Daily Maverick
Dailymaverick logo

Maverick Life

Maverick Life, DM168

Hilton Arts Festival brings ‘best of the best’ to the KZN Midlands

Hilton Arts Festival brings ‘best of the best’ to the KZN Midlands
Children take art classes at the Hilton Arts Festival. Photo: Stuart Queripel/Supplied
Keith Bain
By Keith Bain
26 Jul 2024
Facebook
1
What started as a small arts fest with just six productions in 1993 has become a cultural feast that draws visitors from far beyond the town to see South Africa’s top theatre offerings while enjoying the vibe.

Like many fairy tales, this one began on a dark and stormy night. It was mid-winter at the Old Gaol during the National Arts Festival in what was then Grahamstown when Sue Clarence and her friend, Geoff Thompson, finally reached the front of the dinner queue. But, being a busy night, there was no more curry, no more red wine.

Clarence, who had studied drama at Rhodes University and had a deep love of theatre, was miffed that she’d missed out on food and wine. She turned to Thompson, a teacher at Hilton College in KwaZulu-Natal, and made a throwaway remark about starting their own festival there. “We can do better than this,” she joked.

The next morning, when the pair met up, Thompson announced: “We’re doing it! In six weeks’ time.”

“What?” Clarence asked. “We’re doing what in six weeks’ time?”

“You and I are going to run a festival,” he said. “You suggested it last night.”

And thus the Hilton Arts Festival was born. “It was a flippant remark that within 24 hours became a terrifying reality,” Clarence says.

Thompson, who for a decade worked with Clarence to establish, manage and grow the festival, recently died. His memorial was held just three weeks before the latest iteration, which starts on 2 August.

The first edition, held on a whim and a wish in September 1993, was very much a learning experience, the two theatre-loving friends finding their feet while running. Initially, they used only one venue, the newly built Hilton College Theatre, of which Thompson was the first manager.

“We chose six productions and each was performed twice. And we didn’t register any chaos because we just thought everything that happened was dead normal,” Clarence says. Never mind running out of curry and wine, in that first year she herself stood on the veranda with a kettle serving tea in polystyrene cups.

Hilton Arts Festival The crowds loved the acrobatics in Urban Circus, presented by The Cirk in 2022. This year the troupe is returning with Worlds Away. (Photo: Stuart Queripel / Supplied)



She says there were all kinds of curveballs. “The people running the bar in the beer tent had all their money stolen. Our theatre tickets were a roll of old-fashioned bus tickets. And because we didn’t quite clock the reality of needing to keep count of how many tickets we sold, there was a bit of a crisis because we didn’t count to see that ticket sales corresponded with available seats.”

Despite the mishaps and oversights, though, it was hugely popular. “We sold every single ticket,” Clarence says. “It’s a reputation that we long struggled to shake off. People who remember the first festival have this idea that it’s always sold out. But they’re wrong. We were sold out once – 31 years ago.”

Transformative growth


The Hilton Arts Festival rapidly acquired a reputation as the place to see the “pick of Grahamstown”, a smaller, more intimate event where you could catch “the best of the best theatre” in the country and see South Africa’s top performers.

Everyone from Athol Fugard and John Kani (who is the festival’s patron) to Dame Janet Suzman and Lara Foot have had shows there. Actor-playwright Greig Coetzee says it was at Hilton that he got his first proper paycheque, which encouraged him to stick it out as a theatre-maker.

Ensuring the festival’s success is that Clarence negotiates a fee for productions she includes on the programme so that artists and theatre companies avoid being out of pocket. The festival covers costs such as transport and accommodation so that performers don’t end up paying to perform.

It’s something Clarence believes is critical to keep theatre alive, even if it means she must battle year-round to secure funding to keep the festival afloat. “We used to have fairly substantial cash sponsorships, but those seem to have died in the wake of the pandemic,” she says.

Ashley Dowds stars in the multi-award-winning The Return of Elvis du Pisanie. (Photo: Keaton Ditchfield / Supplied)



A scene from The King of Broken Things. (Photo: Stuart Queripel / Supplied)



Aside from supporting visiting thespians, the festival is a significant contributor to the local economy and draws a lot of traffic to the Midlands, which has a well-established tourist route with a strong cultural focus.

What began as a theatre festival with a dozen performances has greatly expanded, gaining offshoots that include comedy, music revues and symphony concerts, children’s shows and even guided nature walks.

The festival also includes art exhibitions, street performances, free music and – to make up for the mid-winter cold – warmth generated by smokeless fire pits in the beer tent. It draws people in, gets them huddling and keeps things jovial after dark.

Apart from the general programme, the festival includes a youth education component called “Jongosi”. The word was invented for the festival by Johnny Clegg, who took an Afrikaans phrase – “jong os”, meaning “young ox”, signifying youthful strength and hope for the future – and gave it an isiZulu twist. “About 2,000 youngsters attend,” says Clarence. “They do workshops, see shows and might get into conversation with the playwright and actors afterwards.”

All of it still happens on the grounds of Hilton College, where there are now about 15 different venues for ticketed shows. A rambling, verdant estate several kilometres east of Howick, the school itself is steeped in bucolic bliss, with tree-lined avenues leading to historic buildings surrounded by vast lawns and lush gardens.

