Events Around Durban, Auditions, Workshops and News for Musicians and Artists

Big Walk To Freedom theme at this year's Discovery East Coast Radio Big Walk

Excitement is mounting ahead of the event on 18 May.  This year the organiser's have opted for a Big Walk To Freedom theme in honour of the country's anniversary of two decades of democracy.

Don't wait too long to enter.
Entry is via www.ecr.co.za or at selected Totalsports stores in KZN.
It's going to be loads of fun for the entire family.  There will be clowns, jugglers, stilt-walkers and loads more.

Entry is R75 for the 20km race, R65 for the 10km race and 15km events and R60 for the 5km.


Events around Durban

Mondays At St Clements 14 April at 6pm.

Fairytale Rocks

iZulu Theatre, Sibaya: 17 – 21 April

Prepare to discover a rocking fairy tale this Easter weekend where every prince will find his princess in the brand new production, Fairytale Rocks, at iZulu Theatre at Sibaya Casino from 17 – 21 April, an extravaganza show which is suitable for the whole family.

Join Alistar, our hero, and his friend Farryl as they set out on a journey, where audiences join in and help Alistar find his princess, the beautiful Ariana. Along the way, we hit the high notes from all of Disney and Pixar’s song classics; Aladdin, The Lion King, Cinderella, Toy Story, Mulan, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules, and of course Shrek and the recent release, Frozen.

The fairy tale hits are remixed to the hottest sounds of today featuring hip hop, pop, swing, reggae, rock, country and much more. The irresistible line-up of performers, including power house singers, funky dancers and the live band, are featured in this rocking fairy tale fit for the entire family. Featuring dynamic storytelling, award winning music, stunning costumes and glittering special effects, audiences will be captivated by the humour, fun and adventure of this spellbinding story. Dream with our princess, cheer for the heroes, and marvel as this story is brought to life in a theatrical experience that’s pure magic.

Presented in association with East Coast Radio, Fairytale Rocks kicks off its national tour in Durban at the iZulu Theatre at Sibaya Casino and Entertainment World from 17 – 19 April. For more info like the Facebook page Fairytale Rocks or visit www.frogproductions.co.za. Booking is through Computicket or phone on 0861 915 8000 or book online at www.computicket.com. Seating is reserved.

uMhlanga Easter Festival

uMhlanga: 18 – 21 April 2014

This fun-filled festival will be providing interesting day and evening activities for visitors to the North Coast resort catering for both young and old – hosted by uMhlanga Tourism under the chairmanship of Peter Rose, in association with eThekwini Municipality, and produced by Firstline Promotions.

The uMhlanga beaches will have daily activations happening from 18-21 April on the Main Beach. Daily activities will have beachgoers basking in the summer sun whilst families will be entertained with a variety of fun and games on the stage and beach, daily from 10am until 2pm with talent competitions, kiddies sing-alongs and games. These activities will be taking place on uMhlanga Main Beach and on the Millennium Beach Stage. The Beach Activations will be co-ordinated and MC’d by Kevin Ellis well known Durban personality.

It’s time to hit the ground running this Easter! After the hugely successful uMhlanga Liberty Summer Festival Trail Run we welcome back the highly anticipated uMhlanga Easter Festival 5km / 10km / 16km Trail Run and Walk which takes place on Sunday 20 April at 6am, as part of the 2014 uMhlanga Easter Festival. Entries are now open on the ROAG website. A reminder that this event caters for all levels of fitness as we host  three races, the 5km and 10km run and walk and an 16km trail run. To enter go to www.roag.co.za or for more information you can contact buzzhilde@vodamail.co.za . The start and finish for the race will be at the Millennium Stage.

A Handful of Keys 20^th Anniversary Tour

Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre: ‘til 27 April

One of the most successful shows in the history of South African showbiz: A Handful of Keys with Ian von Memerty and Roelof Colyn, returns to Durban for a run at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on UKZN campus to celebrate 20 remarkable years over the Easter holidays from 2 – 27 April.

Ian von Memerty and Roelof Colyn have often paired up together in A Handful of Keys. Von Memerty is probably best known for being a judge on SA’s Got Talent. When not in Handful, Colyn is a band leader/ accompanist/ arranger/ composer/ musical director/ conductor in and for a myriad shows.

