Mutual & Federal Agri Kierieklapper Arts Festival attendance breaks all records

Over the past four days from Thursday to Sunday, people from all over Limpopo and further afield in Gauteng, streamed through the gates of the Mutual & Federal Agri Kierieklapper Arts Festival in the town of Mokopane in the Waterberg district.

The major drawcards were the performances of several of South Africa’s most celebrated contemporary artists in music and drama - Karlien van Jaarsveld, Heinz Winckler, Jakkie Louw and Kevin Leo and the new pop sensation Adam.

Estelle Hartzenberg, manager of the elderly centre and manager of the festival organising committee, attributes the record attendance to the improved entertainment, good weather and the long weekend. She explains there were also particularly good turnouts for the more physical outdoor activities, such as the Fun Run and Walk; and especially for the annual Kierieklapper Golf Day held this year on National Woman’s Day. “This event features high on the sports calendars of golf enthusiasts in the region, but was even better attended this year falling on a public holiday,” she says.

In between the entertainment, visitors explored the 130 interesting and colourful stalls.

Hartzenberg says the committee was highly selective in its choice of stalls to ensure it did not become a run of the mill flea market.

Andries Wiese, Group Manager for Agriculture at Mutual & Federal, explains that the short-term insurer sponsors the festival primarily to raise funds which look after the aged of the district. Among other benefits, the proceeds of the festival fund a local service centre/social club for the aged that feeds 350 people every day.

According to Hartzenberg, the festival had the effect of galvanising the entire aged community of the district, and more so than ever before this year the entire community was involved.

“With new, invigorated management of the festival this year, we did things in a grander way. There was a real sense of excitement around the local community for months before the festival, and an even greater sense of excitement during it. We were able to attract bigger acts than ever before, and to afford them for the first time we charged an entrance fee. Rather than deterring people, the modest charge attracted more people because they understood they were getting value for money. We strongly emphasised the cultural and artistic side over the shopping aspect,” she says.

The ladies of the service centre had been busy since January creating handiworks to sell on the day, while others volunteered to participate in shifts throughout the festival to sell their handicrafts.

Wiese says sponsorship money from Mutual & Federal is well spent on the festival; apart from feeding the needy, it improves the physical, mental and social aspects of their lifestyles of these individuals during their golden years. The facility also boasts a library and clinic, and enables them to participate in social activities such as physical exercise in a gym, a choir, and offers a transport facility to other venues in the town.

In addition to supplementing its daily running costs, the service centre has identified some upgrades to the centre, while also passing on benefits to even more needy residents of the town.

“The centre needs an industrial dish washer as everything has to be washed by hand at the moment. We also want to build a charity shop: we get many donations to sell but do not have the space for it. Lastly, as a long term initiative we want to build more housing for the elderly, who increasingly have to leave the district to find suitable accommodation. We look forward to next year’s festival being even bigger and better,” Hartzenberg concludes.