The annual platform for contemporary dance is back .  The programme showing at various venues around Johannesburg, features a wide range of contemporary dance including  performance art, Afro-fusion, and dance film and video by internationally renowned South African choreographers.  For the full programme see http://www.at.artslink.co.za/~arts/umbrella/objects/brochure2012.pdf

International guests at Liz at Lancaster often ask about where to go to eat really local food. In this age of globalization and fusion food, there are few options.  But here’s a fun one with a difference – real street food - a tshiya nyama meal along with local jazz and art work at  The Braai Shack (TBS). It’s [...]

The Parktown Westcliff Heritage Trust runs tours to interesting places which are very varied on their offerings.  Many of these tours provide access to places that one cannot always get to independently.  Sadly however,  the guiding  style and information provided can be a little superficial and descriptive, with in-depth information often tantalizingly lacking. But enjoy the outings.  [...]

Yesterday Boekehuis hosted Mark Gevisser, Mbeki’s biographer, in conversation with Fiona Forde, Malema’s biographer. Mark engaged Fiona to expand on some of the issues raised in her biography of Malema: ‘An Inconvenient Youth’. An informed, informative, measured and fascinating interchange followed. Forde’s take is that it is not over till the fat man sings, (my label [...]

http://mg.co.za/article/2011-10-07-heeding-the-call-to-capture 

Photographer Chris Saunders presents S’phara Phara, a photo essay that documents the The Real Actions Pantsula Dance Crew from Orange Farm. S’phara Phara is originally derived from the sound that trains make when riding over railway sleepers describing the constant and rhythmic knocking sound over sleepers. This has been adopted to describe the sound of [...]

Sophia Town-born novelist and poet, Mongane Wally Serote will be in discussion with Maureen Isaacson, book editor of the The Sunday Independent,  19 feb 12 for 12.30 Boekehuis cr Lothbury and Fawley Ave Auckland Park RSVP 011 482-3609; boekehuis@boekehuis.co.za 

Scottish painter George Devlin will be exhibiting his European Summer works at the Everard Read Gallery (6 Jellicoe Ave) during February. Also at the Everard is Thea Soggot’s ‘Earth and Ink’ from 10 February – 9 March.  Dylan Lewis is showing his recent body of mythological figures sculpted from clay and cast in bronze at CIRCA [...]

Songs of Migration, a musical tribute to the great songs of migrants across the African continent, has been created by trumpeter, composer and lyricist Hugh Masekela and written and directed by award-winning director James Ngcobo. It features the multi-talented and soulful Sibongile Khumalo. D uring the late 19th century, indigenous people started to migrate to [...]

Having been to a music event at Arts on Main with friends we dropped in to have a drink nextdoor at a bar/coffe shop/informal makeshift theatre. Happily our visit co-incided with the first showing of  The slap koejawel’ . Very very funny – clever, well scripted and acted,  and well worth seeing.  Very local humour [...]