The North West Cultural Calabash is a youth-based arts festival held annually in the village of Lokaleng, greater Taung, North West Province, South Africa. It was initiated by Hendrik Baird in 1994 as a celebration of cultures, coinciding with the first democratic elections in the country.
The name "Calabash" symbolises the African tradition of using a calabash (a dried gourd) as a vessel for feeding people. The festival was conceived as a "melting pot" of various South African cultures, with the aim of fostering a new, shared culture to "feed the nation."
The event began as a one-day event and initially found sponsorship from the Transnet Foundation, the country's transport parastatal. Subsequently, the North West Provincial Government's Department of Sport, Arts and Culture also became a funder, enabling the festival to expand.
A distinctive feature of the Cultural Calabash is its focus on discovering new talent. Through a series of provincial auditions held at local municipal levels, amateur and semi-professional artists are identified in drama, dance, and music. Winners in each category participate in four District Previews, from which the best are selected to perform at the Main Festival, traditionally held during the last weekend of September.
From its beginnings, the festival grew to encompass 22 auditions, four District Previews, and a four-day main festival. Professional artists such as Louis Mhlanga (jazz) and Zola (kwaito) have performed, drawing thousands of people to the rural village of Taung.
As a youth-based event, the festival does not promote alcohol and aims to provide a healthy alternative for participants and audiences, while also promoting safe-sex practices. The Calabash was a project of the Mmabana Arts, Culture and Sport Foundation. However, after Transnet stopped its funding, the festival was no longer presented by the Mmabana Foundation.
