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2010 Programme
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Events and News
Costume Production in 2010
This year the carnival will be bigger and better than before. "We are repairing and altering the seven giant costumes from last year, and adding seven new ones. One giant float will be on a vehicle. There will be more medium-sized costumes, 420 in all, and I will be training 32 stilt-walkers," says John Molteno of African Renaissance Community Productions (ARC), who are building the costumes for the 2010 carnival once more.
John could not emphasise the influence of Geraldo Vieira Sr enough: "Geraldo taught us about VAC-forming techniques -light-weight plastics - with which you can build incredible detail. Once you have the positive for the mould, you can mass-produce the image. This has transformed our costume and float building completely."
Geraldo also taught the ARC crew superior engineering techniques, such as better trolleys for carrying floats on, and innovative finishing techniques, such as gold-leafing with inexpensive foils. "There was so much to learn from Geraldo's 48 years of experience, but we could only absorb so much in one month", says John.
ARC is providing advanced and intermediate training on the job - under intense pressure of deadlines - to equip artists with skills to produce carnival in the regions themselves. "There's a definite increase in capacity and skill level this year," says John.
Giant Match
With the 2010 FIFA World Cup around the corner, a street theatre performance called The Giant Match, staging 32 giant puppets, each measuring up to four meters high, will be performed in public spaces and communities in Gauteng and beyond. The first steps will be taken at Pale Ya Rona Carnival in Soweto.
This exciting project, which will spice up the atmosphere of the World Cup, will entertain the crowds and benefit South African artists and craftsmen. The aim is to create a large show accessible to all and tailor-made on the scale of South African townships and neighbourhoods, thus reaching a wide audience.
The drama is a South African take on Romeo and Juliet. It tells the story of two young lovers kept apart by the feud between their two families, culminating in an epic and comic football match, before the two parties are reconciled and the couple happily wed.
From 28 April to 10 June there has been a creative residency at Wits University involving five communities from Gauteng (Orange Farm, Kliptown, Sidibeng, West Rand and Metsweding) leading to the creation of up to 32 giant puppets, masks and objects. 17 artists from France, Italy and Burkina Faso and about 100 South African artists and professionals were directly involved.
The Giant Match kicks off at at the Pale Ya Rona Carnival then moves around Gauteng's Public Viewing Areas and Fan Parks at the start of the World Cup. On 16 June it will be at Mamelodi's Youth Day Celebrations at Moratele Park and on 20 June at Joubert Park, for the opening of the exhibition "Borders". On 21 June it will be at Pimville for at the opening ceremony of the French high schools soccer world cup ceremony.
This international platform gathers artists from different communities and countries to collaborate on a creative project; ensure skills transfer to South African artists from disadvantaged communities, and creates a cultural exchange.
The project was initiated by the French Institute of South Africa, the Gauteng Provincial Government and Les Grandes Personnes, and supported by the Gauteng Provincial Government, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), Les Grandes Personnes, the French Department of Foreign Affairs, the Ile-de-France Provincial Government, Culturesfrance, TV5 Monde, the Wits School of Arts and Danone. For more information, visit www.giantmatch.org.za