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Grahamstown now slowly becoming the Festival capital 

GRAHAMSTOWN (ECN) - The Standard Bank National Arts Festival used to be a bastion of white liberalism. But this is changing and the feeling among black performers is that the festival is gradually being brought in line with the slogan "Grahamstown Africa's Festival Capital''.Renowned composer, Bongani Ndodana (22) said this week that the festival ``has come a long way''.

Ndodana's opera ``Uhambo'' is currently being performed here. The opera was composed and is conducted by Ndodada who is now based in Toronto. He said: ``In the past I heard the Festival used to begin with much pomp and ceremony, so terribly British. "The town was a little England in the veld in the past and now it's starting to change gradually.''
Ndodana said it has now become more of an "African Festival''. He said there was a spirit of goodwill among the Festival organisers but hoped they would make a "concerted effort'' to "bring in and develop'' more local artists. 

There was a need, he said, to "entice'' the black middle class to come to theatres which still attracted a ``lily-white'' audience. He also emphasised that there were no permanent theatre companies in the Eastern Cape and this hampered ``sustained'' artistic development. "I'd like to see permanent all-year-round companies based in the 1820 Settler's Monument. We can't just have 12 days of culture during the festival and then go on a this fast, which we again break in July next year.'' 

 However, Ndodana said he was "very proud'' of this year's festival and if he returned next year, he wanted to "showcase'' local talent. 

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