Poetic Beats, an event that celebrates creativity, no matter how amateur, took place on Saturday.
The third annual instalment of Poetic Beats, a showcase of young local musical and poetical talent, took place in Sandton on Saturday.
The non-profit event acts as a platform for young artists who may have disconnected from their musical backgrounds during the hustle and bustle of university or life in general.
“Poetic Beats is about expression, it’s about taking your art and stripping it down to its purest form,” said Erryn Gracey, 23-year-old co-founder of the event.
CREATING BEATS: Poetic Beat founders Erryn Gracey and Kagiso Magabe performing at Saturday’s event. PHOTO: Jade Hunt
Gracey, along with Kagiso Magabe (23), hosted the first event in 2014. The two met each other in high school, where they felt they had plenty of space to express themselves musically, but “lost their art” when university started taking up a lot of their time.
The artists involved in Poetic Beats mostly meet to rehearse together weekly for a few months before the event and sometimes even after the event. Gracey described this as a way to support one another, as the event is not about competition but rather about uplifting each other.
Performer Melanie Aiff was well received by the 160 attendees at the event on Saturday. The 22-year-old songwriter and poet said “life has thrown a few curveballs” and events like this help her achieve her goal – to change the world through her art.
“It was a beautiful evening that doesn’t just come and go like usual weekend shenanigans, but actually leaves a mark,” said Stephanie Heywood (24), a spectator at the event.
Students welcome
Students who are looking for a place to express themselves creatively are welcome to find the event on social media platforms and send a message to Gracey and Magabe. The next event will take place sometime next year.
“We really want to change the way music is seen, not only in South Africa, but in the world,” said Gracey. “It needs to come back to art for the soul. It needs to be about the art and not about the money.”
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