CURATION THAT CULTIVATES CULTURE

What’s coming up next for the Folklore Festival?

A new season is upon us, and as much as we love a big reveal, this next chapter comes with a desire to “go slower and see deeper”. We took a break and asked ourselves, again, as we do every year, and in every season, what is the change we want to bring to this next run of the Folklore Community?

As Pilani Bubu, as Bupila, and our greater team, we want to deepen our impact in creating a platform for diverse storytellers across South Africa, beyond Johannesburg, continuing to take African Folklore and storytelling to the world. We are expanding our artist development platforms, committing to stories across multiple disciplines of art, building the industry beyond the 1 to 3 day festival format.

After our 2026 #Kinfolk roadshows, we found ourselves needing more time to do more, and make more change in creative and cultural industries. We wanted to deepen our connection with the artists and the audiences of Durban, Gqeberha, Cape Town, Pretoria and always Joburg at HQ. And so we’ve been doing just that.

Curation and programming is always a push and pull, on and off and we are inspired to create more consistent and meaningful ways to contribute to the vibrant and growing arts culture in South Africa. More than anything, we want to create a home for our community through designated spaces that inspire impactful dialogue for cultural exchange, growth and expansion. This we find more fulfilling than once off moments to fetch the bag both for artists and ourselves.

Enough said... as the kids say, watch this space. But first, lets introduce to our new seasons theme and share the invitation we’ve been dying to send you.

Community, Culture, Curation before Celebration

Our Manifesto is inspired by artivists old and new  - They found their voice! We carry the story…Their courage became our voice and their legacy became our future. Connected by culture…United by creativity. Every Artist, every musician, Every Storyteller, Every Dreamer, carries the legacy forward…The story continues with us...but only when..The Old Skool Meets The New Skool.

Folklore Introduces a new season of storytelling:  The Folklore Community Hall

Let’s Play Back to our roots, resistance and remembrance. We the people, from the 50's Kliptown to 1960's 'koffifi'. Then 1976 Soweto, to the bravery of the 80s channeling us to the new dawn of the 90's, and a new millennium till now - what we know for sure, is that The Hall Remembers. It is the resounding pulse of memory and a conduit for our collective consciousness through shared conversation. 

With the Community Hall, we give an ode to storytellers past and present. A kind of Kulture Kontinua - celebrating the artists who keep us sane, highlighting life’s beauty in dark and light, the artists who keep us and the communities that keep us honest.

Forever Students . Forever Artivists! - Coming soon, we continue to create spaces for inter-generational, inter-disciplinary dialogue in literature, music, film, spoken word, sonics,seminars and more.

From Concept to Curation, let’s Communicate & Collaborate

We can’t wait to commune soon, if you are keen to collaborate, below are all the ways you can reach us:

Artists - artists@folklorecommunity.co.za

Media, Venues, Promoters - collaborate@folklorecommunity.co.za

Partnership, Sponsors, Donors - info@folklorecommunity.org.za