Open Book Festival launches urgent public appeal to secure 2025 event
We now need that collective ownership to take on a financial element. Your investment in the festival will not bring you dividends or shares, but what it will bring is the knowledge that the festival that you love and in whose value you believe will continue to exist.
Many organisations face funding crises right now and we unfortunately find ourselves in that position. We have been partly reliant on support from different levels of government since the inception of Open Book, and there is still, so close to this year's September festival, no clarity about the applications we have made to the Western Cape or National Government.
If you see value in Open Book, contribute by clicking here.
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TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Open Book Festival funding crisis — community response and latest government decisions
While the community has rallied with support, recent government funding decisions have confirmed the severity of the financial shortfall threatening Open Book Festival's survival beyond September 2025. Since the festival's initial appeal last week, the organisation expresses deep gratitude for the community support received, with contributors donating R104,177.23 toward the R500,000 target needed for the September 2025 festival. The organisation has also streamlined its donation process to make supporting the initiative more accessible. However, recent correspondence from government departments has clarified the extent of the funding crisis. When the initial appeal was made, the festival had not yet received final decisions from key funding applications. The Western Cape Cultural Affairs and Sport department has now confirmed support of just over R55,000 – a fraction of the R300,000 originally applied for. Meanwhile, the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture's list of supported projects does not include Open Book Festival at all. After years of receiving crucial multi-year funding as a Western Cape Flagship Project, including R700,000 in 2024, this represents a dramatic reduction in government support. "We can no longer depend on government support," stated the festival organisers. "This represents an unprecedented shortfall for an event that operates on an annual budget of approximately R2 million." Open Book Festival encompasses three major annual events: the flagship September festival, the Youth Festival in March, and Workshop Week in June. If Open Book Festival ceases to exist, the impact will be felt by many writers who have enjoyed the platform the festival creates, the sales of books, the opportunities to meet, engage and connect with other writers and the opportunities to talk to readers and engaged citizens. The festival's impact resonates deeply within the literary community. Professor Pumla Dineo Gqola noted that "Open Book reminds me of the beauty and generosity in the world, and gives me permission to feel full joy for a few days." Author Damilare Kuku observed, "I have never been to a festival where I could see art healing people in real time." Shubnum Khan, author of Onion Tears, How I Accidentally Became a Global Stock Photo and The Lost Love of Akbar Manzil describes Open Book as "truly one of the best and nicest book festivals I've ever been to. Everyone was just so warm and welcoming and everyone, whether I knew them or not, felt like old friends." Novelist Yewanda Omotoso expresses her experience of the festival as "really special. I remembered what it is about Open Book that reverberates so powerfully ... A generosity of spirit that inhabits the festival and all who touch it." "Without immediate support, there may be no Open Book Festival beyond September 2025," organisers urged. "Every contribution matters. Every share extends our reach. Every voice raised in support strengthens the community we've built together."
TimesLIVE
17-07-2025
- TimesLIVE
Open Book Festival launches urgent public appeal to secure 2025 event
For years we have spoken about our belief that Open Book Festival is not owned by us – it is owned by all those who contribute to making it an inclusive, vibrant festival that consists of incredibly important and difficult conversations and serves to highlight some of the fantastic writing coming out of South Africa (and beyond). We now need that collective ownership to take on a financial element. Your investment in the festival will not bring you dividends or shares, but what it will bring is the knowledge that the festival that you love and in whose value you believe will continue to exist. Many organisations face funding crises right now and we unfortunately find ourselves in that position. We have been partly reliant on support from different levels of government since the inception of Open Book, and there is still, so close to this year's September festival, no clarity about the applications we have made to the Western Cape or National Government. If you see value in Open Book, contribute by clicking here.
