early age," said Kiviet.
Premier Kiviet said the province was committed to creating partnerships with the international community with the purpose of helping the youth of our country with skills development. With the Soccer World Cup approaching the premier advised the youth in attendance to find that inner entrepreneur to rake in the rewards the world cup will bring to the Eastern Cape through tourism.
"We must provide tourists with the rich South African experience and by that we are committed to helping artist developing a cultural industry," said Kiviet.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
3 July 2009
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za)
