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Supporting the arts is not act for the East London Guild theatre

by Michelle Hardy-Berrington

As a country with a multitude of areas in dire need of aid and development, the performing arts is often low on the list of priorities. For many individuals in South Africa and the Eastern Cape, dancing is not only a talent and skill which can lead to income generation, but is also a necessary form of escape from the hardships of everyday life – especially for those from impoverished communities.

“Investing in the arts is not often associated with the broader mandates for social and economic development, job creation, and social cohesion – but that is exactly what the arts can do,” says Guild Theatre Community Engagement Coordinator, Germaine Gamiet.

The East London Guild Theatre is a dynamic playhouse facility, producing and presenting performing arts in Buffalo City. Since 1962, the Guild has been home to some of South Africa’s leading artists, emerging local performers, as well as several international acts. The only fully functioning theatre in the eastern half of the Eastern Cape, the Guild Theatre has an auditorium capacity of 490 and is widely used for staging the performing arts, hosting conferences and other events.

Dancing into a new life.

As part of the Guild’s core business, the theatre is actively engaged in developing and nurturing talent and interest in the performing arts through its education programmes. The Guild Theatre Dance Company, formed in 1998, has been instrumental in facilitating the Guild’s education programmes through training workshops and education programmes for the talent of Buffalo City and surrounding areas, particularly in the townships and rural Eastern Cape. The company of eight professional dancers specialise in dance forms ranging from classical and traditional to contemporary and have graced the stage of many events such as the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and the opening of the Eastern Cape Tourism Summit.

A recent partnership with the Transnet Foundation has enabled the Guild Theatre to expand its delivery to the province at large, enabling it to take the performing arts to areas where theatre infrastructure does not exist. The Transnet Theatre Trucks are horse-and-trailers converted into mobile performance stages, fully equipped with audio and stage lighting. The truck has a drop-down side creating a stage size of 8m x 5m powered by three-phase electricity and is fully equipped with a sound and lighting system that is suitable for all performances or events with an audience of up to 5000 people.

Actors in a different world on the Guild Theatre Stage.

The Theatre Trucks are available for rental with all proceeds going towards the Theatre’s education and audience development programmes, such as Community Connections.

The advancement of technology in theatres, the rapid need to update infrastructure, and arts education and training requires large financial resources. Companies can support the Guild’s education programmes through donations, renting the theatre or the Theatre Truck, or partnering with the Guild on a project.

“After almost fifty years of delivering the arts to the Eastern Cape, I’m sure your investment will see returns which will have an impact beyond the now into the future,” says Germaine.

East London Guild Theatre
Physical Address: Dawson Road, East London, 5201
Mailing Address: PO Box 235, East London, 5200
Tel: +27 (0)43 743 0704/5 9
Email: info@guildtheatre.co.za
www.guildtheatre.co.za