The Royal Bafokeng Institute (RBI) Arts Festival 2024: A Journey of Talent, Culture, and Passion
The Royal Bafokeng Institute (RBI) is proud to announce that the journey for the 2024 Arts Festival has officially begun. This year, over 360 talented learners from 12 Bafokeng Nation High Schools have been selected to participate in this lively showcase, marking a significant expansion from 60 learners during the inaugural festival in 2023.
Celebrating the Art of Everyday Life
The theme for the 2024 festival, “The Art of Everyday Life,” aims to highlight and celebrate artistic takes on everyday experiences. Notable strategies of art of everyday life include the following: re-telling or performances of histories and mythologies in a multitude of touches such as irony and paradox, elevating profundities in common experiences, etc. This celebration of everyday artistry seeks to unearth and nurture the innate talents of young people from Grades 8 to 11, introducing them to what it means to engage art to influence public opinion and health, for instance.
Rooted in Setswana Culture and Bafokeng History
This year’s festival is a conversation with Setswana culture and Bafokeng histories. This is so particularly how people’s positions regarding topical issues are shaped at the various axes between culture and politics, or culture and socio-economic matters. Through this, learners gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of their roots, in so far as they have nourished notable social developments.
Unearthing Talent and Fostering Growth
RBI Arts Festival is dedicated to creating an environment where children with artistic talents can flourish. This means enabling all children to become what they are capable of becoming, irrespective of whether a chosen path leads to the pure or social sciences, humanities, or engineering, etc.
A Broader Reach and Expanded Opportunities
The 2024 festival marks a significant milestone in its journey, expanding its scope to include learners from all regions of the Bafokeng Nation, beyond the Capital Region focus of 2023. This year, learners will undergo up to 92 hours of intensive training in various art forms, including theatre, film, dance, music, spoken poetry, and fine arts. These young talents, many of whom have never been exposed to formal artistic training, were selected for their raw potential, and we are excited to see their growth and development.
Building a Legacy of Support and Achievement
RBI’s commitment to nurturing talent extends beyond the arts. RBI’s initiatives in technical, vocational, and artisanal training, alongside the support provided to academically gifted learners, demonstrate the belief in helping every child to achieve their full potential. At least in 2024 only, RBI is funding 77 higher education students in fields such as Education and Engineering. In this year alone, over 500 students benefit from RBI’s artisanal, technical and vocational programmes – underscoring our dedication to diverse paths of success.
Looking Ahead to the Prelude Events
RBI eagerly anticipates the Prelude regional events, scheduled to take place on 13 and 14 July 2024. These events will offer a glimpse into the progress RBN learners have made and set the stage for the main festival in December. RBI cannot wait to share their journey and celebrate their achievements with the entire Bafokeng Nation. Parents, schools, and art lovers at large are invited to attend these events as follows:
| Date | Venue |
|---|---|
| 13 July | Matsukubyane Secondary School |
| 14 July | Matsukubyane Secondary School |
In Closing...
The RBI Arts Festival is more than just an event; it is an advocacy to nourish and celebrate artistic potential. As we embark on this exciting journey, we invite you to join us in supporting and uplifting these young artists as they explore and showcase the art of everyday life. Stay tuned for more updates and mark your calendars for what promises to be an inspiring and transformative experience!
