CREATIVE ECONOMY: An insider’s guide to the HEAT Winter Arts Festival

Cape Town’s winter arts festival, now in its third year, has gained significant momentum in the city's cultural scene. The HEAT Winter Arts Festival, supported by various galleries, museums, and institutions, aims to attract people into art galleries and out-of-towners during the typically less desirable winter season. The festival's attendance grew by a remarkable 70% last year, demonstrating its increasing popularity.

The festival's ethos revolves around maintaining a high standard for all works, even as it focuses on emerging artists, theatre-makers, performers, and singers. A group of opinionated critics, including the festival director, Nkgopoleng Moloi, and Voni Baloyi, oversees the festival and works with specialists.

The program spans nine days from August 6 to 15, offering over 16 art exhibitions and more than 50 events, including opera, music, musical theatre, dance, digital art, theatre, workshops, talks, curator-led walkabouts, and special museum events. The challenge of selecting just five must-do events is daunting, given the diverse range of offerings. However, the festival director's top five include:

1. Opening night on August 6 at 6 pm, featuring more than 15 art exhibitions curated around the theme "Ctrl + Z," exploring actions to reverse historical, political, environmental, and economic damage. This night culminates at the Iziko Old Townhouse Museum with Amici de Lumine, a local choir, with tickets priced at R80 for the climax.

2. Yazuke, a distinctive choreography by the acclaimed Baba Yaya company, which will incorporate live music and song, with a unique performance responding to the Central Methodist Mission Church venue.

3. Synthetic by Nature, showcasing three immersive and digital art works in the Iziko Planetarium's digital dome: Entangled Structures by Austrian artist Marian Essl, Jiha Jeon's Fixing the Rare: Breeder A by South Korean artist, and Lydia Yakonowsky's La méthode des moments by Canadian artist. These works explore the relationship between technology and nature, presented in a captivating dome setting.

4. Double-Bill Ghoema & Gauteng (for Ebenhazaer), curated by Nkgopoleng Moloi, featuring jazz singer MNIX's exploration of her history through sound and Gauteng (for Ebenhazaer), presenting Cape Town's cities and suburbs anthropomorphized as estranged lovers, with a narrative of Hillbrow, Yeoville, Maboneng, Sandton, and Msawawa.

5. Essay on Dying, a captivating theatre work by renowned Swiss theatre maker Boris Nitikin, who creates original and disruptive theatre, engaging with and disrupting the form, making it a compelling addition to the festival.