Devised by the curators of the Cape Town Film Festival, the programme is designed to give viewers an insight into the South Africa of today. Ntshaveni Wa Luruli, which opens the festival. The film documents the painful process of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission in a devastatingly effective and vivid insight into the attempt to heal a wounded nation. On display will be beautiful and diverse bowls by talented artists from various regions of the country, who use a wide variety of recycled materials such as multicoloured telephone wire, grass and glass along with the more usual wood and paper. These everyday objects on display demonstrate the inventiveness, vitality and dynamism of South African contemporary applied art and its place within the present-day home.
Entry is free.
A highlight of the festival will see a schools project culminate in a vibrant Carnival procession along the banks of the Thames on Bank Holiday Monday, from Bernie Spain Gardens to the Royal Festival Hall. UK and South African artists, musicians and actors will work in partnership over six-weeks with children from schools in Lambeth and Southwark to create an original carnival based on an exchange of skills, information and experience. The Carnival is in association with Coin Street Festival. As South Africa gets to grips with meeting its development challenges and building a prosperous and dynamic economy, this showcase will provide a fascinating insight into the growing expertise within the country. A seminar programme will also accompany The Hidden Edge.