Prince Albert is gearing up for a celebration of its place as the Karoo’s heartbeat through community, nature, art and of course, jazz:
Prince Albert, South Africa (07 April 2024) — As Prince Albert gears up for the second-ever ‘Journey to Jazz’ festival, it is also getting ready for a celebration of its culture, community and all the other special sauces that afford it the title of one of the ‘friendliest towns’ in South Africa and the heartbeat of the Karoo.
Organised by the NPO the Prince Albert Community Trust (PACT), which focuses on upskilling and developing Prince Albert’s youth, Journey to Jazz is a manifestation of 10 months of training undertaken by more than 80 young people.
Together, they co-produce the festival, gain incredible experience, and help celebrate their super slice of South Africa.
Celebrating Prince Albert Through Connection
From 1-5 May, the Journey to Jazz Festival will turn the spotlight onto local residents in the company of music and culture lovers. But, the event is just as much about the people as it is about a love of music, nature and culture.
As activities curator Kim Winter puts it, “Prince Alberters have a saying that they live by: “Groet is moet” (greeting is a must), which is why we are one of the friendliest towns in South Africa and why we have designed our activities programme around welcoming our festival goers to make them feel at home while they are here.”
As such, much of the festival will also be about community connection—with each other, art and all the awe-inspiring natural wonders that bring us all a little closer together.
From connecting with others through clay to drawing with mindfulness and deepening connections with nature through activities like the special Night Sky Tour, festival goers can look forward to many moments surrounded in magnificence.
In true Prince Albert fashion, cultural musts like tasting locally made moonshine by the fire and the Outa Lappies exhibit will also be up for enjoyment! Not to mention, internationally acclaimed textile designer Frances VH (the festival’s featured artist for 2024) has produced a woven textile fabrication that pays homage to the walls, doors, blooms and everyday happenings on Prince Albert’s street in an extra-special celebratory showcase.
Art appreciators can also marvel at the Prince Albert Gallery’s ‘The Glistening Earth and Landscape of Awe – The Swartberg Series’, while those who want to get out into nature an walk a trail through Karoo desert scenery as guided by Honorary Professor and local ecology expert, Sue Milton-Dean.
If the 2km hike isn’t enough, the Sunday parkrun at the Odendaal Stadium or Mountain Biking mission across roads and farms will certainly get hearts going while appreciating landscapes like no other.
As for jazz, artists from all over South Africa and abroad will light up different venues throughout Prince Albert.
A portion of commissions from ticket sales will support PACT so that they can continue uplifting the youth and the town’s future.
You can find out more here!
Watch: A snippet of Journey to Jazz 2023
Sources: Supplied
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