THE NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL APPROVES R26M IN FUNDING FOR ARTS PRACTITIONERS

In keeping with its mandate to support and develop South Africa’s arts, culture and heritage sector, the National Arts Council of South Africa (NAC) has approved R26-million in funding for beneficiaries across the country.
For the 2019 project funding cycle, the NAC received 1416 applications from South Africa’s broader arts community.

In recognising the magnitude of the arts sector and considering its extended value chain, the NAC has introduced a programmatic approach to funding. Now, all grants to beneficiaries are located within specified programmes instead of according to individual disciplines.
This year, the five NAC programmes (Social Cohesion and Nation Building; Capacity Building; Innovation, Design and Creation of New Works; Arts Platforms; and Strategic Initiatives) were allocated R5.2-million each.
NAC CEO Rosemary Mangope said: “In order to achieve our goal of changing the landscape of South Africa’s cultural and creative industries, the NAC is
undergoing constant and unrelenting transition to cater to the needs of arts and cultural practitioners and their development. Our aim is to fund for impact and do so in a meaningful and sustainable way.

“To help us achieve this, past beneficiaries will be paired with new emerging ones where necessary and possible to ensure that they learn from the experiences of others and thereby improve their skills,” she added.
Successful funded beneficiaries are encouraged to report to the NAC on a regular basis, reflecting their revised project activity plans. Recipients are also encouraged to adhere to the contract they signed with the NAC and not deviate from it, unless approved by the entity.

Letters will be sent to successful beneficiaries for the 2019 funding cycle, and their names will be published on the NAC website soon.
The Arts Organisation Support Funding and Bursaries are currently under review and applicants will be notified of the results as soon as a decision is made.