WATCH: Cape Town artists win at national awards
PRIZE: Thando Doni won theatre category
The annual Standard Bank Young Artist Awards recipients have been announced and two of the six winners are from Cape Town.
The online ceremony took place last Thursday and for our WPs Gavin Krastin and Thando Doni, this award comes as a breakthrough after a bleak year of Covid ravaging the industry.
The prestigious award is both a badge of honour and a golden opportunity; a recognition of creativity, originality, talent and hard work.
The awards are a partnership between Standard Bank and the National Arts Festival.
Thando won the award for the Theatre category and Gavin won for Performance Art.
An excited Gavin, 34, from Edgemead says: “I’m overjoyed and honoured that the industry of my peers have validated my work, I look forward to the impact that this award will infuse my work with. It’s a dream come true.”
Other winners included Kritist-Leigh Gresse for Dance, Vuma Levin for Jazz, Buhlebezwe Siwani for Visual Art and Cara Stacey for Music.
Each of these artists will receive a cash prize, as well as a commission to premiere a new work or exhibit on the main programme of the 2022 National Arts Festival.
Festival CEO, Monica Newton congratulated the recipients: “Young artists in South Africa need the inspiration these individuals embody.
“Standard Bank Young Artists represent the reward for years of hard work and determination and remind us that we have great talent in our midst.
She added: “More than 160 artists have been recognised ... and the alumni have shaped South Africa’s arts landscape at the same time boosting the creative economy over the past 40 years.”