Originally posted on Morija.co.ls
In mid-February 2014, we announced that Mr. Thabo Leanya, who served as Director of the Morija Arts & Cultural Festival since 2009, has taken up a senior post in the Department of Culture in Maseru. We wish him well in this new post and trust that he will continue to work for the enhancement of the arts and culture sector.
A new creative team has been appointed to oversee the Morija Arts & Cultural Festival. This team will also develop the creative Calendar of Activities at Morija and the District Road shows which serve as a build up to the Festival, and a means to develop and nurture talent among local artists and performers. The new creative team is headed by Ms Khants’i Soldart, a person with strong roots in Theatre and the Performing Arts, as well as Heritage and Cultural Studies. Her post as Creative Director means that she will be responsible for overseeing the Festival itself. Ms. Soldart is from Sebapala in Quthing District but lived for many years in Gauteng.
She will be assisted by Ms Lineo Segoete, who takes up the post of Events Management & Media Officer, responsible for developmental activities and the calendar of events, as well as assisting with Festival preparations and media work. She grew up in Maseru, and is active in poetry, creative writing, and other aspects of the performing arts though her formal training is in business.
We trust that these two new members of our team will strengthen the creative focus of the Morija Festival and bring in new partners and sponsors to join those who have remained with us over the years. It is important that the Festival should be appreciated at home while also developing a stronger regional footprint.
Mr. Thabo Nthoana, who has served the Festival and the Museum faithfully for many years as Promotions Officer, remains in his post and will help to guide and give orientation to the new team as it gradually takes responsibility for the planning and organisation of the Morija Festival. Of course, many others give a hand in this process, including Mr Pusetso Nyabela and his large team who coordinate the annual nation-wide School Cultural Competitions, Ms Mats’ooana Sekokotoana and Mr Patrick Rorke, who oversee the various Arts programmes and activities, and the Festival’s Management Team which deals with all of the nuts and bolts of running a large multi-faceted event.
Mr. Nthoana will be introducing our new creative team to all sponsors and partners organisations over the coming few weeks. In the meantime, we are putting together realistic proposals regarding the coming Festival and build up activities, proposals that we hope will give us a stronger identity and brand in the midst of an increasingly diverse and sophisticated events calendar in Lesotho and neighbouring areas.
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