Montagu Youth Arts Festival Returns

The Rural Arts Development (R.A.D) Foundation will again host the annual Montagu Music, Art, Dance and Drama Festival (M.M.A.D.D), from August 14 to 24. The event , now in it's 24th year, will take place in the charming town of Montagu on Route 62.

M.M.A.D.D draws participation mainly from primary, high school and tertiary education institutions in Cape Town and the surrounding areas, including Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay, Worcester and George. The festival categories are Music, Art, Photography, Dance, Literature, Poetry, and Drama. The theme for the Art and Literature entries this year is #AWAM (Arts With A Message).

The festival event was first started in 1995 by local teachers, the Montagu tourism office and volunteers, and has grown in strength over the past two decades. In 2011, Helen Gooderson her team took over the reins as Festival Director and simultaneously registered R.A.D as an NPO. The festival is managed by R.A.D and offers an excellent opportunity for talented youth from all communities to have an adjudicated, performance platform and gives developing talent the chance to network with young people from other schools and professionals from all over the province.

The adjudicators this year are Ricardo Koopman and Tylor Spelman (Dance) Emile Minnie and Odwa Mvunge (Music); Godfrey Johnson, Sue Diepeveen and Karen Jeynes (Drama); Pierre de Wet and Janet Both (Art); Laresa Perlman and Lome Burger (Photography), Deonette de Kok (Letterkunde) and Jean Mitchell (Literature). Previous dance adjudicators include Brigitte Reeve-Taylor, Fiona du Plooy and Allison Foat.

The festival takes place at the NG Church Hall , the venue for all dance, music and drama. At the end of the ten day festival, trophies are awarded to category winners, both individuals and groups. All entrants receive certificates. Other prizes include Master Classes with Emile Minnie, Laresa Perlman, and Ricardo Koopman. In addition, tickets to performances at Artscape by Cape Town Opera, the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and Cape Town City Ballet.

For entry forms and guidelines, email youthartsdev@gmail.com. Daily tickets are available at the door and cost R20 for adults and R10 for scholars or R50 for a 4 day pass. Call 082 886 8023 for info or visit https://www.facebook.com/events/321974371958614/?ti=wa for the festival schedule.

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