19.04.2018

AfrikaBurn for Beginners (Part 2)

This year’s event of AfrikaBurn takes place over a week, from 23-29 April in the Tankwa. This year’s theme is ‘Working Title’ where the word ‘work’ forms part of a collaborative effort to survive & thrive at Afrika Burn.

What is different about the festival, is that you choose what temporary life you want to live for the duration of the festival, and then you’re urged to make this a permanent choice of living your life, after the festival has ended. You are urged to share your experiences not only with festival goers, but with the outside world as well. Quite profound really.

Although a large part of Afrika Burn is the artworks and the performances, it is the burning of this art which really sets things alight (Scuse the pun!) Of course You are not obliged to burn your art, rather to break it down & to share or contribute to disadvantaged communities who may have use for the materials. But if do decide to build and burn, the results can be spectacular:

Man entertains the audience with the help of fire, carrying fire performance night.

Lastly, but probably the most important element of the festival is ‘Community’. Without the ‘burners’ or festival participants, nothing that is presented at Tankwa Town or the surrounding areas would happen. There is also no barriers to entry or participation, so if you want to get involved during or after the festival, this is entirely up to you & is on a voluntary basis only. There is also no discrimination on any ethnic, sexual persuasion or otherwise.

Afrika Burn is almost a microcosm of what our amazing Rainbow Nation should be.

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