Featuring a firecracker script and two grand pianos played with unparalleled virtuosity, A Handful of Keys entertains with music and songs from Elton John, Richard Clayderman, Nora Jones, Alicia Keys, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Liberace through to Bach, Debussy, Chopin and many more! All the old favourites are still there – The History of the Broadway Musical (100 years in 16 minutes), the great SA Medley, and the Rock ‘n Roll finale. With new jokes and new costumes (they wore the old ones out!) A Handful of Keys is a sparkling as ever!

Booking for A Handful of Keys is through Computicket. For sold houses and block bookings contact Ailsa Windsor on 083 250 2690.   Shows are Wednesday to Saturday at 8pm, Saturday and Sunday at 3pm.

The Ladies of Lollipop Lane

iZulu Theatre, Sibaya Casino:11 to 13 April

Thousands of listeners tuned in for several years to the hugely popular radio soapie, Lollipop Lane, created by Clinton Marius… Now the magic returns in a delightfully whacky spin-off at Sibaya Casino’s iZulu Theatre for three performances only in April in a brand-new comedy roadshow, The Ladies of Lollipop Lane.

Starring Pauline Dalais and Shika Budhoo as the much-loved Mrs Singh-Singh and Mrs Singh-Song, this bubbling entertainment runs for three performances only from 11 to 13 April. Co-directed by Marius and Caroline Smart,The Ladies of Lollipop Lane features a stellar line-up of comedy favourites.

With fun prizes to be won, early booking for this not-to-be-missed show is strongly advised. Call Computicket on 0861 915 8000 or book online at www.computicket.com. Performances of The Ladies of Lollipop Lane are at 8pm on Friday and Saturday, 11 and 12 April, with a 3pm matinee on Sunday 13 April. The duration of the exuberant song-dance-comedy entertainment is 2 hours including interval.

Godfrey Johnson in Porter, Coward and more

Rhumbelow Durban: 11 – 13 April       

The Rhumbelow Theatre and multi award winning cabaret artist Godfrey Johnson present his brand new musical sit down comedy cabaret show, "Porter, Coward and More." The show includes  original songs about love, coffee, food, gym, fanatics and noses. Think Victor Borge meets Sid Vicious with a twist of Bach, Sinatra and others. The show will also include the work of Kurt Weill; Leiber and Stoller and Johnson.

In August, 2013 Godfrey Johnson appeared with Pieter-Dirk Uys in "50 Shades of Bambi" at The Fugard Theatre". He has appeared in numerous stage, film and television productions locally and abroad. He is particularly well known for his interpretations of the songs of Jacques Brel and recently released the CD, "The Shadow of Brel".

Notable one man shows include, "Alice sal Regkom", "The Importance of Being Harnessed";"Songs my Lover Forgot to Sing to Me"; "Flirting with Coward";"Behind Every Man";"Stories of Crime and Passion" and "The Shadow of Brel". He also recently co starred in "The Minnie and Johnson Show" and "Coward and Cole".

Fri 11 April: 20.00; Sat 12 April: 20.00; Sun 13 April 14.00 & 18.30

(Venue opens 90 minutes before show for picnic dinner)

R 120-00 a ticket / R 100-00 Pensioners and Tables of 8 or more

Bring food picnic baskets.

Limited secure parking available     Booking is essential. 

Bar Available (no alcohol may not be brought on to the premises)

Book at Computicket or phone or email Roland for bookings H  261 2012 / Cell 0824998636

email roland@stansell.za.net: roland@stansell.za.net

Theatre Auditions:

Auditions Notice

Durban High School 26 April from 09h00 – 17h00.

Directed by Themi Venturas, the 13^th annual PANSA Rainbow Young Performers Production for 2014 is Footloose – which re-unites Daisy Spencer (Choreographer) and Des Govender (Vocal Coach) the team that brought us Hairspray and Legally Blonde.

We are looking for 30 talented young performers from KZN -

Footloose has approximately 13 parts for males and 14 parts for females.

We will also be seeking musicians to make up the ‘live’ band.

Applicants must be in able to sing, dance and act

Applicants must be available for rehearsal every weekend from 16 May – 22 June 2014

Previews and Performances are from 28 June to 13 July 2014.

