FOLKLORE FESTIVAL 2024
#WETHEFOLK | FRINGE FESTIVAL
THE THIRD EDITION OF THE FOLKLORE FESTIVAL RETURNS WITH A DIVERSE LINE-UP OF STORYTELLERS ACROSS A SERIES OF FRINGE SHOWS
It is time for this community to come together again to share in culture, creativity and heritage. To have those resonant conversations, to hold space for our shared values and to contribute to nation-building.
In the theme of this year’s biggest conversation for the greater South African audience, we too are contemplating 30 years of Freedom as we launch our creative platform for the year 2024: #WETHEFOLK. What you can expect is a rich line-up of Artivists and Storytellers: from authors, filmmakers, thespians, and oral traditionalists, to poets, selectors, sound curators and musicians.
On the road to the Folklore Festival Main Stage, the Folklore Community presents:
The Folklore Fringe Festival over 30 days, in three cities in the spirit of 30 years of Freedom Expressions. Curated by myself: your Indelible Storyteller, founder and director of the Folklore Community, Supported by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, and co-hosted with our venue partners: Workshop17.
Our goal this year is to build and grow our community by creating intimate bonding moments both in our ‘folklore fireside’ and ‘folklore for kids’ event formats. Giving deeper focus to the multiple disciplines of art showcased at our festival. As well as deepening the impact, intention, and meaningful work presented by our storytellers and collaborators. Our main festival will come as a finale and a celebration of the work we have done and the community we have invested in.
- Pilani Bubu | Indelible Storyteller
THREE CITIES, OVER THIRTY DAYS
We are marking key dates for conversation this year and in between we have curated a fringe festival like no other. Mark my words and lean into this communities’ intentions for 2024! We are coming in unapologetically strong! We are here to do the work!
We launched our 2024 festival theme #WETHEFOLK in Cape Town on June 16, Youth Day and on Women’s month from 7 - 9 August, we’ll be doing the same in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Our venue the NSA Theatre, we believe hold the right space for conversation and the kind of collaborative intimacy we are looking to hold for our fringe shows in Johannesburg and helps us continue to support the National School of The Arts and to engage with their students.
WE LAUNCH | 7, 8, 9 AUGUST
#WeTheFolk Press Launch: 7 AUGUST: at NSA Theatre, Johannesburg Ft. PILANI BUBU & NICKY B
#WeTheFolk: Free Activation - 8 AUGUST. State Theatre, Pretoria
Folklore Festival presents the Folk & Poetry Stage in collaboration with Black Labone’s Earth Day.
#WeTheFolk: Women’s Day Edition – 9 AUGUST, St Lorient Gallery Pretoria
Folklore Festival presents a trilogy moment for Imbokodo: An art Exhibition, Women’s Book Fair with Busisekile Khumalo and Shafinaaz Hassim - themed: Writing Women in the now and live music with KATZTHESINGER, SPARTZ & PILANI BUBU.
THE PROGRAMME
14 AUGUST - 14 SEPTEMBER
WEEK 2: THEATRE & FOLK JAZZ - 17 AUGUST AT NSA THEATRE
Folklore Festival presents SIYA MAKUZENI and ‘Remembering– iGAMA’ an immersive audio visual installation and play by SLINDILE MTHEMBU
WEEK 3: LITERATURE & ALTERNATIVE FOLK - 24 AUGUST - AT NSA THEATRE
Folklore Festival presents DUMAMA and an adult book fair with BOOK CIRCLE CAPITAL featuring authors Janine Jellars and Zibuzethu Sithole – Themed, ‘Enter a generation of Young Women Writers’
WEEK 4: ORAL TRADITIONS, SPOKEN WORD AT NSA THEATRE
30 AUGUST: Folklore Festival presents the oracle Mam’ GCINA MHLOPHE supported by vangile gantsho and MOAFRIKA WA MOKGATHI.
WEEK 5: FOLKTALES, EXHIBITION, FILM SCREENINGS & FOLK SELECTORS AT NSA THEATRE
05 SEPTEMBER: Folklore Festival presents the Folklore and FOLKTALES and Archiving in the present workshop by MPUMI MAYISA with an archival musical offering on the decks by WOMLAMBO.
16 AUGUST AT WORKSHOP 17 FIRESTATION: MARIKANA Unframed: a photo exhibition by FELIX DLANGAMANDLA opening on 16 August, marking the 12-year anniversary of the massacre Workshop17 presents 'Marikana Unframed'
06 SEPTEMBER AT ARTISTRY JHB, the documentary film screenings of SIFISO KHANYILE a Filmmaker/Archive Researcher/Vinyl DJ, showing: UPRIZE, A NEW COUNTRY, and THE RECLAIMERS. Supported by DJ’s and Selectors: Mxolisi Makhubo and Vusi Hlatywayo
07 SEPTEMBER AT NSA THEATRE An afternoon of screenings for a student audience, with a short talk and Q&A with Sifiso Khanyile.
WEEK 6: LITERATURE & ACOUSTIC FOLK AT NSA THEATRE
12 SEPTEMBER: Folklore Festival presents SIBUSILE XABA and a line-up of prolific South African authors: Fred Khumalo facilitating a session with Kevin van Wyk (The Irascible Genuis) and Lindiwe Sangweni (The Syndicate of 22 Natives: The Stan Sangweni Story) under the theme, Our Stories, Our Heritage.
