This year’s arts festival starts earlier than previous years, on a Sunday, and is also one day longer.

The opening act on Sunday, 15 November is led by Charl du Plessis, Corlea Botha, Musanete and the Boogie Woogie Big Band that will perform timeless hits such as Summertime, Rhapsody in Blue, I Got Rhythm and I Love You Porgy in Rapsodie op Gershwin.

Maria, Moeder van God, which is made possible by the Cordis Trust’s involvement, is a contemporary tale of suffering, which is a fullfilment of Small’s long time goal, to write a drama about Mary, the mother of Jesus. The cast includes Deon Lotz, Leandé Valentyn (Mary), Chris Majiedt (Joseph), Ivan Abrahams, Marlo Minnaar, De Klerk Oelofse, André Samuels and Hannah Borthwick. The producer is RSG’s own Johan Rademan.

RSG tasked a very ambitious project to adapt the contentious short story writer, Koos Prinsloo’s Die Jonkmanskas as a radio drama. Andre Kotze transformed this unique story about conflict – between generations, genders, ethnic groups and especially the struggle within one person. Wessel Pretorius plays the main character and other actors include Martelize Kolver, Leon Kruger, Esther von Waltsleben, Geon Nel, Piet Beyers and Roeline Daneel. The producer is Joanie Combrink.

The lovable characters, “Poen en Toekie”, especially left their planet Wopper, to come and visit their earthling friends, Bennie and Sarie and to also participate at the school’s arts festival. Poen en Toekie kom kunstefees toe was commissioned and will be the opening of the evening arts festival programme, each weeknight at 19:00 from Monday, 16 November to Friday, 20 November.

In Korreltjie kantel, Luna Paige, Nick Turner, Medicine Boy, Hatchetman and Ottoman Slap, performs the late Ingrid Jonker’s poems in a commissioned music programme. This year also commemorates half a century since Jonker’s death.

Hennie Aucamp’s Wolf-wolf hoe laat is dit? has been adapted for radio by the award-winning drama producer, Margot Luyt. A Group of South Africa’s theatre veterans was gathered for this moving performance about man’s struggle against time. The cast is Louis van Niekerk, Wilna Snyman, Lida Botha, Trix Pienaar, Kitty Albertyn, June Seymour, Neels Coetzee, Marga van Rooy, Juanita Swanepoel and Deidre Wolhuter.

Ockie Vermeulen (organ) and Wessel van Wyk (piano) plays unique adaptations amongst others, from Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Karl Jenkens in 35 Pedale. On request of the RSG Arts Festival, listeners will be able to enjoy this special collaboration of music instruments.

Benjamin Willem has composed music for more than 18 movies and about 40 international documentaries, including National Geographic and Discovery. He has also been awarded with a silver medal during the New York Best of the World Film & Television Festival. RSG commissioned that he creates a few sound landscapes with Basiami Segola with the theme of evolution. Metamorfose is a wordless journey and sound experiment that will debut during the RSG Arts Festival.

Four of South Africa’s leading, but divergent songwriters and musicians will share the same stage in Wydsbeen, a new project by Les Javan. Javan, Riku Lätti, Churchill Naudé and Rian Malan will create a mixture of rural and urban stories in rhythm in a colourful concert that was created especially for the RSG Arts Festival.

The actor, Christo Davids is presenting a commissioned radio drama titled Tussen die bokse. A couple has to pack up their house after many years. Inbetween all the photo’s and memories, they discover something that shatters both their lives. The cast consists of Fatima Abdool, Duncan Johnson, Donovan Pietersen and Martin Jansen with Helena Hugo as the producer.

Banket met Nataniël is a unique festivity where Nataniël shares the best of his stories with recipes, hosting tips, etiquette, history about food and then combines it with his music.

A total of 11 young actors, of which most is still at school, debuts in a commissioned youth drama that was written by the popular radio writer, Anton Treurnich.  Ons vang gees is a journey that will touch everyone and that will never be forgotten. Patricia Baadjies, Luka Geldenhuys, Du Toit Albertze, Dealan Fredericks, Carla Smith, Jeani Heyns, Lise-Marie van Wyk, Liam Walsh, Luke White, Margo Kotzé and Nienke Geldenhuys can be heard.

Elias P. Nel will be telling stories each week morning during the RSG Arts Festival with his show Oom Goltros vertel with music by Joey Erasmus.

The experimental silence project which involves that artists are invited to fill five minutes of silence with their most creative offering is also back.

In Boetie dit is tyd vir bid as ‘n seekoeikoei op jou skoot kom sit, Philip de Vos’ verses are tangled into a modern day fairytale. It is compiled by producer Juanita Swanepoel with Wessel Pretorius and Cintaine Schutte.

The elocution artist, Paul Eilers revisited Chris Barnard’s popular column Chriskras. In the production Chriskras, singer Steffie le Roux and her band Barnard bring the words to life. 

Elma Potgieter and Schalk Jacobsz got involved with the work where Uys Krige connected Afrikaans with the work of the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca. In Reis sonder einde lamentations are infused with the flamenco rhythm of guitar masters Paco de Lucía and Ricardo Modrego’s Dos Guitarras Flamencas.

Hendrik J. Botha, an anesthetist and poet from Pretoria, was described as a real discovery for the Afrikaans poetic art by Henning Snyman. In Atropos, which is also the title of his debut volume of poetry, one can hear verses about his youth, mortality and loss of hearing. Botha’s volume of poetry is exclusively launched during RSG’s Arts Festival.

Ilse Salzwedel will engage with a group of poets again, and include reader Elize Cawood where classical Afrikaans poetry get a new flavour in a comical manner. Poetry is great fun and Die woordketting will have listeners crave for more.

There is also a festival artist, Diane Victor for visual art this year. Through her, listeners will experience various dance styles. Listeners will also be encouraged to create their own landscape with paint or pencil. André P. Brink’s Lobola vir die lewe which has been described as one of the ten most influential Afrikaans books, can also be heard as a radio drama.

Christelle Webb-Joubert and Johan van Lill will present the day part of the RSG Arts Festival from 09:00 to Noon and Renske Jacobs will present the evening section from 19:00 to 22:00 during the period from Sunday, 15 to Friday, 20 November 2015.

The public has opportunity to attend the free live broadcasts of the concerts (Rapsodie op Gershwin and Chriskras) that will be done in the M1 studio at SABC Auckland Park.

Besides the Cordis Trust, the Dagbreek Trust has also sponsored various of the arts festival productions.

RSG’s first arts festival was awarded with a Fleur du Cap-theatre prize for innovation, and recently with a BASA (Business Arts South Africa) prize for innovation.

The RSG Arts Festival starts on Sunday, 15 November at 15:00 and concludes on Friday, 20 November at 22:00. The festival is hosted on-air (100-104FM) and can be live streaming on rsg.co.za.

For more information, connect with them on Twitter using the #RSGfees hashtag.