Mpumalanga schools are set to explode with creativity this August as the annual Sasol Schools Festival kicks off. Each year, this festival sparks the imaginations of Grade 11 learners and captivates their minds through stimulating workshops that cover both current and historic issues creatively. This year, the festival starts in Secunda where learners will experience a series of quality workshops, lectures and productions that have been designed to enrich the youth and inspire them to think big.

 
As part of the South African National Schools Festival, a project of the Grahamstown Foundation, the festival breaks cultural barriers as youth from different backgrounds come together to experience the thrill of the arts. The Sasol Schools Festival is a platform that includes disadvantaged schools and encourages debate around historical and social issues facing South African youth. The value of the Sasol Schools’ Festival is thus recognised by schools ranging from the most affluent to the most indigent that grow from the experience.
 
The programme is designed in a way that is linked to the national curriculum, but aims to stimulate learners on matters outside of the classroom. Various workshops and sessions will focus on developing self esteem, national pride, and a collective identity as South Africans. These workshops aim to promote arts as a viable economic activity and a possible career option for grade 11 students.
 
The Mpumalanga leg kicks off on Thursday, 4 August and includes exciting performances, such as Romeo and Juliet Remixed by the Eastern Cape Drama Company. This contemporary production takes a look at the classic tale of love and woe with an Eastern Cape ’kasi flavour.
 
Another highlight is Rhythm Falls by the Sibikwa Arts African Indigenous Orchestra. The orchestra gets learners off their chairs in an interactive performance where audiences exchange rhythms and beats.
 
The festival has grown from hosting one festival in one province, to hosting four festivals each year, targeting the Free State/Northern Cape, Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
 
Pam Mudhray, Sasol’s Group community affairs manager says, “We want to spur creativity in our learners in a meaningful way. This festival creates an important platform for dialogue among youth from different walks of life. It exposes them to critical thinking and strengthens their understanding of what it is to be South African. In addition, the festival allows established artists to inspire and mentor the next generation of leaders in each community that the festival is hosted in.”