Open Horizons and Youth Open Horizons public platform 2022 marks the 24th edition of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts’ JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience and the festival will host both live and online events in a unique, blended festival format.
The festival has now opened submissions for the two public access platforms for 2022: the JOMBA! Open Horizons, formerly known as the JOMBA! FRINGE and the JOMBA! Youth Open Horizons, formerly the JOMBA! Youth Fringe.
The JOMBA! Open Horizons, which will continue as a digital event in 2022, provides an opportunity for dance-makers to present their digital/dance film work for showcasing under the auspices of the JOMBA! festival. Focus is being placed on looking at the intersection of dance and film and the growing body of digital dance choreography. Submitted works are adjudicated by a jury and the top films are selected for screening. JOMBA! is opening submissions in both long and short form. Submissions are invited from African dance-makers whether on the continent or living in the diaspora.
The top eight long-form films will be screened, followed by the announcement of the top three in both the long and short form categories, which comes with cash prizes: Long form: 1st: R3 500, 2nd: R2 500, 3rd: R1 500 and for Short form: 1st: R2 000, 2nd R1 500, and 3rd: R1 000. All short-form films will be available to view, with low data usage, on YouTube and Facebook.
The JOMBA! Youth Open Horizon will be offered as a live event at JOMBA! and submissions to participate are open to any youth dance group – in any style of dance – with dancers under the age of 16 years old. The festival is open to: Pantsula, Hip-Hop, Bharatha Natyam, Ballet, Contemporary, Ngoma etc.
This is a day of celebrating youth dance in KZN and of opening arms to a dancing community. JOMBA! will supply a small lunch snack to all dancers participating. All criteria and information about submissions as well as online application forms can be found at: https://jomba.ukzn.ac.za/open-horizons. Submission closes for both the JOMBA! Open Horizons and JOMBA! Youth Open Horizons on Friday, 8 July, at 5pm (SAST). Queries can be submitted via email to jombafestival@gmail.com.
