NUWE FEESDIREKTEUR AANGESTEL | FESTIVAL APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR
01 Desember 2022
Die Raad van die Vrystaat Kunstefees het Michael Garbett as die fees se nuwe direkteur aangestel. Die raad en die feesspan bedank Corneli van den Berg vir haar toegewyde diens, leierskap en visie wat die fees weer op die been gebring het ná die pandemie.
Betrokkenes in die teaterindustrie ken Michael Garbett as ’n vernuwende teaterpraktisyn en eties-gedrewe leier wat die kunste in alles wat hy aanpak, vooropstel. Nadat hy in 2015 by die fees aangesluit het, het Garbett vinnig opgang gemaak: Hy het nie net die Vrynge-fees begin nie, maar was ook instrumenteel in die sukses daarvan, en is in 2021 aangewys as die artistieke direkteur van die Vrystaat Kunstefees. Garbett ken die fees soos die palm van sy hand en is voorbereid en gereed om sy visie te implementeer, naamlik om die fees se nalatenskap te eer en dit die toekoms in te neem en sy regmatige plek in die Suid-Afrikaans teatergeskiedenis te vestig.
Die voorsitter van die raad, mnr. De Villiers Brink, is gaande oor die nuwe energie wat Michael na die pos bring: “Ons is baie opgewonde om ’n gerespekteerde artistieke leier te hê as gids vir ons visie vir die Vrystaat Kunstefees. Michael bring ’n breedvoerige kennis van die industrie en feesbedrywighede, ’n werklik internasionale perspektief en ’n skatkis vol ondervinding en konneksies. Sy vaardighede sal dit wat ons die industrie en die publiek aanbied, verder verryk. Hy deel ons omvattende begrip van die industrie. Sy visie, kritiese blik en uitstaande kuratoriale praktyk – wat ons geruime tyd reeds bewonder – sal van ontskatbare waarde wees wanneer hy die fees in ’n nuwe, opwindende hoofstuk inlei.”
Met die oorneem van die leisels lê Michael sy visie uit: “Ek voel geeërd om die taak van feesdirekteur op te neem van ’n fees waarvoor ek lief is en eer. Ek sien daarna uit om die fees se herder te wees juis op hierdie kritieke oomblik in sy ontwikkeling. Ek glo die Vrystaat Kunstefees behoort voort te gaan om vernuwing binne die verskillende dissiplines te vertoon en te koester. Die fees bied die ideale konteks vir dialoog en tegemoetkoming. ’n Fees is die plek waar ons as gemeenskap ontmoet: gehoor en kunstenaars, industrie en akademie, diskoers en praktyk. Nou, meer as ooit, het ons ruimtes nodig – soos die Vrystaat Kunstefees – om bymekaar te kom, by mekaar te leer en om na mekaar om te sien.”
The Board of the Vrystaat Arts Festival has appointed Michael Garbett as the Festival’s new Director. The board and festival team would like to thank Corneli van den Berg for her dedicated service, leadership, and vision, which saw the festival return to its physical iteration after the pandemic.
Those in the theatre industry will know Michael Garbett as an innovative theatre practitioner and ethically driven leader who champions the arts in everything he does. Having started with the Festival in 2015, Garbett quickly rose through the ranks, established the Vrynge Festival, and has been instrumental in its success, later becoming the Artistic Director of the Vrystaat Arts Festival in 2021. Garbett knows the Festival inside and out and is poised and ready to implement his vision, which will honour the Festival’s legacy and continue to steer the organisation into the future, solidifying its place in South African theatre history.
Chairperson of the board, Mr. De Villiers Brink, is excited about the new energy Michael will bring to this role, saying, “We are thrilled to have a respected artistic leader guiding our vision for the Vrystaat Arts Festival. Michael brings a deep knowledge of the industry and festival operations, a genuinely international perspective, and a wealth of experience and connections. His expertise will enrich our offering to the industry and public audiences. Michael shares our expansive understanding of the creative industry. His vision, critical rigor, and exemplary curatorial practice – which we have long admired – will prove invaluable as he guides the Festival into its new, exciting chapter.”
Upon taking the reins, Michael established his vision by saying, “I am honoured to be Festival Director of a Festival I love and cherish. I look forward to the challenge of shepherding the Festival at this crucial moment in its development. I believe the Vrystaat Arts Festival should continue to showcase and nurture innovation within the varied disciplines. This Festival provides the ideal context for dialogue and encounters. A festival is where we come together as a community: audience and artists, industry and academia, discourse and practice. Now, more than ever, we need spaces – such as the Vrystaat Arts Festival – to be together, to exchange and learn from one another, and to look after each other.”
