Die 2021 Toyota US Woordfees word aanstaande jaar vir die eerste keer ’n Stellenbosse lentefees. Dié besluit – om die fees van 17 tot 24 September 2021 aan te bied – is in oorleg met die Universiteit Stellenbosch en verskeie ander belanghebbendes geneem.
Die Woordfees-organiseerders het verskeie moontlikhede ondersoek om die fees na óf Februarie óf April te skuif. Dit is egter nie finansieël haalbaar nie, onder meer weens die onsekerheid wat die Covid-19-pandemie steeds inhou en die moontlikheid dat Covid-19-protokolle bywoningsyfers kan beperk. Daarbenewens word matriekuitslae vir 2020 eers teen die einde van Februarie 2021 verwag en die begin van die universiteit se akademiese jaar moet dus ook aanskuif. As gevolg van die veel later registrasie en verwelkoming van nuwelinge is dit daarom buitendien onmoontlik om die fees, soos beplan, van tot 5 tot 14 Maart 2021 aan te bied.
Die fees is wel van voorneme om vroeër in die jaar aktiwiteite gerig op die Woordfeesgehoor aan te bied met ’n fokus op die ondersteuning van kunstenaars en die skep van nuwe blootstellingsgeleenthede vir borge. Hierdie aanbiedings sal sowel aanlyn as tradisionele aanbiedings insluit. Tradisionele aanbiedings sal aan die geldende Covid-19-protokolle onderhewig wees.
Volgens Saartjie Botha, direkteur van die Toyota US Woordfees en WOW-projek, is dit te vroeg om te voorspel of hierdie ’n eenmalige skuif vir 2021 sal wees en of die hele fees permanent na die tweede helfte van die jaar sal skuif: “Die Woordfees funksioneer nie in isolasie van ander feeste nie en te midde van al die uitdagings wat die kunste-omgewing in die gesig staar, moet ons nou in belang van die groter bedryf optree. Dit vra vir ’n ingesteldheid wat ondanks onsekerheid gerig is op volhoubaarheid en innoverende oplossings. Die feeste het ook meer as ooit te vore ’n verantwoordelikheid om inkomste-geleenthede vir kunstenaars te skep. Terselfdertyd is ons daartoe verbind om vir ons borge ‘n goeie opbrengs op beleggings te verseker en, waar moontlik, ons deel te doen om die plaaslike ekonomie te stimuleer.”
Kunstenaars en vervaardigers wat reeds aansoek gedoen het vir deelname aan die 2021 Toyota US Woordfees, kan kies om hul aansoek in die bestaande poel van aansoeke te hou, maar is ook welkom om dit aan te pas en/of nuwe aansoeke in te dien. Aansoeke vir die 2021-fees word dus heropen. Hou woordfees.co.za en sosiale media dop vir meer besonderhede.
Meer inligting oor Woordfeesgeleenthede wat vir vroeg in 2021 beplan word, sal so gou moontlik in die media en op al die Toyota US Woordfees se digitale platforms bekend gemaak word.
Toyota SU Woordfees 2021 moves to spring
The Toyota SU Woordfees will be a Stellenbosch spring festival, for the first time, next year. The decision – to host the festival from 17 to 24 September 2021 – was taken in consultation with Stellenbosch University and other stakeholders.
The organisers considered moving the festival to February or April. This, however, is not financially feasible due to the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the possibility that Covid protocols could radically limit attendance. Also, matric results for 2020 are only expected by the end of February 2021. As a result, the academic year of the university will start much later. Student registration and orientation activities will make it impossible to host the Woordfees from 5 to 14 March 2021 as was originally planned.
The festival intends to stage a number of events aimed at a Woordfees audience earlier in the year. These activities will focus on the support of artists and the creation of new opportunities for sponsors. Events will include online as well as traditional offerings. All traditional events with live audiences will adhere to the applicable Covid-19 protocols.
According to the director of the Toyota SU Woordfees and WOW Project, Saartjie Botha, it is too early to predict whether this is a once-off shift or whether the whole festival will move permanently to the second half of the year: “The Woordfees does not operate in isolation from other festivals and given the challenges currently facing the arts environment, we have to operate in ways that benefit the greater industry. This means that we have to be focused on sustainability and innovative solutions. Now more than ever, the festivals have a responsibility to provide opportunities for artists to earn an income. We are also committed to ensure returns on the investments made by our sponsors and, where possible, to help stimulate the local economy.”
Artists and producers who have already applied for the 2021 Toyota SU Woordfees, can choose to leave their applications in the current pool or to adapt them and/or submit new applications. Applications for all programme segments will thus be reopened. See woordfees.co.za for more details.
More information on Woordfees events planned for early next year will be announced in the media and on all the digital platforms of the Toyota SU Woordfees as soon as possible.
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