A FESTIVAL OF SURVIVAL AND HOPE

RUCERA SEETHAL

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL

The 2021 National Arts Festival will always be a reminder of how extraordinary people can be when they come together in common purpose. Just when you thought the changes couldn’t be more extreme and demanding and just when you had dusted yourself off from the last one and squeezed out a new route, everything changes again. Riding this rollercoaster has been no mean feat but the agility and integrity of the people – the artists, producers, colleagues, co-creators, partners, storytellers and crew - who threw every ounce of their being into putting the 2021 National Arts Festival into the world, was that kept us all breathing through it, reminded of purpose.

Our programme emerged in response to the possibilities. Works had to be considered in practical terms, could they be streamed or filmed if they could not be live, where was the growing genre of online work taking us and how could we shape this into a form that could help people make sense of it all?

We thought we may see more anger, more defiance, but rather what emerged was a mood of reflection and survival – going within to find the strength of our reserves, tuning into our artistic core to find solace, grief, voice and hope. Surrounded as we were by the carnage of COVID-19 and a volatile country, it seemed that our artists were reaching deep, gathering at the fireside to talk openly and honestly. Some gently lit the way, others shouted, others imagined different lives and times and some looked forward to try to make sense of where we’re heading.

It takes time to unpack a project that happens at warp speed. There is much to reflect on and hindsight will add further layers of meaning as we see how the threads of today weave into the stories of tomorrow. This was a Festival of survival and capturing a moment of hopefulness.