I had no idea that the annual winter National Arts Festival held in Grahamstown was started in 1974. I was born in 1974. My first interest and curiosity about this festival was in 1999. Then venues and audience numbers were quite small. I recall then that the jazz festival was held at a small hotel room in the CBD. Now it has moved to a bigger hall at Diocesan School for Girls (DSG). But what of this festival really? The programme had over 250 pages, and so finding what to watch could be daunting for a novice. Of course there was a bewildering array of things to see, ranging from theatre, dance, exhibitions,cultural tours, music (jazz, contemporary, traditional...etc), films, "Thinkfest". Thinkfest is part of the festival that showcases discussions on topical issues like, politics, arts, environment, media...etc. It take the form of panel discussions and lectures series. When I am at the festival, I make it a point to check the work of Paul Mpumelelo Grootboom. H...