CONSTITUTION HILL

PRESENTS

CREA
TIVE
UPRI
SING

21-24JUNE2023

Press Release

BASHA UHURU FREEDOM FESTIVAL

For more information, PRESS AND PR ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT: Maria Mccloy – mccloypr@gmail.com / 082 340 0262
Johannesburg’s most anticipated creative festival, Constitution Hill’s Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival, will offer a jam-packed line-up of creative immersions and experiences for its 2023 edition from the 21st to the 24th of June. Tickets are available from Webtickets.

The Basha Uhuru Festival was founded in 2012 to immortalise the memory of the youth who fought for their right to choose in the Soweto 1976 Uprising, affording youth of today the freedom to explore their creativity and freedom of expression.

Basha
Uhuru

It’s a youth movement synonymous with a creative, open-minded, and often non-conforming and unconventional community, placing the institution at the epicentre of urban culture inspired by music, art and urban culture.

Sounds of FreedomMusic Festival:24 June 2023

In true Basha style, the festival culminates on 24 of June with the Sounds of Freedom Music Festival. Curated to provide space for up-and-coming artists and new talent, the music festival this year is headlined by local mega stars.

This year’s festival brings local starts and legends to the main stage!

Festival goers can look forward to DJ Zinhle; Kwesta; Samthing Soweto; Shekhinah; Thando Nje; Sol Phenduka; Marcus Harvey an Friends; GYRE; izaNGOMA; Ms Party; KMAT DJ; Boujeena; SweeterBrown; Mam’Thug; RANGER; KITCHENMESS; Lyndow Radebe and a guest performance from this year’s Basha Uhuru Music Legacy Award – THEBE!

The music festival on the 24th of June 23 opens at 10h00, and festivalgoers can enjoy a full day at the Curated Market with a line-up of DJ’s; performances; activations; food stalls and bars. The Curated market offers a selection of handmade local goods; art exhibits; designer wear and loads of unique and new offerings. No under 18s. Tickets (R150 online and R200 at the event) available at Webtickets.

“We are proud to host the 2023 Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival back at full scale as Conhill’s flagship Youth Month Event” says Constitution Hill CEO, Dawn Robertson. “Over the years, Basha Uhuru gave birth to The Creative Uprising – an always-on programme, including the Creative Hub that opened in 2020. Focused on development, collaboration and upskilling creatives, the work of the hub will help to grow and support the creative economy in Gauteng.”

“Sol Beer is proud to partner with Basha Uhuru and the Team on this incredible project that not only supports Youth development through multiple channels but holds true to our commitment to local creativity. We are incredibly excited to go on this journey together as we build the platform and really empower the Youth. Let us not forget the gathering on Saturday 24th June and groove with a Sol, we are #LivefromtheSunnySide.” Warrick Wyngaard – Brand Manager Sol

Creative Week Conference: 21 – 23 June 2023

The Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival Creative Week is an all-encompassing creative showcase, an opportunity for creatives and aspiring creatives to come together, be inspired, showcase their talents and feed their creativity.

Each day has a particular creative focus offering masterclasses, panel discussions, workshops and dialogues. For the first time ever, people can choose to purchase tickets for each of the days or for the whole week, allowing them to select sessions more relevant to their interests.

“It’s exciting to once again partner with Basha Uhuru to celebrate the creativity of South Africa’s youth,” says Kirsty Niehaus, Nando’s Marketing Manager: Creativity Portfolio. “At Nando’s, we believe that creativity changes lives, which is why we’re passionate about nurturing and showcasing creative talent, and creating market access for young artists, designers and musicians, as well as democratising creativity by opening it up to more people. That speaks perfectly to what Basha Uhuru is all about. This year, we’re fired up to bring Shekinah to the Basha main stage and to share her journey and insights with festival goers during the creative conference. We will also be showcasing some of our homegrown emerging talent – the Nandoca Uhuru’s (from our internal music talent search) – on the market stage. It’s going to be a great celebration of local music talent.”

About

The BASHA UHURU FREEDOM FESTIVAL is ConHill’s signature youth festival has become very well-known over the last 10 years growing from an audience of 2000 in 2012 to just over 7000 in 2019. Basha Uhuru is a unique youth brand that has become a household name among young people in Gauteng. While the name Basha Uhuru reinforces what, the brand stands for it further extends itself to borders beyond South Africa – as it uses Kiswahili and Setswana; thus, building social cohesion and shared identity.

Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival has become one of Gauteng’s biggest YOUTH ARTS events attracting thousands of youth from diverse cultural backgrounds to Constitution Hill to commemorate Youth Month together in a safe and critically engaging environment.

This flagship creative arts festival was established to provide a platform that would facilitate the broad spectrum of artistic expression for young emerging professionals and entrepreneurs in the creative industry.

The festival is an opportunity to learn and be inspired, share skills and nurture talent, network and collaborate, and create and monetize whilst driving important conversations affecting the creative sector.

The festival is one of two event properties owned, registered and trademarked by Constitution Hill (and by implication – the Gauteng Province) aimed at driving visitation to the province.

In 2020 & 2021 the Basha Uhuru Festival, like so many other events fell victim to the harsh regulations of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. Festival organisers were forced to rethink the event and with creative innovation at their fingertips and a mind to the future the festival evolved to become more tech-savvy to create a user experience that resonated with the creative community.

2020 saw the creation of Constitution Hill’s first-ever online festival, embracing technology and propelling us forward. In 2021 we went hybrid (limited numbers on site) and online. The 2022 edition was also moved to October to ensure that the festival would be able to take place in its full physical form without a limit on festival attendees.

Now in its 11th year, Basha Uhuru is back in youth month and has gone beyond a once-off yearly event and become an “always on” programme integrating into the greater creative uprising programme.

The BASHA UHURU MUSIC FESTIVAL is now fully integrated into with a year-long multi genre art support programme.

THE CREATIVEUPRISING

It’s a youth movement synonymous with a creative, open-minded, and often non-conforming and unconventional community, placing the institution at the epicentre of urban culture inspired by music, art and urban culture.

The Creative Uprising, an ongoing programme designed to support creatives was launched in 2020.

Creatives, makers, artisans, craftspeople, illustrators; entertainers; artists and digital designers were issued a call to action to join the movement and become members of the program.
Membership provides access; to studio spaces; business support; education; market access; networking and various platforms for expression.

Elements of the program such as seminars; masterclasses; dialogues, and capacity building programmes take place throughout the year.

The festival targets creative enrichment and development, rather than commercial outcomes. We leverage funds for the maximum possible impact rather than profit.

Basha Uhuru festivals play different roles:

It is the coming together of Con Hill’s Creative Uprising Hub to exhibit; profile and support those in the creative sector. It provides a point of focus and creative celebration for Gauteng’s creative community.

BASHA UHURU FREEDOM FESTIVAL 2023 SPONSORS