Deadline:
May 31, 2017
For the last seven years, the Arts &
Culture Trust (ACT) Scholarships Programme has been stoking local talent and
affording tertiary education opportunities to young South African performers.
And this year is no different; with performing arts scholarships to the value
of R200,000 up for grabs.
Funded by the Nedbank Arts Affinity and the
Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO), and supported by
The Market Theatre, the 2017 Scholarships Programme will provide opportunities
to young people with their sights set on pursuing performing arts training in
2018.
In 2013, then Settlers High School learner
Arlin Bantam, applied for an ACT Scholarship and he says this decision, and his
subsequent win, played a huge part in moulding his already impressive career.
“Outside of the recognition and respect I
received as a Scholarship recipient, the Award afforded me the chance to study
free of the many of anxieties that arts students face. I had one of the biggest
arts organisations on my side in more ways than just the financial ones. I’d
received a stamp of approval, something I could always look back on if ever I
felt insecure or disheartened. That being said the prize money helped a lot
too.”
With his Scholarship funding, Bantam chose
to study Drama and Theatre Studies at the University of Stellenbosch, where he
majored in Creative Writing. He has since gone on to do a commendable variety
of local and international work.
ACT CEO, Pieter Jacobs says this is hard
proof that the Scholarships Programme is ensuring young talent finds its way
into the industry. “The goal of investing in someone’s education is never only
for them to acquire more knowledge and skills, but for this to translate into
sustainable careers and it is extremely rewarding to see this transpiring.”
“We are tremendously proud of previous
scholarship recipients finding their way into productions such as Rent, Marat/Sade and The Fall,” he says. “It is evident the
Scholarships Programme indeed makes good on its promise to make dreams of becoming
a professional performing artist a reality.”
This year, aspirant young performers are
invited to apply in one of the following categories; acting, dancing, singing,
or musical theatre. Once registered online, hopefuls will be required to
perform two pieces of their choice, within their chosen category, at an
audition.
Bantam says hopefuls would be crazy not to
apply. “Programmes like this one are few and far between,” he says. “With so
many scholarships being awarded for other fields of study, why not take the
chance and potentially have your career validated in the same way? If you’re
the dorky kid in the back of the classroom, or the annoying theatre nerd, this
Award could catapult you from the back of that classroom onto a stage that
affords you the space and freedom to be who you want to be. It’s all about the
work you put in. Winning this Award is hard work, but it’s so worth it, it’ll
blow your mind.”
Registrations for the Programme close on May
31, 2017. For more information about the programme, as well audition dates and
venues, and access to the registration form, visit http://act.org.za/programmes/scholarships.html
Auditions for the 2017 Scholarship Programme
will be held in all nine provinces between late June and mid-July 2017.
(This
information is published in full on the Arts & Culture Trust’s blog – see http://www.act.org.za)
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