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APPLICATION TOOLKIT - Table of Contents

ABOUT THE NAC

Who is the NAC

The National Arts Council, better known as the NAC, is a funding agency of the Department of Sports Arts and Culture (DSAC). Our function is to support individuals, organisations, and institutions that are actively involved and operating in the arts and culture sector under the disciplines of Music, Dance, Literature, Theatre, Multi-disciplines, Crafts, and Visual Arts with financial support, advice, and funding news.

Our Mandate

The Act mandates the NAC to:
• Provide and encourage the provision of opportunities for persons to practise the arts;
• Promote the appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of the arts;
• Promote the general application of the arts in the community;
• Foster the expression of national identity and consciousness by means of the arts;
• Uphold and promote the right of any person to freedom in the practice of the arts;
• Give the historically disadvantaged such additional help and resources as required to give them greater
access to the arts;
• Address historical imbalances in the provision of infrastructure for the promotion of the arts;
• Promote and facilitate national and international liaison between individuals and institutions in respect
of the arts; and
• Develop and promote the arts and encourage excellence in regard to these.

Acts governing the NAC

The following are the Acts governing the NAC. Please click on the name of the  Act to download it in Pdf format.

NAC Act
Cultural Amendment Act
PFMA Act
PAIA Act
Company Act
NPO Act

HOW DOES THE NAC FUNDING WORK

What is a funding call

A funding call is a period at which the NAC allows for individual, organisational and institutional applicants to submit their project proposals for art or culture projects. The NAC issues a call for funding each year inviting applicants to apply for funding for each of the funding categories.

What are different funding calls available

  • ANNUAL PROJECT FUNDING is an annual invitation to individuals, organisations and institutions active in the art and culture sector, to submit an art or culture project proposal. It is an open call for funding in the disciplines of Music, Dance, Literature, Theatre, Multi-disciplines, Crafts and Visual Arts. However, the NAC has the authority to determine which discipline can take preference for the purpose of support. 
 
  • BURSARY FUNDING aims to provide financial support to part-time or full-time aspiring arts practitioners who are looking to gain related knowledge and skills as well as an art qualification at any institution of higher learning and further education training in South Africa and abroad.
 
  • ARTS ORGANISATION SUPPORT FUNDING is open to arts organisations that have been in existence for at least three years. It is a multi-year funding for art companies or organisations with a proven track record of sound management, governance and artistic merit. This funding is opened once every three years or as prescribed by the NAC Council.
 
  • PRESIDENTIAL EMPLOYMENT STIMULUS PROGRAMME (PESP) is a special government initiative geared towards creating employment for artists, creatives, heritage sector workers and cultural workers following the impact of COVID-19 in the sector. The main aim of this funding call is to provide support to initiatives that create jobs in the creative and cultural sectors.

Who do we fund

We support individuals or organisations active in the disciplines of craft, dance, literature, multidiscipline, music, theatre, visual arts.

What are the funding requirements

 

Individuals

Organisations/Institutions

  • Individual applications are for a single applicant (an individual) who is undertaking a project,
  • In cases where several people are working collaboratively on a project, one member of the group should take the lead in applying,
  • All applicants must be South African citizens and over 18 years of age,
  • Projects may be implemented in South Africa, across the continent or abroad,
  • An applicant working for a government department and/or entity will not be accepted,
  • An applicant working under the Government Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and Internships/Learnerships will be eligible to apply.
  •  
  • Applications from formally registered South African arts and culture organisations /groups and institutions are acceptable,
  • All lead applicants must be South African citizens and over 18 years of age,
  • Projects may be implemented in South Africa, across the continent or abroad.
  • Applicants needs to consider that some countries may still be experiencing Covid restrictions and thus travel may be affected,
  • A lead applicant working for a government department and/or entity will not be accepted,
  • A lead applicant working under the Government Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and Internships/Learnerships will be eligible to apply.

 

What compliance documents must be submitted

Individuals

Organisation/Institutions

  • Certified ID copy for not older than 12 months
  • Bank confirmation letter on the bank’s letterhead bearing your details
  • Full Curriculum Vitae of the applicant
  • Examples of your previous work or involvement in the arts in the form of photographs, brochures, or other published/printed materials.

