We Can Arts Festival promotes artists with disabilities

The We Can Arts Festival is a project aimed at fostering the inclusion, integration and promotion of artists with disabilities into the mainstream creative arts economy.

The festival is scheduled to take place at Durban Playhouse Company on Saturday November 23, from 4pm. The event will be recorded for TV to enable access to markets for artists with disabilities.

The project was initiated in 2015, after realising that there were no platforms where artists with disabilities could express themselves. This platform has then provided tangible solutions in providing verifiable and sustainable artistic jobs and a national commercial artistic platform for artists with disabilities.

Over the years, the project has maximised on providing professional set-up performance platforms in raising awareness around the inclusion of artist with disabilities to the mainstream arts. The We Can Arts Festival concept is growing through leaps and bounds since its formation, said festival director, Thabani Mazibuko.

“It gives us great pleasure to once again embark on a journey to enable access to markets for artists with disabilities through our partnership with The Playhouse Company and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. We are looking forward to meet and work with everyone in the sector in taking this initiative forward,” said Mazibuko.

He said in 2023 they embarked on The National Talent search, which took place in four provinces, KwaZulu Natal, Gauteng, Free State and Western Cape, where raw talent was discovered. Apart from performers, published authors, crafters and other artistic product creators with disabilities were also discovered.

“We are pleased that talent selected in 2023 will get to share the stage with other developed artists with disabilities like the legendary uMbhaqanga musician, Babsy Mlangeni, a multi-award-winning Gospel sensation with albinism, Sgwili, an upcoming blind Maskandi artists and guitarist, Chaos Machafuko also a Maskandi artist with albinism, Umfana Omhlophe an Afro Pop singer who uses a wheel chair, Pinky Khazozo a blind Afro-soul guitarist and vocalist and Snow White a national Soul/RnB/Gospel artist with albinism. Snow White was part of Joyous celebration for a longest time before embarking on her solo career,” said Mazibuko.

He added that the South African government has embarked on various interventions to improve the livelihoods and well-being of persons with disabilities as part of national efforts to foster an inclusive society. To achieve these goals and objectives, government has committed to working closely with the private sector, labour unions, civil society and community development organisations to removing and dismantling barriers to access social and economic opportunities for persons with disabilities, said Mazibuko.

The festival also presents this practical platform for corporate, government departments and entities to reach out to the persons with disabilities sector.