Applicants must be available for the whole audition to qualify

Applicants must wear comfortable clothing / gym gear and appropriate footwear

Applicants are to bring their own refreshments – water / juice and lunch

Applicants must be prepared to wait between calls

For further enquiries please call PANSA KwaZulu Natal Regional Coordinator: Nelisa Mzimela / PANSA office Telephone: 031 2014750 or email: kzn@pansa.org.za

Galleries: Walkabouts / Workshops

Durban Art Gallery Mentorship Programme workshop series

Observations and Aspirations

Durban Art Gallery: 18 March – 11 May

A series of workshops will be held to support the DAG mentorship programme exhibition. These workshops are aimed at drawing parallels with the academic curriculum as well as creating awareness of social commentary where participants will use their immediate location or background in exploring the themes highlighted in the exhibition or discussed as part of introducing the workshop sessions.

The techniques that will be explored are line and expressive drawings, chalk pastel and charcoal. In smaller groups there will be an introduction of stop/start animation where participants make basic drawings that can be exploited in this medium. The targeted groups are: learners from grade 10 – 12; art students from first to third year levels and community based workshops are aimed at the youth 18 - 24 years. These will look at service delivery protest, the impact of the 20 years of democracy in their vicinity and other socio-political issues. The participants would be introduced to artworks by Dumile Feni, George Pemba, Gerard Bhengu and other artists who worked in the same genre.

For a full programme, more information or to book your space - contact Jabu Mngwengwe@durban.gov.za or Thulani.Makhaye@durban.gov.za Tel: 031 311 2264. The workshops can accommodate 15 - 20 people per session in a venue. The school and tertiary institutions workshops will work with the art class. Entry is free and all are welcome.

uShaka:

uShaka Easter & Birthday Events!

uShaka: April / May

8-17 April: Price Rewind! - We’re going retro and rewinding our prices back to 2004 times! Between the 8th and the 17th April, a day of splashingly good fun at Sea World and Wet ’n Wild will cost just R80!

12 – 21 April: Find the Hidden Bunnies - Get down to uShaka Marine World’s Village Walk and find the 3 hidden bunnies and stand the chance to win an Xbox 360. Only at the Village Walk this April.

April 19 & 20  - Easter Egg Hunt - The Easter Bunny will be hopping, bopping and stowing away chocolate treasures at uShaka Marine World as part of the Beacon’s Africa’s largest Easter egg hunt, which is going to be even more fun and exciting this year with treasure hunts seeking over 100 000 Beacon eggs. 

25 April – 4 May: Ten days of bumper Birthday Gifts - 10 days of giveaways made up of travel prizes, platinum passes, restaurant meals at Cargo Hold, park entrance tickets and meals for you and 10 of your friends, and so much more. Watch this space to see how you can enter.

26, 27, 28 April: Birthday Parade! - The famous uShaka parade featuring the uShaka band, dancers, mascots and entertainers will be making a splash along the beachfront promenade at the end of April. Winding their way from Suncoast Casino to uShaka Marine World, they’ll spread a carnival vibe and invite fun and sun lovers back to continue having fun in the sun at uShaka Marine World.

May 1 to 4: Official uShaka Birthday Party Funival Weekend - Don’t miss the 10^th birthday bash of the decade. uShaka Marine World will be celebrating up a storm. Three big national acts will be cranking up the excitement 10 fold when they perform at Wet ‘n Wild which will be open from Saturday, May 3 from 10am – 10pm and will feature LCNVL and Dr Victor and the Rasta Rebels. Then on Sunday, May 4 from 10am – 6pm catch Mi Casa. During the Village Walk Funival week-end from May 1^st – 4th, our talented entertainers will be ramping up the excitement and colour with parades, performances, presents and more!

For more information and costs contact uShaka Marine World on 031-3288000, visit www.ushakamarineworld.co.za  or go to the facebook site https://www.facebook.com/uShakaFanPage

DURRTYSAINT MUSIC (PTY) LTD
Is searching for talented and versatile musicians

- Are you scotching hot on the drums?
- Are you mad about the keyboard sounds?
- Do you play the piano better than Alicia Keys?

Then you could be the next talent to join DURRTYSAINT MUSIC on a revolutionary journey.

