“Hey Hillbrow! Let’s Play!” festival enlivens Johannesburg’s downtown area
Artists from Johannesburg brought music, dance, and theater performances to the streets of Hillbrow during the sixth edition of the ‘Hey Hillbrow! Let’s Dlala!’ public street arts festival held over the weekend.
The procession began at the well-known Windybrow Theatre Complex and proceeded through Hillbrow, an urban neighborhood grappling with numerous issues such as deteriorating facilities, seized structures, criminal activities, and prevalent substance abuse.
Each year, for several days, the public arts festival transforms the streets with the aim of reshaping the future of urban neighborhoods.
“Hej Hillbrow!” celebrates how public performances enhance communal areas—spreading vitality, joy, unexpected moments, and thought-provoking elements while highlighting the remarkable efforts of various groups and people who continue to influence urban neighborhoods and places,” stated Bongiwe Potelwa from The Market Theatre.
The current year’s event was a joint effort involving The Windybrow Arts Centre alongside various local youth organizations, primarily those located within the downtown area. This festival showcased more than 300 performers and included acts selected by experienced artists Tamzyn Botha and Daniel Buckland, guided by this season’s central motif.
Time travel through dreaming
.
Members of the African Reclaimers Organisation were also part of the festival, with costumes and artwork on display made from recycled materials.
The students from the Johannesburg Society for the Blind presented a theatrical performance highlighting the festival’s dedication to inclusion.
“The purpose of art education isn’t to turn kids into artists, but rather to teach them problem-solving skills. As evident at this festival, participants ranging from youth to elders all gain empowerment through this process. In my view, once individuals acquire such power, it marks the beginning of significant progress,” noted festival curator Tamzyn Botha.
Additionally, Botha manages Shade, an independently funded local arts initiative that conducts weekly interdisciplinary activities for kids in Brixton. She mentioned that grassroots organizations rooted in communities continually struggle with securing funds and maintaining their existence.
“The vision is for all these organizations to gather in one space, enabling us to collaboratively tackle challenges and strive toward a more sustainable future for the arts sector,” stated Botha.
Gerard Bester, who leads the Windybrow Arts Centre, stressed the significance of the arts.
Creativity and imagination are essential elements. Without envisioning ourselves in unexpected settings, there can be no progress. Thus, the arts provide this for us. They enable us to picture ourselves transcending our current circumstances, which is precisely why we engage in artistic pursuits.
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Syndigate.info
).
