In a country where unemployment is sky-high, where hope and survival are at risk, where politics are flammable and uncertain, and the economy remains slow and lethargic, play is not high on the agenda. Play is for children. An activity that provides pleasure in the moment and does not seek an outcome.

We devote ourselves daily to tasks we should or must do, and rarely do we have the time or energy for the things we want to do. Our lists of responsibilities and worries are too long, too crowded, too seemingly endless. Our lives resonate more with anxiety and disturbance than with play and playfulness.

In order to play you have to first press the pause button – because playing half-heartedly is pointless. Play requires total concentration, imagination, and usually partners or some kind of object. Play is a dance with reality, in a world that is, but also a world that is becoming. Where different rules apply, where the impossible becomes achievable, even effortless. Play unlocks new possibilities. It discovers new worlds, and allows you to inhabit safe spaces where you can just be in the moment.

An arts festival is a little like playtime, like the break in a school day. A bell rings, and routine is suspended. There are friends, maybe a sandwich, lots of squealing and laughter, a quiet moment in the library with a book, perhaps even a hidden mischievous moment behind the pavilion. There is energy and effervescence and it is undeniably the most enjoyable part of the day. We want the festival to be the most enjoyable part of your year. We hope that you eagerly count down the naps to September 28 – October 6, and that you will join us in passionate celebration. Let’s play together, so that we all leave here refreshed and fulfilled, with a spring in our step.

Saartjie Botha – Director: Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees