Aspiring artists will be given the chance to showcase their talent while they wait tables at a pop-up restaurant launched in Durban this past weekend.


The idea for the restaurant, which moves around the country according to demand, came to Showtime Events founder Kurt Annall after visiting several similarly themed diners in America and Europe.

He told TshisaLIVE he wanted to create an events company that also provided a platform to nurture young talent.


"I saw how difficult it was for artists to get a break in the industry and wanted to help give them exposure while also allowing them to make money by serving food and drinks. So many times artists sacrifice a living to get exposure when all we need is to create a space where they can perform their talent while working."


He added that artists are paid through a percentage of ticket sales from the events and through tips received.


"Every artist gets a chance to perform on the night at a designated time that is obviously known by us but seems completely spontaneous.
So, one moment your waiter will be serving you, the next they will be singing or doing a magic trick. A few minutes later, someone will perform at the opposite end of the venue. The joy is in the surprise," Kurt explained.


He said that artists as young as 15 and as old as 50 had signed up on the company's website to perform at events, and after auditions were put on a database to be used by the company when hiring performers for an event.