Sanlam Dramafees
"Sanlam Dramafees"
The "Sanlam Dramafees" was the sponsor-branded name of the drama (theatre) programme of the US Woordfees in Stellenbosch during the years it was sponsored by Sanlam. Also referred to as the Sanlam Drama Festival, it was accompanied by a late-night cabaret strand, the Sanlam nagKAT.
Contents
Founding and aims
The Woordfees is an annual, predominantly Afrikaans arts festival first held at Stellenbosch University in 2000, presenting drama, music, visual art, literary and other events at venues across Stellenbosch. During Sanlam's involvement as a main donor, the festival's drama leg carried the company's name as the "Sanlam Dramafees", together with a cabaret component (listed in the programme as "Dramafees & Kabaret"). The exact first and last years in which the drama programme carried the Sanlam name have not been traced.* By 2012 Sanlam had been associated with the festival for about five years, and in that year — described in the festival programme as the second year of a renewed sponsorship — the company began moving its naming sponsorship from the drama festival to the music programme, the Sanlam Musiekfees.
History
At the 2012 festival (2–11 March, on the theme "Groen"), the Sanlam Dramafees was coordinated by Saartjie Botha, with Amanda Botha as overall festival curator. It presented a large slate of productions across Stellenbosch venues including the Klein Libertas Teater, the PJ Olivier Kunssentrum, the Oude Libertas Amfiteater and the Spier Amfiteater. Productions included Die rebellie van Lafras Verwey by Chris Barnard, presented by The Mechanicals and directed by Albert Maritz, with Stian Bam, Tinarie van Wyk-Loots and Carel Nel; Nag Ma by Marsha Norman, translated and adapted by Antoinette Louw and Sandra Prinsloo and directed by Lara Bye; Skeer op Richmond by Saartjie Botha, directed by Nina Swart; and N is vir Neurose, written and directed by Christiaan Olwagen. The parallel late-night cabaret strand, the Sanlam nagKAT, was coordinated by Niël Rademan.
Sources
Woordfeesprogram 2012. Stellenbosch: US Woordfees, 2012.
See also the ESAT entry on the Woordfees.
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