Public arts festival: (Un)Infecting the City, Cape Town, May 7 to June 30 2021
(Un)Infecting the City Public Arts Festival 2021, Cape Town When: May 7 to June 30, 2021 Where: Sites in Cape Town and online – digital and virtual events Charge: No cost- free Programme: http://infectingthecity.com/2021 Instagram: @infectingthecity Facebook: http://infectingthecity |
In lockdown level 1, year two of the pandemic, it is thrilling to see the scope of programme for (Un)Infecting the City [formerly Infecting The City]. Cognisant of Rona, the festival has been “restructured to embrace a new social-distancing model that will allow it to go ahead within the current restrictions and with respect to all health and safety protocols.” In the past, it was about a crowd swarming from performance to performance. This year, that is definitely not the plan and works will be spread out in the city and there will be digital and virtual elements -online. There will be eight programme, created by 50 artists. Everything is free. This is the time of Rona and everything is subject to change, so check into the website and other platforms for updates. Info as supplied.
Cape Town’s streets, buildings, billboards and taxis are set to come alive with (Un)Infecting the City, a free-to-the-public arts festival running from 8 May – 30 June 2021
Abandon Netflix and take to the streets of Cape Town for the ultimate screening experiences, performances and installations this May and June! The longest running public arts festival in South Africa, Infecting the City, renamed (Un)Infecting the City for this year, offers a unique opportunity to bring art, music, dance and performance out of theatres and galleries and into public spaces. The 2021 festival, presented by the University of Cape Town’s Institute for Creative Arts (ICA), upholds its public-hearted spirit, but has updated its format to allow for social distancing.
In previous years, the festival has reimagined transport and shopping hubs, squares, gardens and public walkways as transformative stages. It showcased an array of multi-disciplinary art forms, and created a platform for artworks that engage with historical and contemporary narratives relevant to the city and its people. As South Africa grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently, the fires in Cape Town and at UCT, this year’s (Un)Infecting the City will have a thematic focus on the psychological and social impacts of this time.
COVID-19 in itself has led to a dramatic loss of human life nationwide, and the beginning of 2021, in particular, has seen many people having to come to terms with the loss of loved ones. Says Director of the ICA, Jay Pather: “The pandemic has presented an unprecedented challenge to mental health, food systems, employment and the arts. Still observing the festival’s city-based concerns of urbanity and spatial politics, some of the artistson the programmeconsider how these concerns have been further exacerbated by the pandemic. There are also many works that celebrate resilience, spirit and community.” For instance, acclaimed artist Wezile Mgibe will present a work aptly titled ‘We regret to inform you’, that echoes these sentiments.
The festival has been restructured to embrace a new social-distancing model that will allow it to go ahead within the current restrictions and with respect to all health and safety protocols. Reimagined as a crowd-free event and taking place across multiple outdoor venues, (Un)Infecting the City also incorporates new digital and virtual elements that can be experienced by anyone with access to the Internet, and from anywhere, expanding the festival beyond the physical limits of Cape Town.
