There’s an incredible world to explore on the Virtual National Arts Festival website as the first-ever virtual festival takes shape and unfolds in glorious, fascinating full technicolour.
- A curated selection of interesting,
- edgy and entertaining performances,
- workshops and other events is available to enjoy – from the comfort of your couch this weekend.
This brand-new event is happening entirely online – you can watch on your phone, your desktop or your smart TV.
Immerse yourself in the best of South African and international online creativity.
• Browse shows and buy tickets HERE
• Audiences can buy passes to unlock the shows on the Curated Programme from R80 per day. A full 11-day pass costs just R600. This includes the Standard Bank Jazz Festival, but excludes all vFringe events.
• All events on the Creativate Digital Arts Festival are entirely free.
• The Standard Bank Jazz Festival remains an integral part of the Festival experience, with Jazz Passes available for R500.
• Virtual Fringe events will be individually ticketed, with 90% of show proceeds going to the artists themselves.
Your guide to the Virtual National Arts Festival experience
How do I browse shows?
Go HERE and click on the What’s On link in the top menu. The Daily Line-Up lists all the Curated Programme events and the Standard Bank Jazz Festival events by day. Simply select which day you’re interested in, and all that day’s shows will be listed. (Top tip: All the events from previous days are also available to view until 16 July 2020.)
PASSES AND TICKETS
What are Festival passes?
Shows are bundled into days, with new shows becoming available every day of the Festival. You can buy a Day Pass (R80) which unlocks a day’s worth of content to view, or a vNAF Festival Pass (R600)
Can I still buy a Day Pass even though the date has passed?
Yes, each day pass is available to purchase for the duration of the Festival – whether or not that date has passed.
Does the full vNAF Festival pass include the jazz?
Yes, the events on the Standard Bank Jazz Festival are included in the full vNAF Festival pass, as well as the Day Festival Pass.
Are there live performances?
Yes, there are live shows on the Daily Line-Up. While the majority of live events will be recorded so you will be able to catch them afterwards, a few are exclusively live – so don’t miss those, or you’ll miss out!
Oh no! I missed a show. Is it still available to view?
Yes, the majority of live shows will be recorded, so you can catch them on demand after they first screen. All the content on the site will be available to view from the day it becomes available until 16 July 2020.
Are there free events? And do I need a pass to watch free events?
Yes! Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, a lot of content on the Festival programme is free to view: live events, all Creativate workshops and webinars, all exhibitions, the Virtual Green market place and the Fringe Visual Art. Explore our website – there are many delights to uncover.
Can I still watch shows after the date has passed?
Yes, you can. All the shows on the site can be viewed from the day they become available until 16 July.
WATCHING SHOWS
How do I watch shows?
Once you’ve paid, you’ll receive an email with a list of what you’ve booked. You can also see your shows on the My Account page (link in top menu). You need to be logged in to access this page.
Click through to any event page to start watching. Scroll down to the video window and select the ‘play video’ icon, and it will play. If you haven’t paid for it, it won’t.
The video stops playing after 10 seconds and tells me I need a pass – but I have already bought one!
You need to be logged in to watch the shows you have bought or make use of your Pass. Once you’ve done a transaction, you’ll be automatically logged in to the site. But if you happen to get logged out, or switch devices, you will need your log-in details. (These are created for you when you do a purchase and are emailed to you with your order confirmation.)
How do I watch shows on the vFringe?
The vFringe are video on demand shows, so can be watched at any time that suits you. All shows on the vFringe are sold as individual tickets (and are not included in the Passes). 90% of the proceeds of these tickets go to the artists themselves. Browse the vFringe event pages, choose what you want to see, add the shows to your basket by clicking the ‘Buy Ticket’ button. Checkout and you’ll receive a confirmation email. Go to the event page and click on the play icon on the video window. (Make sure you are logged in to the site.)
What must I do if the video won’t play?
Most often, all it takes is a reload of the page. If you continue to get an error message on your video, or a page error, the best thing to do is to clear your cache. You can usually find this in the History tab of your browser. Close your browser and start again. This should solve the problem. (You have a total of five views per video purchased).
My internet connection is slow. Can I reduce the quality of streamed video?
Yes, you can! On the video player window, choose the settings icon (*) and select a lower-res option (just like on YouTube).
My battery died mid-performance. What do I do now?
You get a total of FIVE views per show. If your battery dies, there’s loadshedding or something else interrupts you, you can click on the link and watch from the beginning again.
How do I watch shows on my smart TV?
The best thing to do is watch via the browser on your smart TV. Make sure you are logged in to your Festival account. You can also do this from your phone: select full screen view and cast to AppleTV or ChromeCast. You may not be logged in to more than one device at a time.
How much data do I need to watch shows?
We have tried as hard as possible to make our content as data-friendly as possible without compromising the work. As an estimate: one hour of streamed content = 1 GB.
USING THE VIRTUAL NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL WEBSITE
Where do I find my shows?
All the shows you have bought will be listed on the MY ACCOUNT page (link in top menu).
How do I log in to the site?
To watch shows you have purchased, you need to be logged in to the site. Click on the LOG IN button in the top menu. Your user name and password will be mailed to you with your order confirmation.
How do I reset my password?
If you have forgotten your password, click on the ‘Lost your password?’ link and a new one will be sent to you.
How do I register on the site?
If you are a first-time visitor to the website, click on LOG IN, and fill in your name and chosen password in the registration box. You will be sent a confirmation email. You can also add shows to your basket without being registered, and your username and password will be created for you during the checkout process. These will be emailed to you with your order.
