- The stage of song, dance, drama, poetry and where stories are told will come alive this Friday
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
The stage at Maru-a-Pula School’s Maitisong Theatre in Gaborone will be a beehive of activity from 14 to 30 April when creatives will draw art enthusiasts and theatre goers for the annual Maitisong Festival.
Themed “Ignite the Fire of Creativity,” this year’s edition will focus on the fire of creativity as a way to heal from the past, to stand together in the present and to be inspired for the future.
“The culture of sitting around the fire to sing, dance, share stories and
connect as people needs to be revived,” the Director at Maitisong, Tefo Paya, told Time Out.
Community and creativity
“Maitisong is a place where we sit around the metaphorical fire – the stage of song, dance, drama, poetry and where stories are told. So let us ignite that fire and embrace creativity in all its forms. Let community and creativity meet, around the fire. A fire that heals, brings us together and inspires us.”
Lineup
Festivities will kick off at 6:30pm on 14 April for a star-studded lineup of 13 shows this year. They are a healthy mix of music, dance, theatre, poetry, performance art, visual arts and a family fun day.
“When selecting shows for the festival the Maitisong team looks at which shows are in line with the theme for the year, which shows are in line with the Maitisong Vision and Mission, viability of the show with regard to the festival structure and how it fits within the festival director’s curation approach,” Paya explained.
Highlights
The highlights for this year’s festivals are Nkokowe Live Recording starring
Moroka Moreri, Pula! The Musical starring Palesa Molefe and The Native Experience starring Sereetsi and The Natives.
The festival will also feature a special dance show brought by the US Embassy in Botswana called The Women Gather. Choreographed by Wendy Jehlen, the show will feature women in Botswana including those from the deaf community.
There are many more shows on offer with talented Batswana, those who have graced the festival in the past, and those who are new to the Maitisong stage.
Said Paya: “Being an independent festival with minimal funding, we are also limited in how many shows we can incorporate within our festival. We always get a lot of interest from local and international shows but sadly we cannot not have them all.”
Festival fun
The festival will also feature workshops for creatives, adults and a special programme for children every Monday to Friday during the festival. There will be space for stalls to be set up during weekends where people can enjoy a variety of food, beverages and more festival fun.
Maitisong Festival tickets, whose prices range from P50 upwards, can be found at Web tickets.