13 May 2024

Winners of the North West District 2024 National Arts Festival competitions have been announced.

They will proceed to the nationals in Gaborone and compete against others at regional level during the exhibition that will be held in July at the National Museum. 

Among the winners were talented individuals who excelled in categories such as painting, sculpture, beadwork, jewellery, leatherwork, wood carving, textiles and mixed media.

Speaking at the event, Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture official, Refilwe Banda said the competitions were aimed to provide a platform for emerging artists to showcase their skill and talents in various categories.

For his part, FNB Maun branch manager, Lekono Koketso commended all the participants for their dedication and passion for the arts. He emphasised the importance of nurturing and supporting young artists.

“The prize money not only improves the livelihoods of participants, but also reflects into the economy,” he said, adding that FNB was working on opening an online platform that would market their products to the international market.

Chief adjudicator, Legodile Seganabeng highlighted that the judging criteria was based on skill, creativity and originality of the crafts. He appealed to artists to present fresh crafts to competitions as well as to follow the theme in order to be successful.

One of the winners in the beadwork category, having crafted a butterfly with beads, Kagiso Motshupelo appreciated the opportunity given by the competitions, saying it helped them to be creative and innovative. ENDS