Rucera Seethal to exit National Arts Festival artistic director post

Rucera Seethal will step down as artistic director of the National Arts Festival after nearly seven years, moving into a new role focused on creative exchange between Ireland and Southern Africa.

Her departure follows seven editions of the festival, a period that included the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on South Africa’s arts sector.

Programming focus

During her tenure, the festival consolidated its programme and expanded representation across different languages, storytelling forms and experimental practices. Seethal also worked with the National Arts Festival’s Artistic Committee on programming that explored creativity and technology, cross-genre collaboration and international cultural exchange.

“It’s been an absolute honour working with the Festival team, a group of people who bring everything they have and more, not only during Festival but every day, to keep the organisation and programme together and moving forward,” Seethal said. “When I joined the Festival, I came from previous work focusing on international and continental exchange. My tenure at the Festival has enabled a deeper engagement with the vast South African arts landscape. We have so much inspiration, hope and creative solutions to contribute to our fast-evolving world. Wherever I am placed, I wish to continue contributing in this direction.”

Next role and festival response

After leaving the National Arts Festival, Seethal will co-convene the Watch & Talk programme at Theatre Festival Basel before joining the Irish government. In that position, she will develop programmes for creative exchange and collaboration between Ireland and Southern Africa.

The National Arts Festival said her departure comes as the organisation continues to navigate changes in the cultural sector following the pandemic. Commenting on the departure, a festival representative said:

“While I’m sorry Rucera will not be working with us, we sincerely appreciate her contribution to the programmatic arc of the festival these past seven editions. I’m quite sure her work with the Irish will also bring us into contact quite frequently and it’s reassuring that we have such an experienced cultural professional in her new role, it’s a positive signal for the arts in Southern Africa.”

Seethal’s new role is expected to maintain a connection between the festival and wider international cultural networks, particularly through collaboration between Irish and Southern African arts communities.