The 11th Spier Arts Summer Season celebrates the incomparable artists, musicians, poets and dancers of our continent.

The 11th Spier Arts Summer Season in partnership with Hollard kicks off in December 2006 and continues to March 2007 and will provide a spectacular line-up in all the artistic disciplines.

The format for this year’s summer season includes several smaller festivals within the main programme. It promises a spread of entertainment over a few days giving audiences the opportunity to create their own experience by moving between the different performances.

The festival programme was officially announced on 6 October 2006 at the Spier International Poetry Exchange. This event is organised in association with Winternachten, a literary festival based in The Hague. Since 1995, Winternachten has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining a network of writers and poets in the Netherlands and its historically related countries. Indonesia, Surinam, Aruba and the Dutch Antilles are represented by poets Gibi Bacilio, Def P, Tan Lioe Le and musician Ronald Snijders. The South African poets include Jeremy Cronin, Harry Garuba, Rustum Kozain and Joan Hambidge.

The Spier African Music Festival, which is the first festival this season, has become a well-established crowd-puller. It has been associated with big names such as Baaba Maal, Johnny Clegg, Judith Sephuma and Hugh Masekela. This year there is no shortage of talent with the likes of Salif Keita, Jimmy Dludlu, Dorothy Masuka, Zamajobe, Lebo Mathosa and Rus Nerwich. Audiences can enjoy music in the relaxed setting of the Spier Field during the day and the popular amphitheatre during the evenings. Up and coming bands will be performing in smaller venues across the estate with a conversation series between musicians on the Spier River Deck.

This festival includes a benefit concert – Songs of Hope – for the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation featuring Freshlyground and Vusi Mahlasela. Desmond Tutu’s 75th birthday celebration provides music lovers the opportunity to partner with the foundation in their efforts to bring hope to people living with HIV.

Philip Miller, the renowned South African composer, has collaborated with various South African musicians in composing the Rewind Cantata. This works seeks to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and to honour the victims. Rewind Cantata will be premiered at St. George’s Cathedral where the first testimonies were heard. This performance will take place on Human Rights day and features Sontonga Quartet and the voices of Fikile Mvinjelwa and Kimmie Skota.

The last December event is the ever popular Carols by Candlelight, presented exclusively for Spier by Richard Cock.

In January Pieter-Dirk Uys, a veteran of South African comedy and theatre, premiere’s a new work – “Evita for President”. Uys is a master at confronting South Africa’s demons, with a comedic edge. Evita Bezuidenhout is gracing Spier’s stage to show that she is ready to lead South Africa with her weapon of mass distraction, humour.

Based on the overwhelming success of the Spier Poetry Festival for the 2005/6, an expanded Festival has been included for the coming season. The informal staging and setting allowes audiences to move between the presentations and design their own experience of the event. Antjie Krog will curate for the coming 2006/7 poetry festival. Poets and performers participating this coming season include Gabeba Baderoon, Samm Farai Monro (from Zimbabwe), Ingrid de Kok, Rocco de Villiers, Willie Kgositsile and many others.

Cargo is the seventh in a series of inspired collaborations between two of South Africa’s most exciting movement theatre companies. Magnet Theatre, in collaboration with Jazzart Dance Theatre, presents a transformative work based on slavery.

Resident director, Brett Bailey, presents Macbeth the Opera produced by Third World Bunfight and Cape Town Opera. An African general and his ambitious European wife murder their king and unleash atrocities on the crumbling African state they inherit. Brett’s unique vision, combined with Verdi’s sublime music, promises an explosive interpretation of this opera.

For further information visit the website www.spierarts.org.za or contact the booking office on 021 809 1111.