Human Rights Music Festival attracts large crowds in Sharpeville

By Mpolokeng Moloi

Said MEC Morakane Mosupyoe: “The Puisano Live Music programme is contributing immensely to promoting and developing upcoming artists and bands in Gauteng. It has not only been instrumental in creating market access for unsigned and unrecorded bands, but it also continues to strengthen the growth of live music circuit in the province. We want to see this expand more into townships and rural areas”.

With the 30th anniversary of our democracy loading in 2024, the festival promises to be bigger, bolder boisterous.

Meanwhile, the department has been working hard to improve its performance for the 2022/23 financial year. In the last 3 quarters, the department reached hundreds of beneficiaries achieving 90% of its target within the element of Creative Arts.

The beneficiaries received arts equipment; emerging creatives were trained as part of the creation of a transformed, capable and professional Arts and Cultural sector; participated in capacity building and enterprise development programmes; street artists were supported with developmental programmes, to only mention a few.

Focus has also been on Creative Industries deliverables, where 60% was achieved in the last 3 quarters. This includes job opportunities created through arts and culture; supporting living legends; financial support provided to arts organisations; Community Arts Centers implementing arts programmes.

Working with the industry, the department has market access programmes to help expose artists including crafters, designers and artists, to new and bigger markets. Recently the department held a successful access to markets initiative at the Sharpeville Monument during the provincial Human Rights Day Commemoration and a few days later, it was the Kwa MaiMai heritage celebration.

In the coming financial year 2023/24, the department will be looking to do more through its programmes that are geared and aimed at dealing with areas of development and support across the art forms within the heritage, arts and creative industries.

Many of the departmental programmes include funding (Grants in Aid) in theatre (iShashalazi); DJ development; dance; art in schools; Puisano Live Music; donating art equipment; capacity building; Skills transfer all targeted at providing support and necessary interventions at the emergent level of our programmes.