SUNDAYS RIVER VALLEY PROVINCIAL ARTS & CULTURE FESTIVAL 2019

This is the biggest educational project (with the main focus on Arts and Culture in all its varieties) in the Sundays River Valley and by extension the Province of the Eastern Cape and the new venue for 2019 will be in the heart of the Sundays River Valley, Kirkwood High School.

The main purpose of this unique Arts and Culture Festival is to provide a platform for participants from all the various cultures and ethnic backgrounds in the Sundays River Valley and the Province of the Eastern Cape including rural, neglected and the disadvantaged and beyond, to exhibit their respective talents in a good variety of categories. The aim is to develop, promote and sustain Arts and Culture in the Sundays River Valley and by so doing to promote it for social cohesion, poverty alleviation, job creation, cultural development and preservation. Art and Culture is used as a source of inspiration and communication tool to all inhabitants of the Eastern Cape, with the hope to inspire the youth to unleash their talent and creativity. We also focus on showcasing talent in townships and to gain involvement from neglected schools and communities in the Valley and by so doing to provide a diverse program that result in the personal growth of participants and allows our youth to develop and to become a part of a unique and educational experience.

The Arts and Culture Festival promotes the diversity and traditions of all performing arts, visual arts and crafts. We aim to create opportunities for all youth and adults and strongly encourage community involvement to diverse cultural celebration. Arts and Culture has the power to unite all the various cultures in our community through varied mediums and influences. It is an opportunity for inhabitants of our beautiful Valley of all ages and backgrounds, to demonstrate the richness of their culture and, at the same time, to experience the culture of neighboring and other residents of the Sundays River Valley. Inhabitants, especially those in the neglected townships in our Valley have the opportunity to showcase their talents and in particular to earn an income from the category: ARTS AND CRAFTS, thereby providing them the opportunity to become self-sustainable.

The Arts and Culture Festival is the main hub for developing artists and arts in the Valley. A final purpose of the Festival is to provide the opportunity to our inhabitants, especially those in the neglected areas, to put their crafts (handwork) on exhibition and furthermore to provide them with the motivation and inspiration to exhibit their crafts at specific and strategic points where tourists and local visitors can purchase their work and by so doing, give them the opportunity to work towards self-sustainability.

It is our belief that Arts and Culture is an inborn and vital gift within each and every human which is a powerful tool to use in order to make a difference, whether it be on a personal, emotional, cognitive and or social level to develop all of us into well-balanced humans. The Arts and Culture Festival can thus be seen as a powerful platform whereby participants can put their skills on exhibition, receive valuable and professional guidance from expert adjudicators and also receive professional information on how to market and exhibit their work to earn a steady income. This guidance is given by professors, lecturers and other highly qualified dignitaries from our region.

This professional platform is based on our belief that we aim to provide a supportive and encouraging environment where competitors can achieve their best.