Dancers across all disciplines presented a thrilling performance yesterday in Newtown, Johannesburg, in solidarity with the arts practitioners who have been staging a sit-in at the National Arts Council (NAC) offices.
Arts practitioners have been staging sit-ins at NAC offices since March 3, demanding answers regarding the funding irregularities in the Presidential Economic Stimulus Package (PESP), which was meant to rescue the sector.
Over 60 dancers turned up for what they called protest art while entertaining the public. They performed dance styles such as Isibhujwa, Isipantsula, tap, hip-hop, pole dancing, traditional Indian dance and tap dance..
While chanting Asiyifun’i agenda yama capitalists (we don’t want capitalists' agenda), they had placards written “Show us List”, “Nathi Must Fall”, and “I’m not a Criminal”.
According to one of the organisers, Bridget van Oerle, different arts disciplines will perform in front of NAC offices until Friday.
“SA artists are united in solidarity behind those demanding answers from the National Arts Council. Protest art performances will go on until Friday.
"The sit-in has highlighted the indignity which many artists have suffered over the past year and their efforts and appeals have been met with stony silence, assport, arts and culture] minister Nathi Mthethwa and his department continue to ignore the peaceful protest.”
Pantsula dancer Jabulani Manyoni, who dances for Soweto Skeleton Movers, said: “I’m here to support the cause. I’m an artist and I am also affected like other artists. We need this funding as the arts and creative sector to create more job opportunities. The sector has been on lockdown and we need to survive.”
Choreographer and director Owen Lonzar said: “Dancers do not have a voice because dance is a silent art form. It is easy to forget about them. It is important for dancers to be seen as part of the cause since they are always at the bottom of the food chain.
"It is important to be able to stand for themselves and be here today. It’s a difficult time to organise a protest this time when people have not worked for a year and people do not have money to come here. What people saw today was dancers expressing themselves in different forms of dance.”
Mthethwai's spokesperson Masechaba Ndlovu said the department plan to release a statement regarding the arts practitioners that have been camping at the NAC offices soon.
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