Hilton Arts Festival gears up for biggest celebration yet

The Hilton Arts Festival is preparing for one of its biggest editions yet, with new corporate partnerships, expanded attractions and the launch of the province’s first dedicated art fair set to transform this year’s event into a showcase of KwaZulu-Natal’s growing creative economy. Now in its 34th year, the festival returns to Hilton College from Friday to Sunday, bringing together theatre, music, comedy, visual art, design, craft, film, gaming and family entertainment in what organisers say will be its most ambitious programme to date. Among the major developments is a new partnership with First National Bank (FNB), while Pietermaritzburg-based manufacturer Belgotex has come on board as a key sponsor of the inaugural KZN Art Fair.

The partnerships reinforce the festival’s growing focus on supporting artists, designers and creative entrepreneurs. Festival organisers said the partnerships signalled the event’s evolution from a traditional arts festival into a platform supporting innovation, commerce and cultural development. More than 25 000 people are expected to attend the three-day event, which has become one of South Africa’s longest-running and best-supported arts festivals.

One of the biggest additions to this year’s programme is the launch of the KZN Art Fair, the first professionally curated art fair of its kind in the province. The fair will bring together galleries, collectors, artists and designers, with its centrepiece exhibition, Making Ground, showcasing contemporary work by some of KwaZulu-Natal’s leading creative practitioners. Co-curated by Angela Shaw and design strategist Lauren Lockhart-Barker, the exhibition explores the relationship between local manufacturing and contemporary design while highlighting the province’s creative talent.