IOL News
17-07-2025
- IOL News
High on stardom, low on sobriety: the hidden costs of fame
Controversial Limpopo rapper Shebeshxt recently admitted to drug use, once again highlighting the widespread nature of such struggles. We all dream of fame - the red carpets, the screaming fans, the luxurious lifestyle. But behind every glittering smile often lies a hidden battle with addiction. While the world sees the glamour, many celebrities silently fight demons that fame itself helped create. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Not all that glitters is gold! This is clear from the countless stars who have spoken out about the entertainment industry's darker side, whether through memoirs or candid interviews. Substance abuse runs rampant in the entertainment industry. The world of high-profile events and endless parties makes drugs and alcohol easily accessible, turning them into common coping mechanisms for stress, loneliness and performance anxiety. When celebrities speak openly about their struggles with addiction, they send a powerful message. Stars like Demi Moore, Bradley Cooper and Jessica Simpson have all bravely shared their journeys, reminding us that even the most successful people are not immune to life's challenges. Moore, for example, revealed her struggles on Jada Pinkett Smith's 'Red Table Talk" in 2019, where her daughters spoke openly about how her addiction had impacted them. 'It was not the mom that we had grown up with.' She has since recommitted to sobriety. Substance abuse runs rampant in the entertainment industry. Image: Pexels/Towfiqu Barbhuiya In October 2023, Adele told fans during a Las Vegas concert: 'I stopped drinking maybe like three and a half months ago. I mean, I was literally borderline alcoholic for quite a lot of my 20s.' Cooper also opened up in August 2023 on 'Running Wild With Bear Grylls', saying, 'In terms of alcohol and drugs, yeah … But that had nothing to do with fame. I was lucky. I got sober at 29, and I've been sober for 19 years.' Simpson has been sober since 2017 after years of struggling with alcohol and pills. In her memoir 'Open Book", she wrote candidly: 'I was killing myself with all the drinking and pills.' That year, she told her friends: 'Something's got to stop. And if it's the alcohol that's doing this, then I quit.' Here at home, South Africa also grapples with its share of addiction issues. TKZee star Kabelo 'Bouga Luv' Mabalane battled dependence on alcohol, marijuana and cocaine, spending shocking amounts on drugs. Today, he has maintained sobriety for over two decades and is an outspoken advocate against substance abuse. Comedian Trevor Gumbi, creator of the dark comedy show 'Sober Companion', draws from his own recovery from a long cocaine addiction that began around 2000. He's often spoken about how staying clean has transformed his life. The late rugby icon James Small admitted to abusing cocaine and alcohol and once tried to take his own life. He entered therapy and credited relationships and fatherhood with saving him before passing away in 2019 from a heart attack. More recently, controversial Limpopo rapper Shebeshxt admitted to drug use, once again highlighting how widespread these struggles are. Earlier this year, media personality Penny Lebyane sparked debate when she criticised South Africa's entertainment industry. Taking to X, she wrote: 'South African Entertainment Industry = Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, Promiscuity and Prostitution, Mental illness, Sangomas and Cult Christians, Gamblers, Pimps and Drug lords. The results so far of what looks like success.' South African Entertainment Industry = Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, Promiscuity and Prostitution, Mental illness, Sangomas and Cult Christians, Gamblers,Pimps and Drug lords. The results so far of what looks like success. — PennyLebyane💚RasediLebyane (@PennyLebyane) March 4, 2025 Keesha Scott, co-founder of Guardian Recovery, told 'Independent Media Lifestyle': 'The constant exposure to the limelight, combined with a party-driven lifestyle and easy access to drugs and alcohol, often becomes a breeding ground for addiction.' Scott said what makes it even more complex is that those who seemingly have everything are sometimes less impacted by consequences, legal trouble, financial losses or broken relationships, don't hit as hard when you're insulated by wealth and status. 'This lack of immediate consequence can make the path to recovery longer. Many celebrities are also surrounded by 'yes men' who fear telling the truth, which enables the cycle of substance use and delays real intervention,' she said. Umm-e-Habiba, clinical director at Choice Point Health, added: 'Fame brings attention, influence and opportunity, but it also comes with relentless pressure, identity confusion and emotional isolation. She said in her experience, the root causes of substance abuse in celebrities often include: Constant public exposure and lack of privacy. Persistent anxiety and perfectionism. Unprocessed trauma, masked by outward success. A social circle where substance use is normal and rarely questioned. 'Therapeutic support should be seen as essential to career maintenance, not a last resort. It also helps if managers understand mental health so they can spot the warning signs and take action.' Over the years, countless talented people have lost their lives to addiction. Each story is unique and deeply tragic, but together they serve as stark reminders of the need to address substance abuse and support those who struggle. If you or someone you know needs help, contact the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) at 011 892 3829 or WhatsApp 076 535 1701.
