The 2010 National Arts Festival is going to be a massive global celebration of the Arts - as we welcome thousands of international visitors to our shores and showcase the best in South African and international theatre, dance, music, jazz, visual art, comedy, film and more.
The Main Programme of the National Arts Festival is compiled from proposals that are reviewed by a Festival Committee. The Fringe Festival has no selection criteria and is open to all artists who register to present their artistic work.
Proposals for consideration for the Main Programme need to be submitted in writing to reach the Festival Director no later than 15 August 2009.

Detailed proposals for the Main Programme should include:
- Background of the institution, organisation or individual submitting the proposal
- A narrative description of the production / exhibition / performance
- Brief narrative biographies of the principal artists in / proposed for the production / exhibition
- An artistic statement motivating why the work should be presented at the 2010 Festival
- A preliminary budget.

The following must also be included with the proposals:

Theatre : a play-script or a script in progress
Music: CD
Dance: DVD
Visual Arts: a portfolio (if applicable) or full details about the works for the exhibition.

Cross-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary proposals should include at least two of the items listed above in the proposal.
Proposals for genres which are not listed above must include samples of previous works and as much detail as possible so that the Festival Committee have all the relevant information on which to base their recommendations.
Please check detailed requirements for individual disciplines on the website, www.nationalartsfestival.co.za.
It should be noted that the Festival's budget does not, unfortunately, stretch to cover international flights and freight, and artists from outside of South Africa are requested to raise funding for these costs themselves.
Non-South African artists are also advised to enquire from their government departments if their country's Embassy in South Africa or arts foundations in their home countries can fund their participation as a cultural exchange program.
Proposals for the Main Programme should be addressed to:
Ismail Mahomed, Festival Director, National Arts Festival,1820 Settlers National Monument, Fort Selwyn Drive, Grahamstown, 6139, South Africa.
The deadline for registration on the Fringe is 15 January 2010. All costs involved in Fringe productions / exhibitions are the responsibility of the artist or company themselves.
The Festival does not assist in covering any of these costs. There is a registration fee which covers all pre Festival publicity, advertising in the two Festival publications, inclusion on the Festival and ticketing company's websites, all the administration and scheduling for the production etc.
Venue hire is charged per performance depending on the size, location and technical complexity of the venue. Fringe artists take home 81% of their Box Office takings at the conclusion of their final performance.