It hurt - Invitations and empty seats
On Friday the 13th of August (public night) and Saturday the 14th of August (invitations only) the NTN - the National Theatre of Namibia - celebrated its 15th anniversary with live music and dance, reflecting much of what the local performing arts scene has on offer today. On Friday night the presentation may have been flawed with ?unfinished business? as regards continuity and dynamic of performance, but Saturday evening, the big event, passed like clockwork.
The musical director, Ras Sheehama, and the NTN production manager, Ms Alma Ulamba, had prepared the event in fourteen (14) days! From the identification and sourcing of the artists to the contracting, the selection of pieces, rehearsals, stage design and stage set preparation, all the way down to the birthday cake and well tempered (but too sweet) champagne, "NTN 15 Years - Celebrating the Old & the New", was a master piece of improvisation.
Generally, a theatre might resist stressing the fact that such important event was prepared at the blink of an eye. But this reality might be forgiven (for now), as the NTN is understaffed, on the one hand, and extremely busy, on the other.
The point to be made is a different one. It starts with the keynote address by Mr Justin Ellis, touches on the commitment of the artists involved and the brilliance of artistic execution and - ends on the doorstep of your everyday Namibian.
Mr Justin Ellis spoke on behalf of the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport & Culture. The Undersecretary of Culture and Lifelong Learning is known for his affluent, straight-forward and logical style - he is a man who is used to speaking in public. Mr Ellis did not wish to rely on notes, under the threat of the beam of the NTN follow spot. In true theatre style, he had therefore learned his lines by heart. It was refreshing to listen to this man and the rhythm of his thoughts ? he clearly distinguishes himself from most politicians of today, who talk as if they were counting their blessings in between the words.
Back to the point. Mr Ellis said the following:
"Granted that the NTN has a record of 40000 patrons in the current year, with the government contributing N$ 2.25 million to the annual budget, this means that the taxpayer is subsidizing each seat with N$ 56."
That hurt! It hurt, particularly, because the NTN had been quite empty on Friday evening, tickets at N$ 60 per head, audience of one hundred plus, and only half full on Saturday evening: ?the event?, with over 600 invitations sent out, to all corners of the Namibian public and private sectors.
It hurt, moreover, because the show beat most of the international acts we have had on offer over the past two years and was presented with gusto and sacrifice, charm, musicality and soul.
It hurt, because NTN had so much to celebrate, the new sound equipment, the new stage curtains, the upcoming kiosk renovations and the record attendance of above 40 000 over the past year!
Breaking down the figures
But let?s look at attendance closely. The 40 000 (forty thousand visitors in one year) include some two thousand punters at the Oliver Mtukudzi show in the Zoopark, of which 500, possibly, were Zimbabwean, with or without working permanent residence. They include 4000 school kids, who are being charred to the NTN and back to their schools in Katutura and Khomasdal each year, during the annual NTN children theatre production and who thus benefit by exchanging a maths or social science lesson against (surprisingly) agreeable entertainment ? with a bonus milkshake provided, courtesy of the sponsors. They include the thousand mothers, fathers and siblings of the pupils of the College For The Arts participating in the annual ballet presentation and the (so far) predominantly Afrikaans speaking audience of the Bank Windhoek Festival. And yes ? the Lazerus and Neville fans, who follow their heroes anywhere, even to the NTN (= National Theatre of Namibia, not: TNT = some sort of explosive!). They also include a huge number of regular fans of the performing arts.
It hurt, because we at NTN feel that our work is not primarily for the 40 000 or so audiences but for the many performing artists in Namibia, who need the NTN, or something like the NTN, for exposure, who need the stage to make their statement and who need a stage with an audience.
What is a show worth?
The question, really, is, what is NTN worth today, to the artists, to the audiences, to the Namibian society as a whole. How do we rate a musical piece by Ras Sheehama against a cameo appearance by Brat Pit in the local cinema, an NTN annual membership against a tank-full of petrol on our way to Swakopmund or to the North, a local music and dance show at the NTN against a pizza with a glass of cabernet? Better still - who needs the NTN, does the Namibian government need the NTN, or only the cultural insiders, what about the man/woman on the street?
The answer is not easy. Let?s experiment! Let?s close the NTN for one year. And the Warehouse, and the annual Independence Concert, and the shows supported by NTN at the FNCC, and the regional theatre plays, and the rehearsals, and the cabaret, and the workshops, and Sidadi and Theatre Zone and the Artist Study. Let?s stop producing books on theatre, selling CD?s for upcoming artists, facilitating bursaries for the performing arts.
Some things in life are only missed once they are no longer there. Like the air that we breath ? or our youth! The truth is - that we at NTN are committed 100%. We embrace the scholars and the school kids, who experience the performing arts for the very first time, this side of the stage and on stage! We embrace the shows of the Bank Windhoek Festival and of the College of The Arts. We hold dear life en tertainment. We rejoice with every new talent rising and a show like <NTN 15 Years ? Celebrating The Old & The New>, notwithstanding poor turnout, gives you hope - because of the commitment, passion and excellence of the artists involved. But it is true what Mr Justin Ellis says ? essentially it is the general public, the Namibian people, who needs to decide.
