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25 Years. One festival.

08 July 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi | Photo Supplied

Vrystaat Arts Festival 2025 — Come and experience the arts that make life meaningful at the 2025 Vrystaat Arts Festival from 15 to 19 July 2025 on the University of the Free State Bloemfontein Campus.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud to once again open its Bloemfontein Campus to one of South Africa’s most beloved cultural traditions – the Vrystaat Arts Festival – taking place from 15 to 19 July 2025. This year marks 25 years since the UFS first became a partner of the festival, a milestone that celebrates not only a rich artistic legacy but also a deep-rooted commitment to creativity, community, and connection.

Adding much significance this year is the presence of the UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Hester C. Klopper, who will be experiencing the festival for the very first time as part of the UFS community.

“It has been a quarter of a century of growth, togetherness, multi-faceted inspiration, and joyful celebration,” says Prof Klopper.

“This partnership … embodies our fundamental commitment to social impact and our belief that universities should be catalysts for cultural development and social cohesion.”

With theatre, literature, music, film, visual arts, interactive exhibitions, and a strong showing by UFS students and staff, the festival is a multi-sensory celebration of South African talent and thought.

A highlight of the programme is a tribute to Prof Nico Luwes, a beloved figure in Free State theatre and former Head of the UFS Department of Drama. Prof Klopper will also lead this year’s UFS Thought-Leader Panel Discussion on 17 July at 12:00, unpacking the theme ‘Reimagining Higher Education for Employability and Sustainability’ in the Albert Wessels Auditorium.

Two exciting book launches will further enrich the programme:

Thinking Through Food in South Africa: Identities, Embodiment and Representation co-edited by Prof Vasu Reddy, UFS Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, and Prof Lebo Moletsane from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (15 July), and
Research and Activism: Ruth First and Activist Research co-edited by Prof Saleem Badat, Research Professor in the UFS Department of History, and Prof Reddy (16 July).

As Prof Klopper reflects:

“This festival strengthens the bonds between our university and the broader Free State community, embodying the spirit of ubuntu that defines our institution.”

With fresh energy, familiar traditions, and a quarter-century of memories, the 2025 Vrystaat Arts Festival is set to be a celebration like no other.

Here are just some of the UFS contributions to this year’s festival:

Department of Drama

Die bruikbare idioot

Verbode Gedagtes in Stereo

Rooikappie en die Drie Varkies

Gebou soos Steffi Graf

The semblance of permanence

Willemien en Meraaitjie en Willie Wragtig die Troeteldrakie!

Bielie

Die Moedige Avonture van Prinses Petronella

Harte-Bliksems

Perspectives on Perspectives of Love

The Masks

Visual Arts

In Resonance

Oh no! She swallowed a fly!

Sticks and figures drawing workshop

Literature

Thinking Through Food in South Africa: Identities, Embodiment and Representation

Henriette Grové, bekende dramaturg en prosaïs

Sy word Sestig!

Transponering van romans na dramas en/of films

Van Egoli via 7de Laan tot in Binnelanders

Hulde aan die helde: Nico Luwes

Research and Activism: Ruth First and Activist Research

Spookstories van CJ Langenhoven

Sprankelverse uit die oude doos

Vlieks

Cleanse

Echoes of the Land

Sehlabelo

Lag en Legende: ’n Wandeling deur die loopbaan van Tobie Cronjé

Sci-ed

Sci-Ed interactive exhibits

Sci-Ed Science Café

Sci-Ed Science Café: Sterre en Planete

Science@Dinner

Science Show at Sci-Ed

Sci-Ed Stargazing

Wetenskapvertoning by Sci-Ed

Make your bath bombs

Make and launch your own parachute

Make your own marshmallows

Make your own rocket

Planetarium

Bedreigings vir Aarde: satelliete, asteroïede en meer …

Max Goes to the Moon

Mysteries of your Brain

Passport to the Universe / Ruimtevorms

Threats to Earth: satellites, asteroids, and more …

Wêrelde buite die Aarde

Worlds Beyond Earth

Entrance tickets to the festival grounds and the theatre productions are already on sale at Webtickets.

Come and experience the arts that make life meaningful.

News Archive

UFS Odeion School of Music (OSM) launched

2011-09-15

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) Odeion School of Music will be launched at the first Dean’s Concert in the Odeion on the Bloemfontein Campus on Friday, 16 September 2011.

The former Department of Music, in the Faculty of Humanities, has been transformed and will henceforth be known as the Odeion School of Music (OSM). This follows in the path of the corporate transition currently taking place at the university, which aims to reflect the progressive and dynamic striving towards excellence, as endorsed by the UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, and his management group.

Two years ago the faculty formulated a new mission with the aim to become an international faculty of excellence. An important component of it has been to create a pro-active marketing strategy and policy towards internationalisation and curriculum development.

The name Odeion School of Music portrays not only an excellent asset in the Free State, but also nationally and internationally. The school’s new name bears the respected Odeion brand and a number of successful and respected ensembles operate under this brand. These include the acclaimed residential Odeion String Quartet, as well as the Music Department’s student ensembles, the Junior Odeion String Quartet, the Odeion Sinfonia, and the Odeion Choir.

According to Prof. Nicol Viljoen, the Chairperson of the OSM, the name change was motivated by the following objectives:

The idea of a school within the Faculty of Humanities not only reflects an academic profile that does justice to the intention of the Department to reposition itself, but also simulates the current identity of the unit. This encompasses diverse thematic entities not only from an academic perspective, but also from a community and cultural perspective. The unit does this through providing services, which include arts entertainment, the provision of facilities, as well as a strong emphasis on community development.
With regard to an international perspective, it provides attractive possibilities not only from the perspective of a marketing and publicity profile, but also with regard to the identity of the unit.
Hypothetically the new name allows more flexibility to complement the profile with reference to newly anticipated developments. These include the application of prestigious international experts as artistic fellows, membership to progressive European, jointly developed degree programmes and curriculum development initiatives, the founding of a chair in Orchestra Conducting, a master’s degree in Arts Management, as well as the incorporation of bio-kinetics in the teaching methodologies of performance practice, to name but a few.
From a management perspective it could also consolidate the perspective of scarce skill specialisation.
To give momentum to the establishment of the OSM, Mr Marius Coetzee was appointed as Innovation Manager. He is a former Project Manager of the European Degree in International Music Management – a joint degree initiative between three Universities from Norway, the Netherlands and Finland, funded by the EU in Brussels. His aim will be to develop and investigate aspects such as internationalisation, marketing, pro-active recruitment strategies, curriculum development and innovative teaching methodologies.

Mr Coetzee said music conservatories, from both European and American perspectives are managed and maintained as highly successful and substantial brands. From the European perspective some examples include the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki (Finland), the Liszt Academy in Budapest (Hungary), the Grieg Academy in Bergen (Norway) and the former Sweelinck Academy in Amsterdam (Netherlands). Similar to the South African milieu, the majority of music conservatories in the USA and Canada are resident within an academic university.

However, unlike the South African reality, the majority of these institutions have a value-added identity portrayed by a specific name. Such an example is the renowned Peabody Conservatory of the University of Baltimore or the Jacobs School of Music at the Indiana University Bloomington, to name but a few.

The Dean’s Concert will highlight performances of students in the school. The concert will probably become a regular event in future Spring Music Festivals.

Media Release
15 September 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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