LINE UP FOR OUR CAPE TOWN SHOWS + THE LINEUP OUR FAMILY DAY on 14 SEPTEMBER
To be announced at our 7 AUGUST LAUNCH
FOLKLORE FESTIVAL FAMILY DAY
To celebrate the closing of our fringe festival, we will host a Folklore Festival Family Day on the 14th of September. The lineup and activities to be announced soon.
As the Folklore Community, we are committed to
creating family-friendly events and dedicating moments for inter-generational dialogue. We are steadfast in pursuing our mission to share, capture, preserve,and archive all that is our Folklore.
By Definition Folklore: is the expressive body of culture shared by a particular group of people,
inclusive of the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth. Inclusive of tales, sayings, dances, proverbs, jokes and diverse art forms
Mark yourcalendars! Come support your favourite storytellers or discover and learn
something new.
The Folklore Fringe Festival - All Access Pass for Gauteng is available at
a members fees of R2000 once off. This gives you access to all our Fringe
Events (excluding the Main Festival) and this community member Golden Ticket
Card, is transferable between friends and family, for different events.
https://www.quicket.co.za/organisers/44025-folklore-community
Tickets are available on the Quicket link from R200 for kids to R250 for adults.
General inquiries contact: info@folklore.community
Press contact: Maya at Azania Public - maya@azania.co / 0713177314
Production and Market Vendors
: Palesa Morabe folklorecommunityza@gmail.com
TICKETS FROM R200 FOR KIDS AND R250 FOR ADULTS AVAILABLE ON QUICKET
FOLKLORE FESTIVAL
Building Community Through Collaboration
Folklore Festival is all about building community through collaborations that celebrate and embrace diversity! At the heart of it is storytelling, intergenerational dialogue and showcasing and sharing our Indigenous Knowledge Systems through music, poetry, literature, art, and dance! This is more than a music festival! It is a gathering for the whole family which aims to reignite our sense of connectedness and community on South African Heritage Month.
Our Festival Director's way to bridge the gap that exists between the old and the young, the then and now is through a production that not only upskills the pupils of the schools we collaborate with through a skills transfer program, but by way of knowledge transfer which she believes is empowering to our heritage as the young ones are a vehicle to carry our Indigenous Knowledge Systems to the future! Through rehearsals and workshops, the pupils gain insight and the confidence to perform alongside industry professionals for the families and the Folklore Community!
As part of the festival’s agenda towards intergenerational dialogue, we see on the main stage, experimental collaborations in which you can expect a folkloric and nostalgic storytelling fused with modern dance sounds inspired by childhood play songs that resonate with the archetypal inner-child. Paying homage and reference to the dance culture of South Africa in the genres of afro-pop, amapiano, gqom and kwaito weaved with jazz and children’s voices. Elevating the idea of play as a form of learning and exchange. An inspired teaching moment…
Edu-play for Bambinos and Kids
Our ethos for Folklore for Kids is to be a safe environment that cultivates our children's capacity to express, listen, learn, and discover through play and activities. We aim to be a space that encourages families to spend time outside of the home to expose their kids to that which is meaningful. The festival offers a kids play area and kids stage. Whether you are bringing your bambino who is learning to walk, your kid who enjoys being active and another who thrives best engaged in an interactive
activity - our play area with child minders has something for every kid, with soft play, Edu-play and workshops.
Our Book Fair features book readings and signings by African
authors who are passionate about writing enriching and educational stories that the African child can draw inspiration from and learn through.
Not just a music festival!
The activities at Folklore Festival are informed by celebrating our culture and heritage through a multidisciplinary experience from the East, West, North and South of Africa. A music concert on the main stage, workshops, a book fair on the storyteller’s stage, a bambinos and kids area with drumming circles, play time singing and a safe place to leave your kids to play and learn - not forgetting traditional dancers off stage, making for the best sensorial cultural experience!
"Folklore is the expressive body of culture shared and preserved by a particular group of people, it is inclusive of the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth, in the form of tales, sayings, dances, proverbs, jokes and music captured through various art forms.” Says Bubu.
Growing Audiences for Indigenous Arts & Artists
Folklore Festival curates a lineup of art and artists that showcases elements and tells stories that are authentic and unique to us as Africans. This then creates the opportunity for niche artists who are not in the mainstream to be discovered and appreciated by new audiences through the Folklore Community.
Connecting Crafters and Entrepreneurs to Consumers
We embrace the rich tapestry of our African arts, crafts, curios, fashion, jewellery, indigenous toys, instruments and more at the Folklore Festival Craft Market to showcase and create the opportunity for crafters of unique and proudly African products to meet customers.
Festival goers are treated to a wide plethora of cuisines at the Folklore Festival Food Market to explore delectable food and refreshments by vendors who are passionate about good food!
Join the community
The Folklore Festival was inspired by the SAMA Award-winning album Folklore: Chapter 1 and the realization that there exists a community which celebrates and appreciates culture and Heritage. We will launch Folklore Chapter 2: Ekuseni on 30 November and have Folklore Festival Summer Fringe Shows coming up. Sign up to receive invites and updates, and see you soon!
