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 through 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.

Focus areas

ACT focuses on the following areas of development: job creation; creative skills; management skills; cultural diversity and cultural tourism marketing. ACT is South Africa's premier, independent arts and culture funding and development agency. Internationally acclaimed South African playwright, Athol Fugard, is the Patron of the Trust.

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

For more information go to http://www.act.org.za.

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