(Fée Halsted, pictured
with some of the Ardmore artists. Pic: Ardmore)
Fée Halsted, founder of Caversham-based Ardmore Ceramic Art,
has been honoured for her contribution to the arts in South Africa at the
glitzy Mbokodo Awards, held at the Inanda Polo Club in Johannesburg, on
December 8.
Halsted was nominated in the category of traditional and
indigenous art, which celebrates women whose work, be it music, painting,
handicraft or other form, is created using indigenous materials, based on
traditional methods and meanings within the context of a given culture.
“It was a very special occasion and an honour to be
nominated alongside all these dynamic women,” said Halsted.
Other categories include: women in media, literature, jazz,
visual arts, poetry, fashion and design, shining light, music, dance, theatre,
opera, girl-child of promise, lifetime achievement and film.
Previous winners include Nadine Gordimer, Sibongile Khumalo,
Mary Sibande, Gcina Mhlophe and Antjie Krog.
Carol Bouwer, of Carol Bouwer Productions, which hosts the
awards, said: “The arts are an essential part of our ever evolving nation.
While the collective achievements of this year's award recipients are
impressive, what's truly inspiring is their commitment to making a difference
in communities through the arts. The awards are indeed a unique platform that
consolidates the incredible work done by South African women through honouring
their immense contribution in the fields of arts and culture.”
The theme of the 2016 awards was 60 Years On… and during the course of the evening, guests were
taken on a journey that marked significant South African milestones and events
from the Women’s March of 1956.
The Mbokodo Awards are supported by the Department of Arts
and Culture, Siyabonga Ceramics and the Ministry of Women.
Nathi Mthethwa, Minister of Arts and Culture, said: “In a
year in which we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Women’s March to the
Union Buildings and during a month in which we mark the 20th anniversary of the
South African Constitution, it is fitting that we support the Mbokodo Awards.
The awards celebrate the freedom of creativity of women in the arts, and honour
living artistic legends and all those women who have made an extraordinary
contribution against all odds to the cultural life of our country."
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