DURRTYSAINT MUSIC (PTY) LTD is an independent record label that is passionate making "Future Pop Legends" that have a vision of exporting powerful South African  vocal artists to the global arena. We're launching our pioneering Pop/Dance/RnB vocal artist, CIA, in a way like never before! We're looking young, fresh and talented drummers, keyboard musicians and pianists in recording a live DVD demo in July 2014. The musicians will get to perform on regional gigs, and possibly tour to other provinces from September 2014 with the up and coming sensation, CIA.

Are you ready for life on the spotlight?

For more details, contact:
Siya Mayeza on 083 2070 537 or e-mail smayeza@durrtysaintmusic.co.za

Launch of the Awesome iLembe Arts Festival

The first Awesome iLembe Arts Festival will take place across the iLembe region on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal from 8 to 10 August 2014. An innovative and far sighted initiative by the Department of Arts and Culture in partnership with producers Awesome Africa Festival Productions, this multi-cultural event in celebration of 20 years of freedom and democracy will take the music to the people – and directly into the communities themselves at venues in Mandeni, Ndwedwe, Maphumulo and KwaDukuza.

The Festival will feature around 40 local, national and international artists in the disciplines of music, theatre, dance, poetry, storytelling and arts and crafts, with the main focus falling on music this year. Audiences will be enthralled by contributions from various music genres and themes including jazz, gospel, pop, rock, pan-african, maskandi, isicathamiya, hip hop, Indian traditional, Bollywood, and various “world music” styles. The Festival will also include the “Funk it Up” DJ Experience, as well as a focus on South African legends and a Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.

The Festival will be launched in style on the 27th March at the Sibusisiwe Community Centre in Mandeni, with the example of “taking the music to the people in the communities”, being taken quite literally with a unique “concert of a lifetime” by US Jazz legend Kirk Whalum, who will bring his much celebrated series “The Gospel According to Jazz” to Africa for the very first time.

For further information on the Festival, or for anyone in the ILembe region who would like to be involved, please visit the web sitewww.awesomeilembe.co m or call Gabi Nkabinde on 084 357 8860.

Apply Now! Artists In Residency 2014

News, Project Story

April 4, 2014

Posted by Isla Haddow

The Africa Centre has formed partnerships with artist in residency programmes in Australia, Brazil, India, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and the United States to provide eight residencies for our Artists in Residency (AIR) 2014 Programme.

AIR is seeking applications from African artists who are both socially engaged and stretching the boundaries of their creative domain. The AIR partners select an artist from a short list provided by the Africa Centre, for one of their 2014 or 2015 residencies. The costs of the residency and round-trip airfare are included in each residency award made. The residencies are available to all types of artists, but each residency has different durations, structures and requirements. Deadline for application submissions is the 20th June 2014.

http://africacentre.net/artist-in-residency-programme-2014/ 

Market Photo Workshop seeks coordinator

Vacancy: Coordinator: Photojournalism and Documentary Photography (PDP)

To facilitate teaching and learning in the Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Programme (PDP) through logistics and resource management, and to contribute to the development of a curriculum that is relevant to the media sector and contemporary documentary practice.

Job requirements:
- A relevant qualification (photography, visual arts, media, journalism)
- Minimum 1 year experience in a junior management or supervisory position within the media, arts and culture industries, non-profit OR minimum 3 years relevant experience in the media, arts and culture, non-profit
- A good understanding of the needs of photojournalists and documentary photographers in South Africa and the continent as a whole, and also a critical awareness of the nature and role of the media on the continent.
- Good communication, writing and organisational skills.
- Excellent computer skills – especially MAC based, good knowledge and understanding of Photoshop, internet research, email
- Work well under pressure
- Experience of working at an education and training NGO or similar organisation would be an advantage
- Compliment the skills set of the Market Photo Workshop
- Committed to excellence in and relevance of photography education in South Africa
- Passionate, driven and dynamic

Level of education: Relevant qualification – either in photography, cultural management and/or Media.
Remuneration: R7,500 - R9,000 per month cost to company negotiated according to qualifications and experience.
Only applications submitted electronically will be considered and must include:

1. A covering letter: summarise career, explain interest in the position.
2. A comprehensive CV with contactable references.

To:
Manager: HR
HlubiM@markettheatre.co.za
Manager: Programmes and Projects
lekgethom@marketphotoworkshop.co.za