The Free State government says it is creating platforms to support and develop emerging artists across the province.
Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC Zanele Sefuba says district festivals and arts programmes provide opportunities for developing musicians to showcase their talents and progress to provincial events, including MACUFE.
She says 68% of the artists who performed at this year’s MACUFE were from the Free State, highlighting the province’s efforts to promote local talent.
“We have this music festival, where we allow young, developing artists to perform. And then from those district festivals, they then come to a programme that we call ‘home pro’, at a provincial level, where they are going to come and perform those who have been earmarked, or rather identified, at district festivals to perform. And when they are at that level, then they can then be featured in Macufe. Like I said, we had 68% of the artists that were performing in Macau coming from the free state. They were provincial artists,” says Sefuba.
The Free State Music Association says bringing together artists and music industry professionals is key to developing the province’s music industry.
Association Chairperson Ayanda Roda says the Free State International Music Conference provides a platform for stakeholders to share knowledge, build networks and explore opportunities for growth. The three-day conference brought together local and international industry players in Bloemfontein to discuss challenges and opportunities within the music sector.
“The purpose of this conference is to create a platform where artists and music industry stakeholders can come together, share knowledge and explore opportunities for growth. We want to ensure that artists from the free state are not left behind but are equipped with the necessary skills, networks and exposure to compete beyond the province and internationally,” says Roda. -Reporting by Lebohang Motshweneng