30 November 2007
Several leading South African artists from various disciplines will come together for a week-long HIV/Aids awareness initiative, the When Life Happens arts and culture festival, in Johannesburg from 2 to 9 December.
The festival, which takes place at various venues around the inner city district of Newtown, brings together some of the country's foremost musicians, poets, dancers and visual artists to demonstrate that pressing social issues can be addressed in an entertaining and thought-provoking manner.
All the events are free, and are being held to follow up on World Aids Day on 1 December.
When Life Happens organiser PJ Sabbagha says that the medium of art not only helps make serious issues such as HIV/Aids accessible to the public, but also provokes critical thought and debate.
"In a world dominated by news headlines of war, soaring oil prices, climate change and the pursuit of democracy, it amazes me that HIV/Aids seems to have become marginalised and erased from our social conscience," Sabbagha said in a statement on Monday.
"If one considers that a human tragedy equivalent to that of the Twin Towers terror attack unfolds weekly in South Africa alone, why are we failing at all levels of government and society to respond?"
The festival will open on Sunday 2 December with a visual arts exhibition at MuseumAfrica, which can be viewed until 9 December. Around 30 artists will be participating, with a special feature being two exhibits of artworks created by HIV-positive children and Aids orphans during the When Life Happens workshops.
A treat for dance aficionados is Sylvia "Magogo" Glasser's highly acclaimed work Blankets of Shame, performed by the Moving into Dance Mophatong Company, which will be staged at the Dance Factory on Wednesday 5 December and Thursday 6 December at 7.30pm.
Blankets of Shame explores the concept of stigma and denial through imagery relating to the abuse of women and children, rape, paedophilia, Aids and healing. It symbolically lifts the "blankets of silence" surrounding these issues through a ritualistic journey interweaving dance, music, the human voice and fabric.
Newly-crowned 2008 Standard Bank Young Artist for Dance Dada Masilo will showcase her extensive talents in a new programme of contemporary dance on 7 December at 7.30pm, 8 December at 6pm and 9 December at 2.30pm at the Dance Factory.
The programme will also feature work by respected choreographer Sello Pesa and his Ntsoana Contemporary Dance Theatre.
On 6 December at 8pm, an evening of cutting-edge performance poetry and contemporary urban South African sounds will rock the Bassline in Newtown. Artists such as DJ Kenzhero, Tumi (of Tumi and the Volume fame), DJ Papercut, Afurakan and Khethi will be on the bill.
SAinfo reporter
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