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Isingqisethu Cultural Festival 🗓

The Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe led the annual cultural festival, Isingqisethu in Port St Johns over two days on 2nd to 3rd December 2023.

MEC Kontsiwe believes that Isingqisethu helps the province promote its unique identity through arts and culture. Furthermore, it enables the province to celebrate unity in diversity and brings people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and diverse ethnic groups together.

The festival saw performances from renowned artists and local artists sharing the stage and expressing their talents through art, dance, and music. The national artists inspired, interacted, and engaged with emerging artists in the form of motivation and capacitation.

The festival featured an outdoor setup encompassing craft displays, a diverse array of African cuisine, and performances ranging from indigenous to contemporary renditions.

The event entailed kiddies entertainment, fashion show with designers representing the Districts and the Metros of the EC, and crafters.

The objectives of Isingqisethu Cultural Festival are to preserve the rich artistic tapestry of Eastern Cape through arts and culture, improve market access and grow the economy through creation of job opportunities.

The cultural tourism aspect was lifted as performances attracted music revellers from all over the province and beyond, bringing much needed economic stimulus to the area.

DSRAC Hosts 11th National Youth Camp 🗓

In a bid to promote social cohesion, nation building and national identity using sport and recreation as a catalyst, the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture in partnership with National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture are hosting the 11th National Youth Camp which is underway from 3rd to 8th December 2023 at the Christian Bush Camp, East London.

The National Youth Camp is a forum for young people to engage on issues affecting them within their communities. It is an environment for positive social interaction amongst youth and the ability for them to work cooperatively with all races, ethnicity, gender, class, language, and creed.

About 90 learners in grade 10 will participate in this year’s edition and they were selected from the 8 districts of the province. The selection was based on an Olympiad test written to test their general knowledge of sport, recreation and information surrounding the community and life.

The topics that are covered at the youth camp include: community services, gender-based violence (GBV), bullying, health education, sport and recreation as well as character building.

Breidbach Awareness Programme 🗓

Breidbach Awareness Programme Improves the Lives of Youth Within the Community
The Sub-Directorate of the Special Programmes Unit (SPU) on the Rights of the Child is improving the local community one school at a time, after conducting a successful awareness programme at Breidbach Primary School on 2 November 2023.
The awareness session focused on the school’s pressing challenges, which included bullyism, substance abuse and crime leading to gender-based violence. Two members of Bhisho Youth Care Centre who were part of the day’s programme, relaying how a life of crime and rebellion had lasting consequences on their lives, urging the young learners to make the most of the opportunities made available to them and stray from living a life of crime.
An official of the South African Police Service (SAPS) was invited to educate learners on the consequences of bullying and substance abuse, also debunking common misconceptions that minors cannot face legal implications for their involvement in wrongdoing.
The awareness session was held in partnership with the Department of Education, SAPS and Social Development.

Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour in EC 🗓

East London Comes Alive as the Boks End Off the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour in EC
South Africans welcomed the return of their very own 4-time Rugby World Cup champions in an eruption of excitement to receive the Springboks and trophy back on South African soil as they touched down at the OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday 31 October 2023 ahead of the trophy tour.
The 4-day tour kicked off in Gauteng, just two days after the Boks’ return, making its way to the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and making its final stop in the Eastern Cape, in East London.
Crowds gathered at East London’s King Palo Airport to catch a glimpse of the Springboks as they landed on Saturday evening in preparation for the Eastern Cape leg of the trophy tour on Sunday, 5 November.
The tour route circled the city, starting from Garden Court, making its way through Amalinda main road, through Mdantsane, back to the town’s CBD, and ending off at the East London City Hall where fans had the opportunity to have their items autographed and take pictures with their favourite players.
The Eastern Cape is home to some of the best rugby players represented in the Springboks team; Captain, Siyamthanda Kolisi, Makazole Mapimpi, Jaden Hendrikse, Lukhanyo Am and Manie Libbok, as well as coaching and technical staff in the national team with the likes of Rassie Erasmus, Mzwandile Stick, Charles Wessels and Lindsay Weyer flying the Eastern Cape flag high, attributing to the city’s high spirits and immense pride at the Boks’ win.

