It is all systems go for the ninth Plett Arts Festival, which starts on Friday.
Plett Tourism acting chief executive Patty Butterworth said Plettenberg Bay had been abuzz with tourists for the past two weeks in anticipation of the 10-day event.
The festival was postponed in July due to SA’s move to adjusted alert level 4 of the lockdown.
Butterworth said they were mulling over an idea to move the festival to October permanently.
“The weather is nice [and] it ties in with culture and heritage and all the holidays that we have now.
“Art has a big relationship with culture and heritage, and I think this timing is right there.”
To ensure tourists returned in July 2022, a whale life-education event would be held, Butterworth said.
She said the wide variety of arts events were sure to keep festivalgoers entertained, from a live band playing as they cruised along the river by boat to whale-watching and the Plett Winter School.
“They have events such as the Barringtones life drawing workshop with Plett artist Tanya van Wyk, where participants can explore the technicalities of nude life drawing.”
Other activities include beach calligraphy, exhibitions and various workshops, including a children’s workshop on the art of upcycling second-hand clothing.
“What worked really well last year is the live poetry readings.
“This year, we have expanded on it a lot and are having a diverse group, including Galeo Saintz, who is well-known in environmental conservation circles, who is doing a poetry walk through nature,” she said.
Butterworth said one of the free events to look out for was the work of Plettenberg Bay yarn artist Naomi Louise Franklin, who often works with David Tlale.
“Naomi’s showcase [Nvulu] will give people a chance to interact with Naomi’s upcycled wearable artworks and gain a personal insight into her creative journey.”
To book tickets for the festival, visit the Plett Tourism page.
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