As the National Arts Festival drew to a close on Sunday 8 July, close to 900 Grade 12 pupils and their teachers made their way down to Grahamstown for the National Schools Festival.
As the National Arts Festival drew to a close on Sunday 8 July, close to 900 Grade 12 pupils and their teachers made their way down to Grahamstown for the National Schools Festival.
The festival promotes the arts, cultural interaction and open-mindedness to pupils from all walks of life.
Mpho Wanyane, a graduate at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, said her previous experience of the schools festival had been that it was a lot of fun, "especially the productions up at the Monument".
"Meeting a whole lot of other matric students was probably one of the best things about the festival," she said. “But besides that, a lot of discrimination could be seen between scholars from impoverished and well-off backgrounds."
Organiser, Ingrid Wylde, responded to this criticism, saying, “We naturally go to the group with which we feel more comfortable and these kids make their own choices.”
She also stressed that the Festival tries to bridge socio-economic divides between pupils.
Lectures, theatre productions and workshops are some of the things offered in the schools festival, which ends with a party.
The pupils will also get the opportunity to watch two South African films – a new addition to the programme.
Some of the schools taking part in the festival include Alexander Road High School from Port Elizabeth, Arundel School from Zimbabwe and Golfview High School from the North West, which is bringing a surprising 70 students.
Benita Rama, one of the organisers, said the pupils would be treated to a speech by two well-established performers, Atandwa Kani and Nat Ramabulana at the festival opening event.
They would also see productions by the likes of Rob Van Vuuren and Siv Ngesi, Wylde said.
