MANIFESTO

ART STATE aims to be the creative and authoritative platform for all that is art. This attempt will be made in the city of roses located at the centre of the no longer crying but now sighing beloved country; Mangaung pereng e tsoeu Sengangata.

Zooming in on its burgeoning art and culture scene, we will ask what is the state of Mangaung arts? What does it mean? What does it tell us about us, our fears and desires?

We will go into its poetry, dance, drama, radio, comedy, music, etc. We will go to the different shows; we will pit the profound (that which touches on the essential) against the banal. We will interrogate the meaning of it all; we will reminisce on the moments that jerked a tear or pulled a smile from our faces. We will report accurately on the latest happenings, announce and anticipate whatever looms on the horizon.

We make this attempt without ever letting anything walk through the corridors of our hearts and minds without thorough scrutiny. We will look into the politics and economics of art in the city. Here too uncomfortable questions will be posed.

The culture of critique is painfully missing from the Mangaung art scene. We wish to correct this injustice. Critique is an integral part of art. Without critique we are reduced to illiterates who cannot distinguish between the profound and banal, we are handicapped in slamming the poet who comes to stage without proper preparation, we are blinded by the painter who chucks pints of paint on canvas calling it abstract, and led astray by the author with no authority.

We will highlight and celebrate important figures, events, milestones and venues in the Mangaung cultural landscape. Monumentalise their existence for all posterity.

We will prove, without fear of contradiction, that indeed #ArtLivesHere!

This publication will in the main burden itself with these tasks:

1. News: Factual, accurate and relevant reporting about events around the city relating to art.
2. Features: In depth look into remarkable artists, art movements, projects and venues in the city.
3. On Air:  A focus on radio shows in the city. Each month will have its own dedicated show to review.
4. Reviews: Critical appreciation essays on music, events, literature and other art forms.
5. Gig Guide: Heads up on all events that are lined up in the arts calendar of Mangaung.

Our vision is to speak in a voice of authority across the Mangaung art scene.

We will achieve this through excellent writing, intellectual humility, honest conversation and the human touch.

Our ever expanding team (ever expanding because with every word we write, question asked, provocation posed, we grow tremendously) includes: