9 May 2006
Leading international and South African music, fashion, cuisine and artistic talent will come together under the banner of Positive, a star-studded Aids fundraising festival set to take place at Sun City from 8 to 11 June 2006.
Featured at the event will be international luminaries such as Seal, Versace, Conrad Gallagher and Naomi Campbell, as well as local personalities Desmond Tutu, Karen Zoid, Kurt Darren, Arno Carstens, Danny K, Mandoza and Makhaya Ntini.
The partnerships behind Positive aim to increase social awareness in the fight against the HIV/Aids pandemic. Proceeds will go to the Tapologo Aids Hospice, which serves the people in the mining area near Rustenburg in North West.
“Tapologo is an extremely important initiative in the fight against Aids,” says Gavin Rajah, creative director of the Positive project.
“Positive will be the most significant collaboration of fashion, art, food and music ever held in Africa, and essentially works across two levels: it will raise the funds needed to keep the project running and expanding and will also send a message to the world that HIV/Aids can be fought by supporting African-created solutions.”
Concerts and exhibitions
The highlight of the event will be a live performance by musical superstar Seal, on 9 June, who will be joined by international models Naomi Campbell, Fernanda Tavares, Emina Cunmulaj and Caroline Ribeiro.
Running throughout the festival, the Positive Hope Healing and Compassion Exhibition, curated by leading British artist Craig Kilford, which will bring together the works of over 100 local and international artists.
A minimum of 40% of the proceeds of artworks sold will be donated to Tapologo – although a number of artists have donated the full value of their work.
Established artists exhibiting include Carrol Boyes, Guy du Toit, Barbara Jackson, Chris Diedricks, Johnson Baloyi, Ruth Levy and Conrad van Wyk.
Running alongside the exhibition will be the Wall of Hope, a structure made up of works by local and international celebrities. Joining Craig Kilford in this exhibition will be celebrity canvasses by international stars Diana Ross, Westlife, Katie Melua, Aretha Franklin, The Feeling, Feeder and Metallica.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Cindy Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Jaques Kallis, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Gwen Gill will also be providing artworks.
Other events taking place throughout Positive festival include:
- A supper club with live entertainment from local artists featuring Karen Zoid, Kurt Darren and Arno Carstens at the Palm Terrace on Thursday 8 June.
- Live entertainment by Matthew Davison with dinner at the Peninsula restaurant on Friday 9 June.
- a golf day on the Saturday morning at the Gary Player Golf Course.
- The Valley of the Waves Festival of Hope, with live performances, a local fashion show, with various DJs and comedians keeping the crowds entertained for the entire day. Acts include Danny K, Lebo Mathosa, Loyiso, Mandoza and Watershed.
The Positive festival will be launched at a banquet in the Sun City Superbowl on Friday 9 June. Celebrities, invited guests and sponsors will be treated to a five-course dinner created by four Michelin-star chefs led by the world-renowned Conrad Gallagher. The entertainment will be an extravagant staging of fashion, music and art.
During the four days of Positive an exclusive auction will be held of specific exhibited work, collection fashion garments and limited edition items. All proceeds will be donated to Tapologo.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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