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Following the successful fresh-air focused 2021 Plett ARTS Festival, outdoor spaces, nature and nature-inspired art will once again take centre stage at the ninth annual Plett ARTS Festival from 30 September – 9 October 2022.

The theme of the festival is CONNECT:  connect with nature, connect with the elements, connect with the artists and performers and connect with each other. Spring is sprung and, as the days lengthen, it’s time to shake off the winter months and enjoy Plett’s favourite playground: legendary hospitality, outdoor adventures, beautiful beaches and, for ten days, arts, music and drama to delight and entertain.

Over its nine year run, the Plett ARTS Festival has become known for bringing unique and Plett-flavoured concepts to the art festival genre. The festival has premiered much-loved events such as Plett Food and Film and the Plett ARTS Twilight Meander which continue to draw interested visitors year upon year.

Last year, following the trend of open-air events, the festival arranged a number of boutique “art in nature” concerts on the Keurbooms River Ferry, marine safari boats on the ocean and at the beautiful Bosky Dell Farm & Rose Garden. Another popular concept reintroduced this past year is Land Art and we’re thrilled to announce that the 2022 festival will continue with this exceptional theme with a Plett ARTS Festival Connect Land Art Route for visitors to enjoy.

Continue reading below for more for stories of the Plett ARTS Festival.

The delightful food and film pairing that has provided many a night of laughter and flavour is the Plett Food & Film. This year, an absolute treat for the senses, the festival will be presenting “A Night of Kalahari Enchantment” at the White House Theatre. Twenty years before he won an Academy Award for My Octopus Teacher, Craig Foster and his brother David made a profound and beautiful documentation of the spiritual synergy and symbiosis of natural beings, as lived out by the San in the Kalahari.

It’s called The Great Dance, a Hunter’s Story. Paired with this film, performers and magic makers this year are the Nguni girls who conjure a simply delicious meal inspired by the Kalahari and flavoured with wild edibles; Dizu Plaatjies – of Amampondo fame, an exceptional instrumentalist on Kora and traditional percussion and string instruments;  Was Lemeul reading evocative /Xam poetry of Dia!kwain, Kweiten-ta-//ken,  /A!kunta,, /Hanzkass’o and //Kabbo, adapted by Antjie Krog; and, rounding off this feast for the senses, Vanessa Brewer who leads a guided tasting of urban-foraged edible roots, leaves and unexpected delectables.

Dizu Plaatjie, born in Lusikisiki, Pondoland is a Xhosa musician best known as the founder and former leader of the South African group, Amampondo. He is a graduate of the South African College of Music, University of Cape Town where he lectures in African Music. Plaatjies started the percussion group Amampondo during the late 1970s and achieved international fame in the 1980s. The climax for the group was performing at the Wembley Stadium during the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute.

The stage was set for Amamondo to conquer the world, and they had already been booked for a world tour, but the anti-apartheid campaign in exile from South Africa banned their performances for the next four years. During these difficult years, he received support from the Scandinavian countries. Since leaving Amampondo Plaatjies has started a new ensemble called Ibuyambo. Dizu and the new group have presented numerous shows in a number of European countries, and perform regularly in South Africa.His recordings, made for the label Mountain Records, are titled Ibuyambo (2005), African Kings (2008) and Ubuntu — The Common String (2015). The last two releases won him SAMA Awards!

The filmmaking Foster brothers, Craig and Damon grew up in a wooden bungalow on the Atlantic Ocean, near the tip of Africa. They have travelled extensively, living and working in remote villages and wilderness areas in 10 African countries. Their primary intent lies in telling stories with the voice of Africa herself, and in creating film experiences that enable the viewer to gain an intense and deep insight into the natural and cultural dynamics of this ancient continent. Together they have more than 30 international awards for filmmaking.

On the night of Kalahari enchantment, a hint of mpepu smudges the air. The stick on the string of the bow beats an ancient rhythm and you track back along the annals of time to rituals of respect and spirituality and simple survival – all senses nourished by food, music, poetry and film.

Land Art returns to Plettenberg Bay for the Plett ARTS Festival this spring in the form of the Plett ARTS Festival Connect Land Art Route. Plettenberg Bay is no stranger to Land Art and art in nature: following two successful Site_Specific Land Art installations in 2011 and 2013, and a reintroduction at the 2021 arts festival, this year’s activation will feature a full Land Art Connect Route exhibition. But, what is Land Art?  This type of art is created using materials from the natural environment and artworks are on display only for as long as nature (the tide, the winds, the waves) allows – a transient beauty as perfectly fleeting as a spring breeze.

In Plett, Land Art has taken a more lasting form as in the two artworks created during the Site_Specific events. The first installation is “Aartmoeders”, by Simon Max Bannister which can be found at Kranshoek and is a series of life-size boulders arranged to look like elephants moving along the coastal cliffs. The second is “Calling the Herd” which is located at Crossroads on the R340. This piece was created by Strijdom van der Merwe and visitors can actually blow the horn to “summon” the elephant herd.