“During the festival, you can’t get a bed for love or money,” says Clarence. “But people don’t come just for the festival. We’re bringing people to the area for a longer time, creating huge spin-offs not only for the local arts and crafts scene, but also for restaurants, hotels and tourism in general.”

Howick itself is known for its waterfalls, including the 95m Howick Falls. The walk there passes through gorgeous riverine forest, grottos and meandering streams.

The area has a fascinating history, too. Mark Twain spent time in Howick in 1896. And, in 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested 5km north of the town. In 2023, thanks to its status as a hub for the Midlands Meander, Howick joined the Unesco Creative Cities Network, recognised as a repository of artistic endeavour, of which the Hilton Arts Festival is a significant component.

Dancers entertain festivalgoers. (Photo: Stuart Queripel / Supplied)



Festivalgoers have their pictures taken. (Photo: Keaton Ditchfield / Supplied)


Driving force


“About 25,000 people attend the festival,” says Clarence. “That’s a guess based on ticket sales combined with an approximation of how many people don’t see shows but partake in the ‘free fest’, which includes art, music, crafts and beer-tent socialising.”

For Clarence, a big benefit of this festival is that it has consistently brought art from around the country to the people of KwaZulu-Natal, and its contained size – since everything happens within the school grounds – adds to the sense of community and intimacy.

Clarence is struck by the swiftness with which the festival’s first three decades have come and gone. “It’s part hard work and part fairly easy,” she says. “There are four of us who run the festival all year. I couldn’t do this alone.” Although, for many years, she did in fact do everything herself.

Now, apart from curating the programme, she spends much of her time raising funds. “As it gets bigger and bigger, the relationships with funders get more and more complicated. Nobody just dishes out money any more. It’s about relationships that you have to work at. Also, I suppose, I’m not any younger.”

Neither the years nor the dried-up funding streams have diminished her resolve, though. Nor her enthusiasm and her capacity to keep going. She remains driven by a deep belief in theatre’s transformative power, and that the festival brings joy to her community.

Children take art classes at the Hilton Arts Festival. (Photo: Stuart Queripel / Supplied)



“Theatre’s functions are many,” Clarence says. “It serves to entertain, to make us feel good. And it’s also meant to tell really important stories, to touch our hearts.

“The driving force for me is to showcase theatre that can change the world. That’s my intention – to host work that not only educates but also touches people’s hearts, helps to heal and to shift consciousness. That’s what drives me.”

Six shows you dare not miss


The King of Broken Things: A one-person show about a boy who has lost his father but inherited big dreams and a huge imagination. It has picked up awards almost everywhere it’s been and has something for old and young, including a heart-breaking performance by Cara Roberts.

My Fellow South Africans: Mike van Graan’s political satire is a revue featuring sketches performed by Kim Blanché Adonis. It takes its title from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s dependable speech opener and is updated regularly to keep it current.

My Name is Lucy Barton: Julie-Anne McDowell stars in the South African premiere of this play about a writer coming to terms with her life, her family and what she’s given up in order to be who she is. It’s been wowing audiences in New York and London.

Pieces of Me: In this courageous and unmissable autobiographical show, actress Bo Petersen shares in intimate detail the story of her complicated relationship with her father, who, because of apartheid, lived a life half hidden in the shadows, always afraid of being seen for who he was.

The Return of Elvis du Pisanie: Ashley Dowds stars in Paul Slabolepszy’s multi-award-winning one-man show, first performed by Slabolepszy himself in 1992. Tapping into nostalgia, heartache and melancholy, it tells of a washed-up salesman whose destiny is altered when, as he’s about to gas himself in his car, he hears Elvis Presley on the radio.

Vincent: In this cabaret with a twist, reimagined versions of well-known songs are used to shed new light on the life and creative vision of artist Vincent van Gogh.

While you’re in the area…


Visit wine farms: Abingdon Wine Estate in Lions River, just north of Howick, was the first farm in KwaZulu-Natal to produce a certified estate wine. The tasting room, overlooking the vineyard, is open Friday and Saturday. Another winery is Highgate, which has a restaurant, open Friday to Sunday from brunch time until late afternoon. It also provides picnics.

See legendary crafters: Bonakele “Bonnie” Ntshalintshali was initially an apprentice to Fée Halsted, a Zimbabwean ceramicist who settled in KZN and began teaching her craft to interested locals in 1985. Ntshalintshali and Halsted became partners in Ardmore Studio, which evolved out of these classes. Ntshalintshali’s designs became the backbone of a line of imaginative ceramics and fabric prints that earned international acclaim. The studio in Caversham has a gallery.

Remember a defining moment: On 5 August 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested 5km from Howick. The Mandela Capture Monument is a memorial sculpture by Marco Cianfanelli that now stands at the site. There’s a visitor centre where the full story and its implications for South Africa are told. DM

The Hilton Arts Festival takes place from 2 to 4 August. Entry for the weekend costs a one-off R100. Bookings for shows are via Webtickets.

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

Categories:

Tags: