NKANYEZI SUPPORTED BY BASA

Business sponsorship of eight arts projects has been further leveraged through support from Business and Arts South Africa’s Supporting Grant Scheme.

Among the eight projects is Durban’s Stable Theatre. The theatre made the application for a supporting grant for its Nkanyezi – The Star play in association with sponsor Johnnie Walker®. This was part of Welcome Msomi’s identifying Stable Theatre as the recipient of his prize money as winner of the Arts category in the Johnnie Walker® Celebrating Strides Awards.

The Business and Arts South Africa Supporting Grant Scheme is funded by an annual allocation from the Department of Arts and Culture, and continues to serve as a mechanism through which business and the arts can engage and leverage further mutual benefit through the partnership. Only arts projects with business support are eligible for the scheme, and both the arts applicant and the business sponsor are required to complete application forms.

Eight arts projects were named as recipients of Business and Arts South Africa’s fourth cycle of Supporting Grants for the current financial year. The projects receiving these financial grants are drawn from a diverse spread of arts disciplines and represent many different regions of South Africa. Business sponsorship for this cycle has seen small business and large corporations investing in the arts.

The 20th edition of Port Elizabeth’s Showtime Awards – which recognise both amateurs and professionals in the city – was one of the successful applicants, with sponsor African Unity Insurance. Another was Vodacom Foundation’s sponsorship of Business Against Crime in the Northern Cape’s Crime Prevention through music, dancing, drama, poetry and debate programme. The Vodacom Foundation in association with Avusa Media, has also selected Business Against Crime Northern Cape as part of its Change The World initiative.

Further successful applicants were Oude Libertas Amphitheatre Summer Season 2010 – 2011, sponsored by Distell Foundation and the Joburg Child Welfare’s innovative New Beginnings: 100 Doors Project, for sponsorship received from Otis.

Other recipients were the Kulula.com-sponsored dance project Sentimientos; the Coca-Cola-sponsored National School of the Arts’ Festival of Fame 2011, and Bioskop @ 20h00, a Newtown-based film festival that allows emerging filmmakers and others to showcase their work at sponsor, Ko’spotong.

The deadline for the next round of Business and Arts South Africa Supporting Grants for the 2010/2011 financial year is January 18, 2011. The Grant forms, available on www.basa.co.za, are designed to encourage the two partners to work together and identify areas of potential benefit. This is in keeping with the organisation’s belief in taking arts projects from “seed to strength to sustainability.” For more information call 011 832 3000/3039 or visit www.basa.co.za