Arts and Culture Trust (ACT)

This is a private sector initiative which provides financial support for the development, promotion and celebration of South African arts and culture.

ARTS AND CULTURE TRUST OF THE PRESIDENT

In 1994, the newly established Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology responded to an invitation from Nedcor Bank and Sun International to set up a body for arts and culture, similar to the Sports and Green Trusts, which were established earlier. In this way, the first three Founding Trustees came together to secure financial and other resources for arts and culture, and to project the needs and role of the sector into the public domain. The interest accrued from capital investments was to be used to fund cultural projects in all the disciplines, across the country. At the same time, a Board of Trustees, made up of leading art practitioners and administrators, was established. Former President Nelson Mandela served as the Patron-in-Chief of ACT and it was called the Arts and Culture Trust of the President during his term of office. During the first five years, two further Founding Trustees - the Royal Netherlands Embassy and Vodacom - joined ACT.

ARTS AND CULTURE TRUST

Renamed the Arts and Culture Trust under the Mbeki presidentship, ACT seeks to build a better arts and culture dispensation by helping to increase the amount of funding available for arts and culture initiatives, and to apply these funds to innovative, sustainable projects that make a meaningful contribution to society. Structured ACT funding programmes support projects that contribute to improving the quality of life in communities where it is most glaringly needed. Internationally acclaimed South African playwright, Athol Fugard, is the Patron of the Trust.

Focus areas

ACT seeks to achieve its goals through a number of proactive initiatives. These include (1) fora, conferences and campaigns around strategic issues, such as support for the arts through the National Lottery, (2) the annual ACT Awards, which recognise the important contributions of role-players such as administrators, journalists and educators and (3) establishing mutually beneficial relationships between the Trust and the arts and culture community.

Among its projects are the funding of projects in arts administration, arts education, community art, heritage, craft, fine art, dance, music, theatre, literature and multi-disciplinary projects. Projects are expected to fall within one or more of the following five areas of development to be eligible: job creation; creative skills; management skills; cultural diversity; cultural tourism or the expansion of local and international markets for South African culture. (See info@act.org.za) The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) has funded more than 500 projects across the spectrum in arts, culture and heritage. In 2006 for instance the ACT Board of Trustees, support for a further 31 projects in 11 disciplines to the value of R1million was approved.

The ACT Awards

Awards made include:

ACT ADMINISTRATOR AWARD

ACT PUBLICIST AWARD

ACT JOURNALIST AWARD ACT MEDIA AWARD

ACT ARTS EDUCATION PROJECT AWARD

ACT CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

ACT ADMINISTRATOR AWARD 2005

MOST SUCCESSFUL ACT-FUNDED PROJECT AWARD

ACT LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

ACT Arts Media Award

The ACT Building Blocks Programme

The Building Blocks Programme is a capacity building and sustainability programme for South African arts, culture and heritage organisations initiated by ACT, in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The aim of the Programme is to strengthen the infrastructure that supports arts, culture and heritage programming and services.

The Programme seeks to strengthen local organisations through cultural planning, technical assistance, master classes and other developmental efforts. Projects considered for support should aim to strengthen capacity to broaden access to artistic excellence throughout South Africa. Initiatives that create sustainable arts organisations and work towards developing and building South African communities economically, culturally and socially through arts and culture will be considered for support. Also eligible will be projects that build local public awareness and support for South African arts, culture and heritage organisations and their work.

The Programme takes on form of Special Grants to the maximum of R200 000 and once-off grants ranging from R10 000 to R 50 000. In addition, the Programme also facilitates a series of Master Classes aimed at arts and culture practitioners across the country. The targeted participants of these intensive two-day classes include arts administrators and managers, Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officers and Board members of arts and/or cultural organisations.

For more information on ACT

Go to http://www.act.org.za.

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