Art festival ‘caught up’ in world wide web
In its sixth year, ArtsAbility 2020 continues to present an exciting, innovative space for both disabled and able-bodied artists and performers, offering a plethora of performances, webinars, and creative works.
THE ArtsAbility Festival, presented annually by Cape Town’s UNMUTE Dance Company, takes place online from 3 November until 3 December.
While the festival usually runs six days, this year’s event offers a month-long online experience. In its sixth year, ArtsAbility 2020 continues to present an exciting, innovative space for both disabled and able-bodied artists and performers, offering a plethora of performances, webinars, and creative works.
This year the festival moves online to present ta free virtual experience, which pays tribute to International Month of Persons living with Disabilities.
The theme for the festival is Spaces & Homes Invasion Festival of Transmission (SHIFT) ArtsAbility 2020 has opened its doors to not only local South African creators, but also Africa and the World.
“The theme is a striving to taking inclusivity in the arts to community spaces and people. This year, with the virtual innovation, Unmute has taken the opportunity presented by a month-long on-line event to incorporate many more artists and performances. This has not been possible in previous festivals,” said Nadine McKenzie, Unmute Artistic Director.
This year the objectives of the festival are three-fold, firstly to provide exposure for those young inclusive artists who are already producing works in communities. Secondly, to provide a platform for collaborative works between South African, African and global inclusive artists.
And lastly, to provide learning opportunities through the Access Lecture, Inclusive Webinars, Sign Language lessons, and Integrated Dance workshop programme.
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“The golden thread running through ArtsAbility 2020 is the vision of Unmute; Inclusivity, Accessibility and Integration. The aim is to SHIFT perceptions, to aid society in a way that inclusivity becomes a daily practice and not a once-off event,” said McKenzie.
One of the must-see performances on offer is Access Denied; a video presentation/film where three artists from Unmute Dance Theatre explores different accessibility challenges these artists deal with daily in a society that overlooks persons with disabilities and their need to move around freely and independently. Other companies presenting work include Flatfoot Dance Company (South Africa), Axis Dance Company (USA), BewegGrund (Switzerland), and including new digital dance work coming out of a series of incredible residencies hosted by Unmute that include artists from Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, DRC and South Africa.
The festival will be screened on the Unmute Dance Company Youtube Channel. For more information follow the Unmute Dance Company on Facebook or Instagram. ArtsAbility 2020 is made possible by the National Arts Council of South Africa, in partnership with Artscape Theatre Centre and Survé Philanthropies.
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