It’s been two decades since the inception of the National
Arts Council (NAC), the public entity mandated to facilitate the development of
arts, culture and heritage in South Africa. Over the years, the NAC has
provided funding and support to initiatives and projects that educate, uplift,
empower and express the hopes and dreams of South Africans, who have since 1994
been waking up to the possibilities of freedom of expression and democracy.
“The NAC has made tremendous strides from being a purely
grant making agency towards realising its full mandate, that is, in addition to
funding, to provide support and much-needed exposure to those working in the
arts, culture and heritage sector,” says the NAC’s chief executive officer,
Rosemary Mangope.
Since 1997, the NAC has funded a total of 5,896 projects and
artists, an average of 536 projects and artists per year, with total funding
provided amounting to more than R550 million, averaging more than R50 million
per year. Over and above this, the NAC has opened many avenues and provided
platforms for South African arts and culture workers in the international
arena, paving the way for investment and development.
“Over the past 20-years I’ve engaged with the NAC in
different roles – as an independent artist, as a director of a municipally
managed theatre then through my position at the US Embassy to broker
partnerships between South African agencies and their US counterparts, and I
have seen the organisation grow from strength to strength. This 20-year
milestone in the history of the NAC offers it an invaluable opportunity to
reflect on its past, celebrate its resilient existence and to re-envision the
next milestone,” says Ismail Mahomed, the CEO of The Market Theatre Foundation.
The NAC covers seven disciplines under its umbrella – Dance,
Theatre, Literature, Visual Art, Music, Craft and Multidiscipline – all of
which enjoy the same amount of attention and care from its teams of dedicated
arts development officers, members of the board and executive, and support
staff. As part of the national Department of Arts and Culture’s Mzansi Golden
Economy initiative, which aims to stimulate the economy by creating employment
in the arts, culture and heritage sector, the NAC has identified several Flagship
Projects across each discipline. These projects are aimed at creating
socioeconomic growth through education and grass-roots development.
In addition, the NAC has supported and been involved in the
establishment of key institutions and organisations such as Vuyani Dance
Theatre in Johannesburg, the Keiskamma Trust in Eastern Cape, and the Visual
Arts Network of South Africa.
“The NAC’s evolution over the years should be attributed to
the tireless efforts of those past and current staff and board members who are passionate
about breathing life into the organisation’s full mandate and who, by
extension, have only the interests of development at heart. Although we cannot
accurately quantify the difference the NAC has made in the lives of those
participating in the arts, culture and heritage sector, we can safely assume
that the sector enjoys greater exposure and vibrancy than it did prior to the
NAC’s establishment,” concludes Mangope.
For more information visit www.nac.org.za
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