South Africa’s arts organisations are set to benefit from a
new partnership between Business and Arts South Africa and ProBono.Org.
The recently signed deal will see ProBono.Org work with BASA
to provide a variety of services, bringing its nationally recognised expertise
in the facilitation of free legal advice to the arts sector. A particular
emphasis will be on working with start-up arts organisations in ensuring they
meet governance and legislative requirements from the very beginning.
The partnership between BASA and ProBono.Org will take the
form of start-up advice and mentoring for newly-established organisations, as
well as assisting organisations (particularly those still in their infancy)
with the preparation of legal documents required to get established.
In addition, ProBono.org will provide assistance to arts
organisations around other aspects of their work, including leases, labour
contracts and more, as well as give advice on other statutory documentation.
Alongside facilitating legal advice for individual arts
organisations, ProBono.Org will play a role in BASA’s educational programme.
This will be through the organisation of workshops that will
provide arts organisations and others in the arts-business partnership arena
with valuable learnings on corporate law, governance and more. Finally,
ProBono.Org will assist in matching lawyers to arts organisations, for the
purposes of becoming Board Members.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with ProBono.Org,” says
BASA CEO, Michelle Constant. “We have long admired the work that they do in
screening, matching and referring clients in need to volunteer private lawyers
– a practice and commitment that is a powerful match for what we do at BASA.
“Among many other benefits, this new partnership will go a
long way towards ensuring that arts organisations are established correctly
from the start, without having to do the arduous work of getting legislative
requirements and governance structures in place retrospectively.”
According to Erica Emdon, National Director of ProBono.Org,
“The importance of developing and nurturing the arts in our country cannot be
overstated. BASA does incredible work building and sustaining business-arts
partnerships that promote and support artistic talent in all its exciting
forms.”
“ProBono.Org is delighted to be working in cooperation with
BASA to provide legal services to BASAs beneficiaries, being arts organisations
that are starting up, struggling to get properly established or needing legal
assistance. This new initiative will enable ProBono.Org to play its part in
furthering the growth and success of arts programmes and creative NPOs in South
Africa. This partnership will enrich ProBono.Org by exposing our staff and
volunteer lawyers, to cultural, creative and artistic experiences.
For more information on how arts organisations can access
ProBono.Org’s services as well as upcoming workshops please contact 011 447
2295, visit the BASA website on www.basa.co.za
or e-mail info@basa.co.za
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