Difference between revisions of "Philip Stein"

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( 1926-2010) Bookseller, entrepreneur and arts sponsor. Born in Piketburg in the Western Cape on July 29 1926. His parents had come to South Africa from Lithuania in the early1920s. In the mid-'40s the family moved to Johannesburg. Stein's involvement in the arts began with a boyhood passion for books which he bought and sold for profit. He was a "book smous " (pedlar), he used to laugh. After studying history and music at the [[University of the Witwatersrand]], he got a job at the Vanguard bookshop in Hillbrow, run by Trotskyites. Here, in the '40s and '50s, he met black intellectuals and white left-wingers such as Ruth First, Harold Wolpe and Denis Goldberg. He was invited by CNA to be its retail books director and in 1962 founded the CNA Literary Award. He spent many years in publishing. While recovering from a bout of ill-health, he came up with the idea of a series of theatre awards which in 1983 he sold to the then MD of AA Mutual Life, Brian Benfield. The result was the [[Vita Awards]] for performing arts. In 1987 he came up with the idea for [[Dance Umbrella]], which would be a local equivalent of Dance Umbrellas in Austin, Texas and London. It got off the ground two years later and has played a central role in popularizing contemporary dance and facilitating the emergence of talented choreographers and dancers. Stein, who had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years, died on the 4th July, 2010 two weeks after his wife of 60 years, Shirley. The couple had 5 children. While he did not launch corporate sponsorship of the arts in this country, he certainly breathed vigorous life into it in the 1980s and made the notion of corporate engagement with the arts more widely acceptable than it might otherwise have been. Much of the money that today supports the visual arts, poetry, short stories, opera, ballet, contemporary dance, crafts and community theatre does so because of him. A small man of great charm, huge drive and impressive intellect, he was passionate about art, its importance to society and its relevance in the modern world. He was highly effective in communicating this passion to company bosses and, at least as important, selling them the business case for pumping their shareholders' money into art. It wasn't about charity, he told them, it was about a long-term return on investment. And over the years his various initiatives paid them back handsomely. There was an enormous wealth of potential talent in South Africa, he told them. With their money they could unlock it. "Spread it around like manure and see what grows," he famously challenged. "You'll find gold in dross," he told them. "You've got to fund, experiment, be brave."
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( 1926-2010) Bookseller, entrepreneur and arts sponsor.  
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== Biography ==
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Born in Piketburg in the Western Cape on July 29 1926. His parents had come to South Africa from Lithuania in the early 1920s. In the mid-'40s the family moved to Johannesburg. Stein died on the 4th July, 2010 two weeks after his wife of 60 years, Shirley. The couple had 5 children.  
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== Training ==
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he studies history and music at the [[University of the Witwatersrand]].
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== Career ==
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Always a booklover, his first job was at The Vanguard Bookshop in Hillbrow and when the shop was eventually bought out by [[CNA]], Stein joined the company as book buyer and later retail books director. In 1962 he founded the [[CNA Literary Award]]. After many years in publishing, until a serious illness led to his retirement in about 1980.  
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==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
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While recovering from his illness, he came up with the idea of a series of theatre awards which in 1983 he sold to the then MD of AA Mutual Life, Brian Benfield. The result was what began as the [[AA Life Theatre Awards]] in 1983 in Johannesburg. From here, he created [[Vita Promotions]] which for a period of almost 20 years created a whole range of privately funded projects. These included the [[Vita Theatre Awards]] (the name of the sponsoring company would change intermittently over the years), both regional awards in the various provinces, and ultimately national awards; the Vita Art Prize and exhibition; the Vita Craft Now awards and exhibitions; the [[Market Laboratory Community Theatre Festival]], the [[Windybrow Arts Festival]] and the [[FNB Dance Umbrella]].  
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== Awards, etc ==
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At the 2007 [[FNB Dance Umbrella]], a special Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Philip Stein, for his role in creating the [[Vita Awards]], the Dance Umbrella and many other related projects.
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== Sources ==
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http://bookslive.co.za/blog/2010/07/06/rip-the-founder-of-the-cna-literary-award-philip-stein/
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http://www.artsmart.co.za/dance/archive/1178.html
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Go to [[South African Theatre/Bibliography]]
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== Return to ==
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Return to [[ESAT Personalities  N]]
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Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]
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Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
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Return to [[Main Page]]
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Return to [[ESAT Personalities S]]
 
Return to [[ESAT Personalities S]]

Revision as of 08:52, 11 April 2014

( 1926-2010) Bookseller, entrepreneur and arts sponsor.

Biography

Born in Piketburg in the Western Cape on July 29 1926. His parents had come to South Africa from Lithuania in the early 1920s. In the mid-'40s the family moved to Johannesburg. Stein died on the 4th July, 2010 two weeks after his wife of 60 years, Shirley. The couple had 5 children.

Training

he studies history and music at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Career

Always a booklover, his first job was at The Vanguard Bookshop in Hillbrow and when the shop was eventually bought out by CNA, Stein joined the company as book buyer and later retail books director. In 1962 he founded the CNA Literary Award. After many years in publishing, until a serious illness led to his retirement in about 1980.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

While recovering from his illness, he came up with the idea of a series of theatre awards which in 1983 he sold to the then MD of AA Mutual Life, Brian Benfield. The result was what began as the AA Life Theatre Awards in 1983 in Johannesburg. From here, he created Vita Promotions which for a period of almost 20 years created a whole range of privately funded projects. These included the Vita Theatre Awards (the name of the sponsoring company would change intermittently over the years), both regional awards in the various provinces, and ultimately national awards; the Vita Art Prize and exhibition; the Vita Craft Now awards and exhibitions; the Market Laboratory Community Theatre Festival, the Windybrow Arts Festival and the FNB Dance Umbrella.

Awards, etc

At the 2007 FNB Dance Umbrella, a special Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Philip Stein, for his role in creating the Vita Awards, the Dance Umbrella and many other related projects.

Sources

http://bookslive.co.za/blog/2010/07/06/rip-the-founder-of-the-cna-literary-award-philip-stein/

http://www.artsmart.co.za/dance/archive/1178.html

Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities N

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page


Return to ESAT Personalities S

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to Main Page

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