Summer Arts Fare

Welcome to the Summer Arts Fair

The Summer Arts Fair is a community development initiative aimed at providing sustainable growth for artists of various genres. This project includes dance, poetry and drama, visual arts and music. The main objective is to provide continuous platforms for artists, service providers, organisations and individuals- in this manner allowing for greater exposure, marketing on a large scale and liaisons with various industries. The Summer Arts Fair ensures that artists benefit through skills development and training as well as creating careers within the arts sector.

UPDATES: BASEMENT PROJECT have embarked on a highschools development program working with three township schools in the Port Elizabeth area. 10 pupils from these schools will undergo workshops with Nelson Mandela Metro Art Museum as well as established artists from the Bay. Selected works from this group will be exposed at a travelling exhibition which will depict the kids understanding of Youth Day (June 16). The exhibition will open at the NMM Art Museum on the 15th of June 2011 and will be open to the public.

WE'RE SORRY!!! Summer Arts Fair will unfortunately not take place this year (2011). The team is, however, hard at work with planning and strategising for 2012 to bring you a spectacular and even more artsy event! Feel free to contact us with your comments, suggestions and/or interests. Thank you for your support!

From Left are designers: Marjorie Erasmus (Rag 'n Roll), Jane Nakazwe
(jewellery) and Este v.d Merwe (Forbidden Fable)

HOW IT ALL WENT DOWN... !

The PE SUMMER ARTS FAIR (premiered during 10-12 December 2010) is a fusion of visual and performing arts, combining drama, music, dance, photography and fashion design.

The three day event is host to artists from the Nelson Mandela Metro, specially selected for their exceptionally high quality and diverse talents. The initiative was created to benefit the community with wholesome entertainment as well as provide the artists with the opportunity to showcase their works at a large scale.

Kick-starting the event: MISS SUMMER FEVA! Fashion Showcase. Top designers dressed 12 models in their original garments, providing a range of eclectic and inovative styles, whilst dazzling the audiences with beautiful ladies. Miss Summer Feva (QUEEN- Ziphozakhe Zakofa) was selected to represent the Summer Arts Fair as an arts ambassador during 2011. Running parallel to this showcasing, an entertainment competition was held which kept the audiences dancing and vibing throughout the evening. These included hip hop dance acts, bands, solo artists and even a young Michael Jackson impersonator. The judges choice for the event and crowd favorites were the dynamic TRANSFORMAZ Dance crew who walked away with a cash prize of R1000!!!

Continuing the weekend activities, The Ghetto Lounge in Zwide, Port Elizabeth, played host to poets, drama showcasing and a fun filled music extravaganza with DJ L.A.R on the decks to keep the party going!
Renowned theatre group UNITED CULTURE from Peddie in the Eastern Cape wowed audiences with their fantastic theatrical poetry- depicting relevant social ills. Amongst the additional performers were Poet Flo, Vinnie V Verse, Ohayv and SuperNova.

Since the fair, the designers have all gone on to establish their own fashion labels and online stores. Transformaz have adopted the House of Resurrection AIDS Haven as their primary fundraising project and the poets will be embarking on a nation wide tour of their respective productions. SUMMER ARTS FAIR... growing the arts!!!

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Summer Arts Fair BENEFICIARY

THE BASEMENT PROJECT (EBHAYI) is a non-profit organization originally formed by six NMMU graduates. This group saw the need to use their knowledge and skills in the arts - specifically ceramic art - and plough back into the community by hosting workshops for kids in the township areas. The project branches out to providing a soup kitchen and regular entertainment gatherings which join diverse communities and cultures.

Teaming up with the Summer Arts Fair committee, The NMM Art Museum extended their hand in awarding the project a certificate of assistance. This will enable the Basement Project to work closely with the museum in providing more resources and opportunities to the kids that undergo workshops through the project. Possible exhibition opportunities also exist for the young graduates who are persuing careers in thearts sector.

Bantu Mtshiselwa from the Basement Project (Ebhayi) was awarded with a certificate from The NMM Art Museum for assistance in 2011

Bantu Mtshiselwa: Co-Founder and Project Leader of the Basement Project

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BECOME A FRIEND OF THE SUMMER ARTS FAIR!!! SWEET Events aims to host the fair on an annual basis with the objective of growing the arts sector withing the Nelson Mandela Metro and hence forth making this one of Port Elizabeth and the Eastern Cape's primary summer events. With a strong affiliation to the community through social development, the artists coming together to make the fair a success will benefit greatly through continuous exhibition and performing opprtunities. To assist in this regard, please see the MEMBERSHIP link on our site to learn more.

PHOTO UPLOADS!!! Our gallery is not specific to Summer Arts Fair events. We would like to see what you are up to! To have your event photos posted on our site, email your pictures to the fair director and you will be contacted with approval. NOTE: Not all photos will be posted on the website due to the continuity of event listings.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR 2010 SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS WHO ASSISTED IN AWARDING OUR ARTISTS WITH GREAT PRIZES AND MADE THE SUMMER ARTS FAIR OPERATE SMOOTHLY!

Thanks to THE HUMEWOOD HOTEL management and staff for providing excellent accommodating for our guests who attended from out of town. The friendliest hotel in the Friendly City- affordable rates, superb service!

All rights reserved by SWEET (Spoken Word Events/ Entertainment and Training). The Summer Arts Fare is not specifically an employment opportunity, but aims to assist artists in gaining access to and knowledge as to how employment can be beneficial through the arts.