DALRO

Dramatic, Artistic, and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO)

Founded in 1967 by Gideon Roos, with P.P.B. Breytenbach and Gerhard Beukes as his fellow board members. The idea was to have a sister association for SAMRO (then already operational for eight years), to administrate copyright and performing rights for literary, artistic and dramatic works, to provide advice on copyright and performing rights issues, etc. It also intended to stimulate the creation of more South African work. Two years after its founding the organisation signed an agreement with the Belgian authors' league (Societes des Auteurs Belges/ Belgische Auteurs-Maatschappy - SAMBAM ) for the reciprocal protection authors' works in the two countries. Similar contracts were signed with Societes des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques (SACD) and Societe des Gens de Lettres (SGDL) in France, Sociedad General Autores de Espana (SGAE) in Spain and the Verwertungsgesellschaft (WORT) in Germany. Like SAMRO, DALRO is a member of the international copyright confederation CISAC, to which more than a hundred similar organisations belong. Over the years DALRO has undertaken a number of projects. Among them an inventory of the need for theatre texts, on the basis of which a few more specific projects were launched in the 1960s. One project sought to trace forgotten works and authors (e.g. the works of De Wet Laubscher were rediscovered) and another was to encourage new writers to create musical plays and one act plays (Coenie Rudolph, Anna Rudolph, Pierre Malan, Louis de Villiers and Susie Mey Viljoen were among those inspired in this way). A third related project was to publish a cheap, roneod series of these or other yet unpublished theatre texts for use by amateur companies. A catalogue of the available works, entitled What can we stage? was also published, and contained guidelines for selecting a text for performance. This was so successful that the second addition was split into plays and musicals. Besides these projects DALRO has funded a number of arts related projects over the years, providing bursaries from time to time and financing the writing and publication of cultural/historic works. The first of this type of work was the history of FATSSA and amateur theatre written by Pretoria journalist Phyllis Konya. In 1987 the South African Theatre Journal was also launched with partial funding from DALRO. (This funding aspect was later conslidated with similar activities by SAMRO, under the SAMRO Endowment for the National Arts). In 1972 DALRO also undertook the administration of the Johannesburg and Pretoria theatre awards. The first awards ceremony was held in Novemeber 1972. (See DALRO Awards) (See also South African Musical Rights Organisation and SAMRO Endowment for the National Arts) (See Roos in Hauptfleisch, 1985) Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO): Together with PACT they presented the Windybrow Arts Festival which featured Jozi Jozi Guide in 1993. **** (Tucker, 1997) The Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Organisation (DALRO) was established in 1967 by Gideon Roos, Gerhard Beukes and P.P.B. Breytenbach, as a multi-purpose copyright society administering various aspects of copyright on behalf of authors and publishers. Main areas of administration are reprographic reproduction rights (photocopying from published editions), public performance rights (including stage rights for book musicals and dramas) and reproduction rights (whether for publishing or copying) in works of visual art. By virtue of bilateral agreements with foreign copyright societies and agencies as well as local and foreign authors, agents and publishers clients have access to a vast repertoire of copyright works. DALRO is affiliated to the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) and was granted full membership of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO ) in 1990. The DALRO Board of Directors is made up of authors, publishers and copyright practitioners. The firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO). They became a commercial enterprise in 199*, In 200* they started posting a catalogue of plays on their website.

DALRO Awards

From 1972 onwards the various existing theatre awards in Johannesburg and Pretoria were administered by DALRO. This was done at the suggestion of board member P.P.B.Breytenbach and accepted by the board. According to this decision all the awards would be made by means of a secret ballot among the theatre critics from the various newspapers in the region. The presentation of the awards take place at a midday luncheon. The first cermenony was held in November 1972. *** Among the awards made are the Johannesburg Repertory Society Award , the Stuart Leith Trophy ("The Sammy"), the Computicket Award, the Anton de Waal Award, the Johannesburg Critics' Circle Award, the Johannesburgse Stadskouburg Toekenning ("Johannesburg Civic Theatre Award"), the Scenaria Award, the Gallo Award, the Ivan Solomons Award, the Lilian Solomons Award, the Shirley Moss Award, the DALRO Golden Mask Award [By 2002/3 the DALRO Awards seemed to have been discontinued.*?] (For details see the individual awards. See also Awards in Part Three, Section 1)

The DALRO Golden Mask Award

Known in Afrikaans as the DALRO Goue Masker Toekenning, this is part of the DALRO Awards (1972-2003/4) Awarded to an individual who has made a notable contribution to South African theatre. In November 1981 this was awarded the first time to P.P.B. Breytenbach.

DALRO Playscripts

A series of performance scripts published by the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation.

For more information

For more information on DALRO go to their website: http://www.dalro.co.za/

See also SAMRO

Return to

Return to South African Theatre Venues, Companies, Societies, etc

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page