In the quest to empower beneficiaries who have received funding under the NAC’s Arts Organisation Support Funding (AOSF), which is a three-year funding program, the NAC sought support from its strategic partner TUT (Tshwane University of Technology) to develop a structured capacity-building program in arts business skills.
The idea behind this partnership is to assist former AOSF beneficaries (arts organisations) by equipping them with essential business skills to enhance their sustainability beyond the funding cycle and provide them strategic tools and initiatives to advance their businesses. This capacity-building programme also aligns with the NAC’s mission to support and promote the arts in South Africa through funding, advocacy, and partnerships that ensure inclusivity, transformation, and sustainability.
The ultimate goal of the programme is to increase business acumen, financial literacy, and strategic planning skills, which has always been a challenge to most organisations in the sector. The contents of the programme will focus on strengthening financial and business management skills while enhancing marketing, branding, and fundraising capabilities to assist the organisations to be more sustainable.
Through years of administering funding programmes, the NAC has identified a gap in capacitating beneficiaries to build and promote good governance and compliance within their organisations, ultimately supporting their transition to self-sustaining business models.
The implementation approach will include workshops and masterclasses where industry experts and academics which will provide training, as well as mentorship and coaching offering personalised guidance from professionals. The NAC is proud to have signed this ground-breaking Memorandum of Understanding with the Tshwane University of Technology and is looking forward to the enrolment of the programme to benefit the arts organisations in the sector.