Comprising eight distinct programmes, (Un)Infecting the City offers a wealth of culturally-rich opportunities created by 50 different artists that are entirely free to the public. Here’s what you can experience:
MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING IS MANDATORY PROGRAMME IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE | CONSULT THE WEBSITE REGULARLY ESPECIALLY ON THE DAY BEFORE THE EVENT PLEASE NOTE: Programme 1 –dates have changed from Fri 7 & Sat 8 to Sat 8 & Sun 9 due to weather conditions. PROGRAMME 1 land, body, spirit Sat 8 & Sun 9 May | Video Projection | Performance 6.30 – 7.30pm Walk About (Films on a Loop) SPIRIT MBA (Open House, Long Street) Durational Performance GROUPING AND UNGROUPING FOREVER (Open House, Long Street) MUD & FIRE PARABLES/BODY OF EVIDENCE: Amy Wilson and Gabriel Dirks (Shop Windows, 161 Long Street) ALEXANDRA-NALEDI HOLTMAN (Shop Window, 148 Long Street) MANUELA HOLZER (Shop Window, 148 Long Street) MUD & FIRE PARABLES/BODY OF EVIDENCE: Vathiswa Nodlayiya (Western Province Building, Corner Long and Wale Streets) YASMINE CALASSE (Western Province Building, c/o Long and Wale Streets) YAZEED KAMALDIEN (Western Province Building, c/o Long and Wale Streets) SOUNDZ OF THE SOUTH (Slave Lodge, c/o Wale and Adderley Streets) BUHLEBEZWE SIWANI (Groote Kerk, Bureau Street) 7.30 – 9pm Settle Down (Church Square, c/o Bureau and Parliament Streets) MUD & FIRE PARABLES/BODY OF EVIDENCE: Koleka Putuma KWASUKASUKELA ART COLLECTIVE (Performance) KAMVA (Film) MATSHELANE XHAKAZA (Film) THANIA PETERSEN LOREN LOUBSER (Film) MARLIN ZOUTMAN (Performance) DANIEL COLE NORA CHIPAUMIRE PROGRAMME 2 locked in, looking out Tues 11 & Wed 12 May | Film Projection 6.30 – 7.30pm Walk About (Films on a Loop) LOUISE COETZER (Shop Window, 161 Long Street) MUD & FIRE PARABLES/BODY OF EVIDENCE: Llewelyn Afrika (Shop Window, 148 Long Street) MANUELA HOLZER (Shop Window, 148 Long Street) YASMINE CALASSE (Western Province Building, c/o Long and Wale Streets) YAZEED KAMALDIEN (Western Province Building, c/o Long and Wale Streets) MUD & FIRE PARABLES/BODY OF EVIDENCE: Vuyolwethu Nompetsheni (Western Province Building, Corner Long and Wale Streets) SIWELA SONKE (Groote Kerk, Bureau Street) 7.30 – 9pm Settle Down (Church Square, c/o Bureau and Parliament Streets) MUD & FIRE PARABLES/BODY OF EVIDENCE: Koleka Putuma TANKISO MAMABOLO CARLA FONSECA SIPHUMEZE KHUNDAYI CHARL-JOHAN LINGENFELDER AYESHA MUKADAM AND DANIEL COLE (Film) UNUSUAL BONES ELVIS SIBEKO PROGRAMME 3 labels. touch. me Fri 14 & Sat 15 May | Video Projection | Performance 6.30 – 7.30pm Walk About (The Company’s Gardens, Queen Victoria Road) SIYA UMLILO NGCOBO (Delville Wood Memorial) SABELO SOKO (Jan Smuts Statue) MALIK NTONE EDJABE (South African National Gallery Stairs) WEZILE MGIBE (South African National Gallery Stairs) 7:30 – 9pm Settle Down (Lawns and Amphitheatre) FIGURE OF 8 DANCE COLLECTIVE (Small Lawn) SBONAKALISO NDABA (Large Lawn) CARBON (WANDILE DLAMINI) NADINE MACKENZIE STRIPPERROKE CAPE TOWN ODWA BONGO LLEWELLYN MNGUNI PROGRAMME 4 commute remember commute Sat 22 May | 13h00 | Performance | Installation APHIWE MPAHLENI (front of Cape Town Station) THANIA PETERSEN Inside Taxi (Various Locations on the Cape Flats, details available on request) PROGRAMME 5 From 28 May | Billboards | Posters | Installation DAVID MANN (Location to be confirmed) STEPHANIE FICHARDT (Location to be confirmed) TONI GISELLE STUART (Slave Lodge, c/o Wale and Adderley Streets) PROGRAMME 6 From 4 June | Audio Works Location: www.infectingthecity.com SARAH ROBYN FARRELL NOMCEBISI MOYIKWA & MLONDIWETHU DUBAZANE NIGEL VERMAAS DENISE ONEN PROGRAMME 7 From 11 June | Online Digital Works Location: www.infectingthecity.com & Social media MYER TAUB JULIA RAYNHAM TARYN MILLAR, AARTI SHAH AND SARAH CAIRNS MAGANTHRIE PILLAY REPAIRS AND PARTS PROGRAMME 8 From 18 June Online Location: www.infectingthecity.com; Social media; Cape Town TV Excerpts (stills and video) of all works |



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