What: Working Title, Live Art Weekend at Masambe Presents – Art Must Be
When: July 11-13, 2024 – Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Venue: Masambe Theatre, Baxter Theatre Centre
Time: 7pm. The programme is about 90 minutes.
Bookings: Webtickets
Direct booking link: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1548257704
Tickets: R150 full price, R100 students /seniors/group booking
Curator: Carin Bester
Featured artists: Jeremeo Le Cordeur, Kelby Manuel, Sjaka S. Septembir, Xavier Parks and Vuyelwa Phota    

What is art and what does it mean to us – individually and collectively? Carin Bester conceptualised and is curating the Live Art Weekend at the Masambe Theatre, Baxter Cape Town. For her art resonates differently for all of us. Bottom line is that it must meaningful for each of us. Theatre is a vital space to activate Live Art. The 2nd edition of Live Art Weekend takes place from tonight, Thursday, July 11 at the Masambe and continues until Sunday, July 13. The theme: Art Must Be… There is a Q&A tonight, Thursday, with the artists. There will be two more Live Art Weekends this year [2024] in the Masambe precinct – outside as well as in the theatre. Carin Bester talks about Live Art and The Live Art Weekend, which is presented by Working Title:”

TCR: What prompted you to establish the Live Art Weekend at the Masambe Theatre? Lack of professional spaces for Live Art and the need for a platform?

Carin Bester: We do have a few Live Art or Performance Art events, but compared to the opportunity for theatre there is still a very big gap and with so many people wanting to explore the genre I found myself in a space where I wanted to explore ideas and concepts but nowhere to take it. And after speaking to a few other artists, I realised there was a definite lack of opportunity.

TCR:  Can we talk about the Masambe – theatre as a space?

CB: Our Live Art Weekends at Masambe make use of various spaces, not just the theatre inside. In our first Live Art Weekend we had a performance on the deck and another outside the front entrance to the main building, next to the Masambe. Using the outdoor spaces are obviously weather dependant and, in this case for our July Live Weekend, we will only work with the inside space. For me the beauty of Live Art is it can take place anywhere. 

TCR: Can you talk about the theme- Art Must Be

CB: I often find people watching certain Performance Art pieces and asking the question, but how is that art? I heard that question at National Arts Festival during my Durational Performance Installation Hunger Count. So, with Art Must Be… I want to give artists an opportunity to present work in their own style and in a way answering the question of what art is to themselves – and answering the question out loud with the actual performance. We all have different tastes and obviously we do not all like all styles and genres, but it is important to remember that art has many different forms and it’s not just about art having to be beautiful. To me Art Must Be Meaningful. It is different for everyone.

TCR: Can you talk about “Live Art” as a body to incorporate multiple arts disciplines? Many people still refer to it as Performance and get flummoxed when one says Live Art”

CB: For these weekends I speak about Live Art because I am incorporating various styles and genres, Performance Art being one of them, but also dance, poetry or any other multimedia presentations an artist wants to present.

TCR: You have had the 1st Live Art Weekend, Everything is Political in February. Art must be… is from July 11-13 and in then are two more Live Art Weekend activations for 2024. Dates Please.

CB: Art as Resilience August 29 – 31, Thursday – Saturday and then (UN) Inhabitable Zones December 6-8 (Friday to Sunday).

TCR: How did you go about curating the 4 Live Art Weekends? Can you talk about the open call that you put out? Did you invite artist to apply for each theme or did you take the proposals and put them into each theme?

CB: For the First Live Art Weekend I approached artists. From there I had an open call. I provided the artist with the details of the upcoming weekends, giving them the dates and themes and asked them to apply according to where they see their work fits best. I asked everyone to choose a 1st and 2nd option. I was overwhelmed with the number of applications and have selected a short list for each weekend. As we get closer, I will check in with the short list to confirm everyone’s availability and from there finalise the group.

TCR: Do you envisage this as being an ongoing platform?

CB: I hope so, I think going forward. I might only do two Live Art weekends a year instead of four. But I will obviously have to continue applying for funding and looking for partners. I am very grateful for funding from the National Arts Council for 2024.

Live Art in Cape Town: The 2nd Working Title, Live Art Weekend [July 11-13, 2024] at the Masambe Theatre, Baxter, Cape Town. The theme is: Art Must Be
Activating Live Art: Carin Bester who conceptualised and is curating Working Title’s Live Art Weekends, presented at the Masambe Thaetre at the Baxter, Cape Town

 ✳ Featured image – Kelby Manuel is presenting What the Dust RemembersWhat happens when the ideas and feelings become buried beneath the dust, at the 2nd Working Title, Live Art Weekend [July 11-13, 2024] at the Masambe Theatre, Baxter, Cape Town. The theme is: Art Must Be