(Director/writer Welcome Msomi with Lauren Williams of Brandhouse receiving their Award from Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile and BASA Chairman, Sikkie Kajee)
Brandhouse/Johnnie Walker/Welcome Msomi/Stable Theatre and Cell C/Durban Music School represent KZN winners.
Fifteen innovative business and arts partnerships were honoured at the 14th Annual Business Day BASA Awards, supported by Anglo American, including Benji Liebmann who was named this year’s Art Champion for his vision in creating Nirox in the Cradle of Humankind. Nirox is a private foundation established to cultivate the arts in South Africa. Liebmann’s vision includes a sculpture park laid out across the natural landscape as well as an artist-in-residence programme for locally and internationally renowned artists.
The winners of South Africa’s most prestigious business/arts awards were announced at an event held at Turbine Hall last night (August 29) in Johannesburg and included a special appearance by one of the lifelike puppets in the award-winning international production War Horse, made possible by RMB and Legacy Group.
The key note address was given by Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile. An independent panel of judges made awards in 12 categories while three special honours – the Art Champion Award to Benji Liebmann, the Chairman’s Premier Award to The Keiskamma Trust and Diplomacy in the Arts to Germany’s Goethe-Institut – were also given out on the night.
The winners show that anyone can make a difference by supporting the arts – from large corporates like Total South Africa who sponsored the Buskaid Ensemble’s trip to Syria and Absa for the prestigious SANAVA Absa L'Atelier art competition to a smaller enterprise such as Le Canard Restaurant who held fund-raising dinners for The South African Ballet Theatre.
KZN was honoured in two awards:
The Innovation Award went to Brandhouse Beverages: Johnnie Walker® for Johnnie Walker® Celebrating Strides 2010 Awards: Welcome Msomi and Stable Theatre. Through its Celebrating Strides Awards, Johnnie Walker® empowered acclaimed actor, writer, producer and entrepreneur, Welcome Msomi, to spark a revival of the Stable Theatre in Durban which saw a tremendous boost in patrons and media exposure. In selecting the theatre as the beneficiary of a R125,000 bursary included in his award, Msomi wished to pay tribute to the theatre venue which played such an important role in his early days as an actor and turn around the flagging fortunes of the venue. It is expected that the partnership will act as a catalyst to inspire a new generation of artists.
The Youth Development Award was presented to Cell C for Durban Music School. Cell C agreed to sponsor the Durban Music School in 2003 and has done so for the past eight years. DMS gives full music bursaries to 350 learners, does outreach programmes in rural communities, has a cultural exchange programme with includes the UK, France and Germany, offers music as a matric subject, employs nine young teachers who trained at the school and achieves consistently high marks in international exams.
The judges for the 2011 BASA Awards are CEO of The Loerie Awards Andrew Human (chairman); media consultant and editor of Destiny Man Kojo Baffoe; Sunday Independent arts critic Mary Corrigall; independent arts consultant Nicky du Plessis; strategist and CEO of Grey Advertising Siza Marutlulle; CEO of the Mastrantonio Group Gianni Mariano; co-founder and co-owner of multi-disciplinary design firm INK Lisebo Mokhesi and Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town and Artistic Director of Siwela Sonke Jay Pather.
The Awards are audited by Grant Thornton. The full list of awards can be found on the BASA website www.basa.co.za
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