The revamped National Arts Festival goes live with a flurry of new media today.

Podcasts, twitter, blogs and short code sms and an instant news wire are all in the live/testing phase.

In my case it is “upload-to-site 101”.

If you are reading this, Viva! I have succeeded!

These new tools – popular among younger mense – are expected to fire up this festival site.

I went up to the Monument to see CEO Tony Lankester on Friday.

Actually the Festival offices are down in the bowels of this extraordinary building – you hate it or love it. I have come to be besotted with it, especially as I learn more about its history.

It’s all about change, and this is what I see.

A 36-year-old journo-turned CE, sitting behind glass first office on the left as you come in, wearing his still-to-be-launched Festival beenie (it has the coolest knitted peak, say my teen daughters).

You’d expect him to be cutting deals, but Tony gives me an impromptu lesson on how to upload this site.

It’s important because we — my partner, Steve Kretzmann of West Cape News, and millions of reporters – the best of yous out there – will be filing fast and furiously to this very site.

FestBuzz is Tony’s idea which Steve and I have taken forward.

Steve and crew will be soliciting “kits” reviews (that’s such an 80s term) from selected reviewers.

The deal is we approach you on the basis of your excellent understanding of the performing arts and you get a free ticket.

This is on the basis that you give FestBuzz a call within five minutes of the show ending.

We smash out your emotions and obervations onto this site, we check it to see if you have said any unpalatable swear words like *&^%$ and heyta, a show is launched and reviewed.

If your review is hot, we might give you another shot at it.

But for lesser mortals, like myself, FestBuzz just wants to hear from you.

Rest assured, after attending 14 festivals in a row, Steve and I know what makes ripping Festival news. We look at art, craft, busts, and weird shyte (a Rhodes actress has become the first reported injury – Sarah Seymour was hacking her way through her American accented lines and seriously bit her tongue!

So looi us wif your stuff and let’s get the buzz going!

Remember to sms 32859.

Mike Lo, FestBuzz

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