Ernst Herma ? NTN General Manager
18 August 2004
The musical director, Ras Sheehama, and the NTN production manager, Ms Alma Ulamba, had prepared the event in fourteen (14) days! From the identification and sourcing of the artists to the contracting, the selection of pieces, rehearsals, stage design and stage set preparation, all the way down to the birthday cake and well tempered (but too sweet) champagne, "NTN 15 Years - Celebrating the Old & the New", was a master piece of improvisation.
Generally, a theatre might resist stressing the fact that such important event was prepared at the blink of an eye. But this reality might be forgiven (for now), as the NTN is understaffed, on the one hand, and extremely busy, on the other.
The point to be made is a different one. It starts with the keynote address by Mr Justin Ellis, touches on the commitment of the artists involved and the brilliance of artistic execution and - ends on the doorstep of your everyday Namibian.
Mr Justin Ellis spoke on behalf of the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport & Culture. The Undersecretary of Culture and Lifelong Learning is known for his affluent, straight-forward and logical style - he is a man who is used to speaking in public. Mr Ellis did not wish to rely on notes, under the threat of the beam of the NTN follow spot. In true theatre style, he had therefore learned his lines by heart. It was refreshing to listen to this man and the rhythm of his thoughts ? he clearly distinguishes himself from most politicians of today, who talk as if they were counting their blessings in between the words.
Back to the point. Mr Ellis said the following:
"Granted that the NTN has a record of 40000 patrons in the current year, with the government contributing N$ 2.25 million to the annual budget, this means that the taxpayer is subsidizing each seat with N$ 56."
That hurt! It hurt, particularly, because the NTN had been quite empty on Friday evening, tickets at N$ 60 per head, audience of one hundred plus, and only half full on Saturday evening: ?the event?, with over 600 invitations sent out, to all corners of the Namibian public and private sectors.
It hurt, moreover, because the show beat most of the international acts we have had on offer over the past two years and was presented with gusto and sacrifice, charm, musicality and soul.
It hurt, because NTN had so much to celebrate, the new sound equipment, the new stage curtains, the upcoming kiosk renovations and the record attendance of above 40 000 over the past year!
Breaking down the figures
But let?s look at attendance closely. The 40 000 (forty thousand visitors in one year) include some two thousand punters at the Oliver Mtukudzi show in the Zoopark, of which 500, possibly, were Zimbabwean, with or without working permanent residence. They include 4000 school kids, who are being charred to the NTN and back to their schools in Katutura and Khomasdal each year, during the annual NTN children theatre production and who thus benefit by exchanging a maths or social science lesson against (surprisingly) agreeable entertainment ? with a bonus milkshake provided, courtesy of the sponsors. They include the thousand mothers, fathers and siblings of the pupils of the College For The Arts participating in the annual ballet presentation and the (so far) predominantly Afrikaans speaking audience of the Bank Windhoek Festival. And yes ? the Lazerus and Neville fans, who follow their heroes anywhere, even to the NTN (= National Theatre of Namibia, not: TNT = some sort of explosive!). They also include a huge number of regular fans of the performing arts.
It hurt, because we at NTN feel that our work is not primarily for the 40 000 or so audiences but for the many performing artists in Namibia, who need the NTN, or something like the NTN, for exposure, who need the stage to make their statement and who need a stage with an audience.
What is a show worth?
The question, really, is, what is NTN worth today, to the artists, to the audiences, to the Namibian society as a whole. How do we rate a musical piece by Ras Sheehama against a cameo appearance by Brat Pit in the local cinema, an NTN annual membership against a tank-full of petrol on our way to Swakopmund or to the North, a local music and dance show at the NTN against a pizza with a glass of cabernet? Better still - who needs the NTN, does the Namibian government need the NTN, or only the cultural insiders, what about the man/woman on the street?
The answer is not easy. Let?s experiment! Let?s close the NTN for one year. And the Warehouse, and the annual Independence Concert, and the shows supported by NTN at the FNCC, and the regional theatre plays, and the rehearsals, and the cabaret, and the workshops, and Sidadi and Theatre Zone and the Artist Study. Let?s stop producing books on theatre, selling CD?s for upcoming artists, facilitating bursaries for the performing arts.
Some things in life are only missed once they are no longer there. Like the air that we breath ? or our youth! The truth is - that we at NTN are committed 100%. We embrace the scholars and the school kids, who experience the performing arts for the very first time, this side of the stage and on stage! We embrace the shows of the Bank Windhoek Festival and of the College of The Arts. We hold dear life en tertainment. We rejoice with every new talent rising and a show like <NTN 15 Years ? Celebrating The Old & The New>, notwithstanding poor turnout, gives you hope - because of the commitment, passion and excellence of the artists involved. But it is true what Mr Justin Ellis says ? essentially it is the general public, the Namibian people, who needs to decide.
Ernst Herma ? NTN General Manager
18 August 2004
Kommentar
Allgemeine Zeitung
Zu diesem Artikel wurden keine Kommentare hinterlassen