UP THE CREEK MUSIC FESTIVAL (“A Cultural Happening” assignment Write up)
1.Event Information Sheet
“Up the Creek Music Festival” Is a festival put on to celebrate the sounds and music of South Africa, and to bring together the community in a musical way. The cultural focus is to enjoy and observe the culture and music of South Africa. The age group of the Festival is unknown but there is heavy drinking and partying, so might not be recommended for children. Entrance fee and other costs go as followed:
Thursday-Sunday: R650.00 Friday-Sunday: R600.00 Saturday-Sunday: R500.00 (Prices not including alcohol and food costs)
Some of the jobs and characteristics of employees required include:
Parking director/assistant, fee collection, bar/alcohol distributor, food vendor, musicians, stage setup and breakdown, stage manager, cleanup, bodyguards, lifeguards, and much more.
The reason why I chose this type of event is because I was interested in learning about some of the culture in South Africa and learn more about the music of the area. I thought it was highly interesting, the fact that the festival audience gets to relax and enjoy the music while floating on the river. Even before this project, I’ve always been interested in South Africa because its such a beautiful place, with interesting people and an amazing economy compared to pretty much everywhere else in that area.
2.Map of region/location of event
The location of the event is near Breede River and just beside Swellendam:
The festival takes place at the “Up the Creek” campgrounds in western cape South Africa. The sphere of influence includes obviously the river, the vegetation and wildlife, the trees lining it and a small town (Swellendam) that is 8km away from the festival. And a 2 and a half hour drive out of Cape Town. Swellendam is one of South Africa’s best-kept secrets, with its beautiful natural habitats, lovely people and breathtaking views, Swellendam is a tourists dream.
Unfortunately, the location of the event is so unusual, that it was unknown on Google maps and Google search engine. All that was found was the map above provided on the Up the Creek Music Festival website.
3.Event Timetable
(Not sure why location was a question here, seeing as it was also a question on number 2, so- look on the previous page for the specific location)
The event takes place at the end of summer (which is mid-October to mid-February) and is the peak time for an outdoor event. The weather is hot with a cool breeze, the water is a temperate feel and the sky is almost always blue and cloud free. The festival runs from January 31st – February 3rd. It is a 4-day phenomenon that every late teen-early adult attends that lives in lower South Africa. The festival is known for its outdoor camping in-between musical acts and days of fun. That’s why having peak temperature is vital. So the attendees are expected to bring appropriate camping things. Thankfully, there are running toilets and working showers, so there is no need to worry about those essentials.
Up the Creek Music Fest. Is well known for its killer line-up of music. Offers performances from 30 different acts such as ‘Piet Botha and the Lizard kings’, ‘The Swingsetters’, ‘ISO’ and many, MANY more.
4.Cultural Considerations
English is partly spoken at the festival although many different languages are spoken in South Africa such as: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Many different cultural backgrounds are welcomed and present themselves there as well.
Food wise, the whole festival is catered by 5 star barbequing, salad bars, and specially hired food truck and vendors that vary each year. Alcohol is offered for purchase at the giant outdoor bar next to the river including
