Since 2000 we achieved the following:

 

· Through its unique format the Feast has become an awareness raising event, in which critical social issues are brought to the public eye. The March of the Clowns is a playful protest in which hundreds of people dress as clowns, naming issues of concern in the inner city, such as homelessness, HIV/Aids, violence and abuse, and the plight of people living with disabilities. But it also imagines something new and better. Several organizations and government departments used the opportunity to exhibit their services in the main festival area, thus informing people and raising awareness.

 

· The Feast of the Clowns is a festival fully owned locally. All arts and crafts sold at the festival are locally developed in Tshwane and all food stalls are run by the local community. Through this the Feast of the Clowns is supporting local ownership, participation and development. Local skills in project management and event organizing are fostered.

 

· Artists over the past five years included seasoned voices such as TK & Tokollo, PJ Powers, Jabu Khanyile, Jazz Unlimited, Jo “Blu” Mbatha, Stone, Karen Zoid, Dialo, Sister Blaze, Ambassadors of Jazz, Ladies in Jazz, and Lira. It also included new voices such as Synergy, Tower of Grace, HB, and the local movements Brighter Future Theatre Productions and Uhuru Wa Maisha. At least three artists were “discovered” at the Feast and offered contracts to produce in recent years.

 

· In 2007 an art, photo and poetry competition gave opportunity to students and the general community across the City of Tshwane to produce works under the theme: “Taking back our streets”. Three theatre events hosted Karen Zoid, Sweet Voice Masters and a Dance show.

 

· Throughout the seven days of the festival a total of 13 workshops of dance, drama, clowning, poetry, circus and hip-hop were hosted with a total of 200 participants.

 

· A Social Justice Track Series was held daily to give interested organizations and individuals a chance to interact, discuss and be empowered on issues related to the theme, such as citizens rights and participation, drug abuse in the city, HIV/Aids, child trafficking and so forth.

 

· An important development was the way in which we were able to build long-term relationships with a couple of key artists that will now not only perform but also invest their expertise in transferring skills to local communities.

 

· We were able to build some key partnership relationships with the above artists and theatre companies, with local organizations and role players, with the Museum Park, with the inner city office of the City of Tshwane, with the Arts Faculty of the Tshwane University of Technology and others.

 

· Burgers Park, Burgers Park Lane and the properties along the street were used optimally, the festival so far were virtually crime-free, but or four or five isolated incidents of petty theft, and it therefore communicated the inner city as a good place to be.