O.R Tambo Choral Music Festival 🗓

The Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture hosted the 20th edition of the O.R Tambo Choral Music Festival in East London on the 28th of October.
In celebrating the life and legacy of O.R Tambo, 27 choirs battled for the number one spot. The music festival forms part of the department’s plan to develop choral music in the province.
The festival, which has been named after the country’s struggle stalwart, Oliver Reginald Tambo, is aimed at preserving his legacy. Tambo’s love for choral music is well documented as he was a song writer, a choir conductor and member of the St Peters’ Junior Secondary school choir during his schooling years.
The choirs that participated included Matthews Singers and Butterworth Services Choir. These choirs have lifted the Eastern Cape choral music flag high and have won prestigious awards and prizes on national stages.
The department hosted the festival in partnership with the two music associations of the province, namely Guild of Choral Indigenous Music Practitioners in Eastern Cape (GCIMP-EC) and Eastern Cape Choral Music Association (ECCMA).

Umzila kaTambo Marathon Closes Off O.R Tambo Month 🗓

The Umzila kaTambo Marathon, hosted by Athletics Transkei and administered by the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts, and Culture in collaboration with FNB, Old Mutual, and other strategic partners, kicked-off on the 28th of October in Mbizana.

The annual Umzila kaTambo race traces the footsteps of the icon’s birthplace and creates space for athletes from all over Africa to participate and celebrate his life and legacy through sport. Culture and sport are integrated to serve as a platform to promote unity, reconciliation, peace, nation building and social cohesion.
The race encourages mass participation in sport and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, it uses sport as a tool for local economic development and supports rural development as a priority of our government.
The race included a 42.2km marathon, as well as a 21.1km, 10km and 5km race to suit different needs. All races concluded at the Mphuthumi Mafumbatha Stadium.

O.R Tambo Choral Music Festival – A Celebration Through Music 🗓

Children’s Awareness Programme to Curb Youth Drug-Abuse 🗓

The Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture’s Special Programmes Unit held a children’s awareness programme on the 18th of October at Schornville Primary School.
The programme was attended by several key stakeholders including, officials from the Department of Education, SAPS and the Department of Social Development, alongside learners from a nearby youth care centre. The awareness programme aimed at educating on substance abuse leading to GBV, targeting the school’s Grade7 class ahead of their high school journey. The representatives from the youth facility appealed to the youth to shy away from substance abuse and the lasting consequences of succumbing to peer pressure.
This is the beginning of the Special Programmes Unit awareness campaign of partnering with schools to address issues faced by youth in their respective areas in a bid to promote social cohesion and nation building.

Chris Hani Jazz Festival 🗓

Cradock comes alive to the soothing sounds of the Chris Hani Jazz Festival
The Cradock local economy received a boost as jazz enthusiasts flocked to the town to watch their national and local artists perform at the Chris Hani Jazz Festival on 20 October 2023. The jazz festival was hosted by the department in partnership with the Chris Hani District Municipality and the East London Guild Theatre.
Amanda Mankayi, Bongeziwe Mabandla, Mthatha group 047 and Zadwesh were among the renowned artists that uplifted, inspired, and healed the audience with their soulful performances.
Various local artists selected from our 8 districts shared the stage with these great jazz musicians. The local artists rubbed shoulders with professionals and receive an opportunity to expose their talent.
The jazz festival is a provincial platform aimed at developing and exposing local talent. The festival provided a significant boost for the local economy.

Ministerial Imbizo: Sustainability in the Creative Sector 🗓

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa led the Ministerial Imbizo at the Miriam Makeba Arts Centre in East London on the 13th of October.
In his consultation with the creatives sector, the Minister committed to providing more support to the arts. He highlighted that the department is taking a step towards transforming from being event-focused, to adopting a sustainable approach to assist the challenges in the sector. Kodwa emphasised that it is time that the department steered from providing funding to the same individuals and groups, and rather extend their support to benefit more projects across the country.
Members from various arts and culture organisations used the platform as an opportunity to voice their grievances. It provided a forum for creatives from the region to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the industry, siting the more most pressing issues were poor infrastructure, lack of funding as well as the marginalisation of people with disabilities in the sector. Despite the numerous challenges they face, the creative sector acknowledged the department’s legacy and its commitment to the growth of the creative arts in the province.

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