Funding Overview

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Funding Overview

Who is eligible for funding?

To enable our vision of vibrant, sustainable arts community that enriches lives through the free and creative expression of South Africa’s cultures / through strengthening artistic and cultural creation, groups or individuals can apply for funding.

Individuals

Individual applications are for a single applicant who is undertaking a project. This is meant to benefit individual creative writers, scriptwriters, choreographers, composers, crafters or painters, etc. In cases where several people are working collaboratively on a project, one member of the group should take the lead in applying.

Students

Students can apply for local and international bursaries. Bursaries are offered to students studying towards an arts qualification. Bursaries are offered towards an Arts qualification at any institution of Higher Learning and Further Education Training levels in South Africa and abroad.

Organizations/Groups/Institutions

An organisation is a group of people intentionally organized to accomplish an overall common goal. Applications from formally registered organisation are acceptable.

What type of funding do I get from NAC?

This information has been compiled to assist you with your application to access funding from the National Arts Council (NAC)

There is no set minimum amount for which an individual/organisation can apply for. The maximum amount that can be applied for should not be in excess of R350 000.

The NAC reserves the right to allocate funds according to its priorities. This does not invoke the constitutional rights of any applicant. No applicant is automatically entitled to funding. All funding is at the discretion of the NAC.

The categories/disciplines that the NAC funds are in line with the broad mandate of the NAC. Applicants may apply for funding under the following disciplines:

Applications for funding for each of the above-mentioned disciplines must have the capability to address at least four of the six (6) critical focus areas below:

Social cohesion and Nation Building;
Unearthing marginalised and indigenous arts in rural areas;
Addressing social ills such as xenophobia, and gender-based violence;
Supporting the involvement of women, youth employment opportunities and people living with disabilities;
Creation of new works through digital media; and
Capacity Building and Arts Entrepreneurship.

Due to budgetary constraints, the NAC may not be in a position to fund the entire budget of a project.

Applicants are therefore advised to seek further funding from other sources. Generally, funding will be for artistic programmes. Quotations for costs should accompany the application form and applicants MUST declare all other sources of funding. The maximum period for running a project is twelve months. Where administrative costs amount to more than 15% of the total budget, this expenditure should be justified. Organisations and individuals are funded once in a financial year.

Projects applied for must be located at the address indicated on the form. Any change of address must be communicated to the NAC offices within seven (7) days of such a change.

The NAC has two types of local bursary funding:

Bursaries are offered to students studying towards an arts qualification. Bursaries are offered towards an Arts qualification at any institution of Higher Learning and Further Education Training levels in South Africa and abroad.

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Guidelines

These guidelines have been compiled to assist individuals, institutions and organisations who wish to access funding from the National Arts Council (NAC) in line with the new call for applications, which closes on 3 September 2021.

Funding Criteria

This document represents the conclusion of a process of input into the assessment criteria and methodology internally, by ADOs, Managers, POCC and Panel members. The document furthermore outlines the Covid-19 guidelines for projects in the current call for funding.

Application Closing Dates

Deadlines for applications are published in major national newspapers and on the NAC website. Late applications will not be considered. Organisations and individuals can only be funded once per financial year.

Emergency Applications

Request from applicants who have been invited to participate in arts activities outside of the country may be considered if invitations came after the announced closing dates.

Applications which have missed or ignored the closing dates for applications will not be considered through the Emergency Funding Policy. Applications are recommended and motivated by the Arts Development Officer to the relevant Advisory Panel for consideration by the NAC.

The maximum amount that may be granted for emergency applications is R250 000. Please see conditions for touring projects, residencies and conferences.

Appeals

In terms of section 12(1) of the NAC Act, any person who feels aggrieved by any action or decision that the Council has taken or made in terms of the Act, may within 30 days from the date on which the action or decision in question was made known by the Council, appeal to the Minister of Arts and Culture. The appellant shall, within 30 days from the date on which the action or decision in question was made known by the Council, give notice in writing to the Council of his/her intention to appeal and deliver the notice by registered or hand‐ delivered post.

The notice shall contain:

For information regarding COVID-19 in South Africa, check out www.sacoronavirus.co.za