Union Festival

The original Union Festival was a nation-wide celebration in 1960 of 50 the years of the Union of South Africa.

Also referred to as the Festival of Union and as the Uniefees in Afrikaans.

The festival

The Union of South Africa was created in 1910 and the festival, taking place in 1960, consisted of national and regional festive events taking place in various cities and towns around the country, including Cape Town, Pretoria and Bloemfontein.

Among the events were:

An exhibition of South African publications called Die Boek in Suid-Afrika/The Book in South Africa (9-31 May, 1960).

A mock battle by the SA Armed Forces at De Brug, outside Bloemfontein.

Various new commissioned plays were written and pageants staged for the occasion.

These include:

The Fall by Anthony Delius

Nie vir Geleerdes by N.P. van Wyk Louw

Die Bokamer by Henriette Grové

Die Vonkel in Haar Oë by Gerhard J. Beukes

Sources

Uniefees: Die Boek in Suid-Afrika. Union Festival: The Book in South Africa 9-31/V/1960 Uitstalling van Suid-Afrikaanse Publikasies. Exhibition of South African Publications (Uniefeeskomitee/Union Feast Commitee; First Edition, January 1, 1960)

Union Festival 1960 - Cape Town Commemoration Guide - Uniefees 1960 - Kaapstadse Herdenkingsgids Published by Ramsay, Son and Parker (PTY.) LTD, 1960.

Union Festival: Pretoria, 1910-1960 Insecor Industrial Services, 1960

1960 Official Festival Programme - Bloemfontein - 50 years union AC White P.and P. Co.

"Vier Premières", Standpunte, Jaargang XIII, Nr 4, 1960: pp. 67-8 (reviews of the premières of four festival productions, written by F.I.J. van Rensburg, Ludwig Binge and Truida Louw).

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