    New entrants, with new creative ideas do not need previous experience, as their application will be judged on artistic merit and other assessment criteria that will be specified per funding call.
  • Two (2) reference letters that are dated and signed with full address, not older than 18 months from arts organisations, artists and/or community leaders validating your work or involvement in the arts

 

 

  • Two (2) Certified ID copy not older than 12 months of the lead applicant AND of a senior office bearer from the organisation
  • Bank confirmation letter on the bank’s letterhead bearing the details of the organisation
  • Copy of the organisation’s registration certificate
  • Two (2) Full Curriculum Vitae of the lead applicant specifying relevant experience in the arts or your involvement in the chosen field of the arts AND of the senior office bearer
  • Examples of your organisation’s previous works or involvement in the arts in the form of photographs, brochures, or other published/printed materials.

 

  • New entrants, with new creative ideas do not need previous experience, as their application will be judged on artistic merit and other assessment criteria that will be specified per funding call.

 

  • Two (2) reference letters that are dated and signed with full address, not older than 18 months from arts organisations, artists and/or community leaders validating your work or involvement in the arts

 

What are the application assessment criteria

The proposed project must meet at least 4 of the 6 Critical Focus Areas:

  1. SOCIAL COHESION AND NATIONAL BUILDING

This is the extent to which the project brings communities together as well as allows for the inclusion of previously excluded parts of the society while at the same time creating national unity. 

  1. MARGINALISED AND INDIGENOUS ARTS

Projects to be considered must focus on uplifting rural communities as they have a wealth of indigenous and rare artistic expressions that remain in the shadow of mainstream arts. Projects that seek to unearth and profile these hidden art forms by exposing the arts and the practitioners in the marginalised areas to new audiences and markets will be highly considered.

  1. ADDRESSING SOCIAL ILLS

Projects that provide a platform for artistic expression to the voiceless as well as help with alleviating social ills such as xenophobia, gender-based violence and other violent crimes, drug abuse and gangsterism will be highly considered.

  1. SUPPORTING VULNERABLE GROUPS

Projects that provide employment opportunities for women, people living with disabilities and in rural areas will be highly considered.

  1. NEW WORKS AND DIGITAL ARTS

Projects that are innovative and introduce new arts through digital artistic presentations as well as other platforms will be highly considered.

  1. CAPACITY BUILDING AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Projects that develop skills and create a platform for entrepreneurship will be highly considered.

Who assesses the applications

Once the funding call closes, all applications received are reviewed by the selection panel consisting of industry experts and and chaired by a Council Member, who only plays  an oversight role without participating in any adjudication process as per Section 11(2) of the National Arts Council Act of 1997.

How are projects selected for funding

There are three phases to the selection process.

PHASE 1: The selection panel will review applications for complete and correct compliance documents. If an application was submitted without complete and correct compliance documents, then it cannot move on to the next phase.

PHASE 2: The selection panel will review project proposals along with the supporting documents. If an application is recommended for approval, then it is moved to the next phase.

PHASE 3: The selection panel will recommend the funding amount to be awarded to the proposed projects. Once the amounts have been approved by Council, then the successful applications will be announced.

HOW TO APPLY FOR FUNDING

About the Grant Management System

The Grant Management System commonly known as GMS is the system that the NAC uses to receive applications from applicants and also to administer funding provided to successful applicants. Applicants can access the GMS via https://nac.praxisgms.co.za/. For more information on how to fill in an online application form, please click on this link to read the online application guideline.

How to use the GMS for individual applicants

Please click on this link to learn more about how to fill in an individual application form on the Grant Management System

How to use the GMS for organisational applicants

Please click on this link to learn more about how to fill in an oranisational application form on the Grant Management System

HOW TO WRITE A PROPOSAL

Please click on this link to learn more about how to write a proposal.

HOW TO WRITE A REPORT

Please click on this link to more about how to compile and fill your report on the Grant Management System.