The 2022 Plett ARTS Festival Land Art Route will be developed over the ten-day festival period as artists compile their installations along the Plettenberg Bay coastline. And where more perfect a place than Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route to be inspired and inspire others with art created using materials from the natural environment? Visitors can visit the various sites to view the artworks as they are being built and once completed, for as long as nature allows them to remain in place.

Land Art Route organiser, Daron Chatz is energised by the response and call for artists: “Plettenberg Bay is the perfect backdrop for Land Art. It offers a diverse and fabulous range of landscapes, backdrops and natural materials to work with. We have an open invitation for artist participation, from enthusiasts to globally acclaimed professionals and this is a fun and inclusive community art event that brings creativity, fun and inspiration to public spaces.”

The planned sites for the Land Art Route are Piesang River mouth, Central Beach, Hobie Beach, Wedge Beach, Lookout rocks, and Lookout Beach (within 200 m of the deck). Land Art is a beautifully collaborative genre with endless possibilities for participation and engagement, and is a must-see for art lovers and nature lovers alike.

Fri 30 Sept & Fri 7 Oct 2022 │Main Street, Plettenberg Bay

The vibe during the annual Plett ARTS Twilight Meander is one of cool enthusiasm, evident talent and seriously positive vibes as the spaces, galleries and restaurants of Plett’s Main Street come alive with pop-ups and artworks, artists and art-lovers meandering our quaint, vibrant street in the heart of Plett’s CBD.

Meet the artists, browse galleries, buy yourself a memento to hang on your wall, and enjoy a glass of wine and some snacks in good company. Both Milkwood Gallery and Art Gallery Plett at Melville’s Corner will be holding their opening nights on 30 September. Melville’s Corner, tten Bazaar, the Junction, and more spots along the way are calling you to meander a bit further as the sun begins to set…

Other exciting exhibitions are happening around town during the Plett ARTS Festival:

• Art Gallery Plett at Melville’s Corner - various, throughout the festival
• Beautiful Bitou - Local is Lekker at Piesang Valley Hall - throughout the festival
• Gallop Hill Gallery at the Lookout Centre - throughout the festival
• An evening at The Heath - 4 October 2022 │5-8pm
• A heART for Nature with NVT at Phyl Martin Park, Nature’s Valley - 1 October 2022 │9am-1.30pm
• Milkwood Art Gallery at Milkwood Centre - various, throughout the festival
• Paperworks by Forms Gallery at Melville’s Corner - throughout the festival
• Plett Digital Arts Exhibition at Piesang Valley Hall - throughout the festival
• tten Bazaar on Main Street - throughout the festival
• Art at Delia’s - Jeanne Marie Ludewyk, Market Square - throughout the festival
• Richard Scott at the Junction Cafe - throughout the festival
• Art at ELEVEN, Main Street - throughout the festival
• My Colourful World, a multifaceted exhibition of children’s artworks, Sky Villa Boutique Hotel - 1-6 October 2022
• African Art at The Gazebo, Melville’s Corner - throughout the festival
• Fine Art for Fine Properties, Pam Golding Properties - throughout the festival

Many of us prefer to connect through hands-on experiences, immersing ourselves in learning and experimentation. If you’re one of those people, check out these excellent workshops conducted during the Plett ARTS Festival. Please note, some workshops and demonstrations require bookings, please confirm on the Plett ARTS Festival web page.

• Annemie Odendaal Art Demonstration at Milkwood Gallery
  Annemie will be in residence on 3 & 4 Oct from 11am - 1pm
• Anthea Buys - Artworks on Paper at Art Gallery Plett
  This talk is a light and accessible introduction to the world of artworks on paper and how to start collecting them. 3 Oct from 11am - 12pm
• Beautiful Bitou - Local is Lekker William Mwale Demonstration
  Watch the fascinating process of William Mwale in a painting demonstration. The work will be donated and auctioned in aid of the Bitou 10 Foundation later in the afternoon by Francois Wolfaardt, along with other works donated by silent auction during the week. 5 Oct at 3pm
• John Moore talk on Opening Night at Art Gallery Plett
  30 Oct │4pm │Plett ARTS Twilight Meander
• John Moore Linocut Printmaking
  29 Sept - 2 Oct │10am - 1pm daily This is always a dynamic process giving you the tools to hand print at home. Join John as he shows you how to cut, carve and print like a master.
• John Moore Drypoint Etching
  6 - 8 Oct │10am - 1pm daily
• Sandi Rosin Art Demonstration at Milkwood Gallery
  Sandi will be in residence on 5 & 6 Oct from 11am - 1pm
• The Way of Water Art Workshop
  3, 4, 5 Oct │2 - 5pm daily The workshop explores a number of art medium from a brand new perspective designed to unlock your unique artistic expression through a deep emersion into our natural world for three consecutive days.
• Artist Studio Open Day with Suzanne & Tivan
  1 Oct 9am - 5pm Combine a trip to the Harkerville Market with a visit to Kraaiboskloof. Here Suzanne du Toit has a beautiful large studio overlooking the mountains which she shares with fellow artist Tivan van Dyk.

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