HERITAGE Month kicks off in September, and East London is the place to be this weekend for artists and art lovers alike.

A project aimed at promoting artistic development in Eastern Cape – the Abenguni Pilot Expedition – takes place in Berea on 4 September.

Poet Maskandi and musician Sizwe Vena are just two of a number of artists who will be participating, performing at the Xanadu Lounge in Berea.

The Abenguni Pilot Expedition, organised by Dark Roots, aims to get artists and major stakeholders in the arts to engage with one another. "We want to start some sort of dialogue between artists and stakeholders who can assist them," said Dark Roots' project co-ordinator, Gugu Nuba Mgwebi.

"Artists in the Eastern Cape are not recognised and are not growing. Their work is not sustainable."

Mgwebi blames the artists' stagnation on the lack of access to information and opportunities that are present in other major centres in South Africa. "After Saturday's event, the next step will be to get funding for the different areas these artists come from. We want to get them to access resources, network with appropriate people and embark on projects beyond the Eastern Cape."

This is the first such drive to get artists in Eastern Cape motivated about their work and make it sustainable within the province.

"We need to educate artists on development. We need to start engaging more with stakeholders so they can see the status of the arts in the province. We need to communicate with them constantly so that we can find ways of improving," she said.

The Abenguni Pilot Expedition takes place at the Xanadu Lounge, 3 Tecoma Arcade, Chamberlain Street, Berea from 4pm to 8pm. Entrance is R50.