Eden Drama Festival Showcase Ends on High Note

On Saturday, 29 August 2015, the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) hosted the final leg of the Eden Drama Festival Showcase at the Khayelethu Community hall in Knysna. It was the final  instalment of the three adjudication showcases scheduled to take place across the Eden District.

Drama groups from the Knysna municipal area all participated. The showcases were made possible through the collaboration with the Knysna municipality alongside a strong partnership with the Baxter Theatre's Zabalaza Festival.

The showcase was opened by Councillor Grootboom from Knysna municipality who provided some motivational words for the participants.  

Seven groups took part in this final leg of the fifth anniversary of the Eden Drama festival: Huge Effort Prodcutions, Inferno Fusion, Ubumnandi Bethu, Sobambana Drama Group, The Soulful Saints, Beste van Alles and Masonwabe Drama Group.

“The amount of talent we have seen over the last three weekends has clearly shown that the youth has taken this festival very serious with the level of professionalism displayed in their productions which clearly shows that the arts is about developing quality for the youth”, says Moeniel Jacobs ( project manager for the Drama Programme).

The groups identified and selected to move on to the development phase of the festival were Masonwabe Drama Group, Ubumnandi Bethu and Huge Effort Productions who all showed great potential during their production.

These productions will undergo further development by the Baxter Theatre’s Zabalaza Festival from the 2 – 4 October at the Schoemanspoort Cultural facility to prepare them for their finale as well as for the overall winner’s journey to the Zabalaza Festival and Suidoosterfees in Cape Town.

DCAS presents these festivals in order to develop the arts in communities. Communities should support these kind of festivals in order to grow local talent. Let us continue to develop and grow the arts BETTER TOGETHER.