The first batch of the 2016 regional auditions for the Arts
&Culture Trust (ACT) Scholarships Programme saw ACT CEO, Pieter Jacobs and
Programmes Coordinator, Rahiem Whisgary make worthwhile pit stops in Durban,
Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
Since 2009, the Arts & Culture Trust
(ACT) has been supporting arts students through their Scholarships Programme.
The only difference this year is that there are more scholarships on offer to
Grade 12 scholars and first and second year university students than ever
before.
Supported by the National Lotteries
Commission (NLC), the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Organisation (DALRO) and
the Nedbank Arts Affinity, the 2016 Scholarships Programme will change the
lives of dramatic arts, singing, dance and musical theatre scholars and
students with scholarships to the value of R800,000. This funding will be
split; with R279,000 going towards the winning Grade 12 participants, and the
balance being awarded to first and second year performing arts students.
“The auditions really kicked off with a bang at the Durban
University of Technology’s Courtyard Theatre,” says Whisgary. “Out of the 34
participants we auditioned, 26 were in the Grade 12 category, and wowed us with
their singing, dancing and acting performances; though it must be said that
acting appears to be the strong suit of Durban’s young performers, with most of
the participants presenting powerful, credible and entertaining monologues –
some with very strong character work.”
Matric scholars auditioning for ACT Scholarships, which will
afford them the chance to take up a performing arts course at any accredited
South African tertiary institution, are required to demonstrate competence in
three disciplines – acting, singing and dancing – with exceptional talent in at
least one of the disciplines.
Whisgary says the university students, all in their first or
second year of undergraduate studies at an accredited South African
institution, who auditioned in Durban also brought substantial creative heat.
“The five first-year students and three second-year students who auditioned in
Durban are all studying acting. We were treated to an array of monologues –
interesting, quirky, dramatic, funny and sad. It is clear that most of the
students put a lot of thought into selecting their two monologues; showcasing
their range of performance ability.”
Cape Town auditions at the University of Cape Town’s School
of Dance saw the most auditions to date; 47 in total. In the Eastern Cape, the
magnificent PE Opera House hosted the regional auditions in The Windy City.
To ensure as many aspiring performers as possible receive
the chance to participate, auditions will be held nationally until August 2016.
Whisgary believes that if these initial auditions are anything to go by,
selecting candidates for the finale, to be held at the Market Theatre in
Johannesburg on October 10, is going to be an incredibly tough task.
“For those who are yet to audition, we advise that they
think carefully about what they want to study and where, taking their long-term
career goals and talent into consideration,” says Whisgary. “Becoming a
celebrity might be a by-product, but we’re looking to see young performers who
have a passion for crafting and honing their skills in their chosen art form –
be it acting, singing, dancing, or all three.”
He continues, saying that it is important that the students
and scholars arrive at their audition on time and prepared with“fighting
spirit”. “There are 17 scholarships to the combined value of R800,000 up for
grabs, so it is important to take the process seriously; know your lines and
choreography. And most importantly, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse!” Whisgary
concludes.
For more information, visit http://www.act.org.za/programmes/scholarships.html
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