We Can Arts Festival promotes artist with disabilities at Durban Playhouse
Among those performing are artists with disabilities and those without including Babsy Mlangeni, Big Zulu, Phuzekhemisi and Ernie Smith.
By CityLife Arts Writer
On Saturday 22 October the We Can Arts Festival happens at The Durban Playhouse. This is a project aimed at fostering the inclusion, integration and promotion of artists with disabilities into the mainstream creative arts economy. Tickets are R120.00 at The Playhouse or on Webtickets.
The theme for 2022 is “No impediments to shine”. The show – that starts at 19:00 – will feature the blind legendary Mbhaqanga musician, Babsy Mlangeni, a multi-award-winning Gospel sensation with albinism; Sgwili, an up and coming blind maskandi artist; guitarist Chaos Machafuko; an Afro Pop singer who uses a wheelchair, Pinky 1st Lady, and Afro-soul guitarist and vocalist Khazozo, who is blind.
In order to foster the inclusion, integration and promotion of artists with disabilities into the mainstream creative arts, they will be supported by popular artists without any disabilities. These artists include Big Zulu, Ernie Smith, Phuzekhemisi, Nqubeko Mbatha and Thee Legacy.
The show will be hosted by an international model, Nontobeko Mbuyazi, a model with albinism, who was discovered through the We Can Arts Festival, and has since graced the world’s fashion runways and is among the most sought after photographic models in South Africa.
“This project was initiated in 2015 after realising that there were no platforms where artists with disabilities can express themselves,” says organizer Xolani Majozi. This platform has then provided tangible solutions in providing verifiable and sustainable artistic jobs and a national commercial artistic platform for artists with disabilities.
“Over the years, the project has successfully maximised on providing professional set-up performance platforms in raising awareness around the inclusion of artist with disabilities to the mainstream arts.” Says Majozi. “This is done through practically removing limitations within the sector which makes it difficult for artists with disabilities to showcase their talents before national and commercial markets by placing them in a system that does not promote their artistic talents.”
“Going forward, we wish to sustain the festival as a national fully inclusive arts festival for artists with disabilities where they can freely showcase their talents before markets not normally enjoyed that will then enable them access to the commercial arts market.”
The biggest milestone for the project to date was the production of a three-part TV series that premiered on DSTV Mzansi Magic Music in 2021. This was the first TV production dedicated to artists with disabilities ever on South African TV screens in South Africa if not in Africa as a whole. This year they have once again partnered with DSTV’s BET Channel to produce an hour long TV series for We Can Arts Festival.
We Can Arts Festival is produced by Outrage Concepts and is a flagship project supported by The National Department Sport, Arts And Culture, through Umzansi Golden Economy Fund and it is presented in association with the Playhouse Company.