Patience Bambalele

Patience Bambalele

The Soweto Arts Festival is bigger and better this year.

The yearly festival kicked off in style on Saturday at Dorothy Nyembe Park in Soweto.

Now in its fifth year, the festival gives young musicians, film-makers and theatre directors a platform to break into the profession.

The festival, which has become very popular over the years, will continue until December 16.

The organiser Arabi Mocheke said: "We will utilise community centres and halls in Soweto to stage plays by some of Soweto's and South Africa's most talented playwrights and theatre groups, as well as show films from South Africa and around the continent."

Theatre lovers will be entertained to shows such as Gifted by Paul Noko, KA-Nyamazane by Mcedisi Shabangu and Sins of Man by Thapelo Motloung.

The venues are Slovoville Community Centre, Tshepisong Community Centre, Diepkloof Multipurpose Hall, Tshiawelo Community Centre and Ipelegeng Community Centre.

Audiences will also have a chance to view films such as Bara, Sarraounia, Tilai, Buud Yam and Drum Animation.

Women of the Sun will conduct a workshop for art enthusiasts. The workshop is not all talk and will showcase films by women from South Africa and Egypt. The venue for the workshop is Ipelegeng Community Centre. It will be held from December 10 to December 14.

"The workshop is an introduction into the industry, to target women who have an interest in film and television. It will enable women entering the industry to begin work immediately," Mocheke said.

The festival was started by Mocheke, who is a passionate arts and culture activist.