The festival is divided into five disciplines, which are theatre, music, poetry, dance and visual art.
KGOMOTSO MODISE
Today (Tuesday) marks the deadline for Maitisong Festival performance applications.
The online application process has been open since November and targets performing artists of different backgrounds both locally and internationally. The festival itself is scheduled for April 3 to 8.
“The challenge at the moment is that there is a low number of applicants. The trend is that large number of people tend to apply during the last week of the closing date,” said Maitisong Festival Director Gao Lemmenyane.
Application forms are available at Maitisong festival website where all the requirements are stated. Lemmenyane has called on artists to apply as the competition is open to all professional performers.
The festival is divided into five disciplines, which are theatre, music, poetry, dance and visual art.
Asked if the slow application was due to the fact that some people have challenges of using the internet to register, Lemmenyane insisted that online registration was an international standard and that it also benefits international artists who they are targeting.
Lemmenyane noted that the festival program will only be structured once the number of participating artists has been figured out.
This year’s festival is themed Enrich. It will be held at different venues within Gaborone, with Maitisong Theater being the main center of the festival. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Maitisong Festival.
Last year the event hosted a number of local and international artists who participated in theater, dance, music and comedy. It featured artists such as Leshie Lovesong, Mophato, Mpho Sebina, Soweto Comedy Festival crew and American performing artist Miles Hodges.
The weeklong event will also host workshops for artists.