(Andrew
Johnstone presents the award to Byron Klassen)
At the 20th Arts & Culture Trust (ACT)
Awards, in November at The Maslow Hotel, Andrew Johnstone of Sun International
announced a worthy ImpACT winner.
The talented recipient was Byron Klassen, a
dance practitioner who has trained extensively in the Northern and Western
Cape. In 2011, he was invited to New York to train with the Cedar Lake Dance
Company and Peridance Contemporary Company. Upon returning to South Africa he
co-created the production Dansmettieduiwels
for The Dance Umbrella and participated in the Dance Umbrella Young
Choreographers Residency. Since then, he has choreographed over eight
productions for local and national festivals and regularly works alongside
Alfred Hinkel to promote dance through creative teaching methodologies.
South African creatives under 30 years of
age, or in the first five years of their professional careers who have made a
notable impact to their respective industry, are eligible for nomination by the
public. The finalists are selected by The ACT board of trustees.
By holding an event that not only honours
lifetime contributions to the arts and culture industry, but also acknowledges
the careers of young creatives, ACT continues to inspire and promote the arts
in South Africa. “We at the Arts and Culture Trust feel that it is important to
recognise the achievements of young creatives and their potential to uplift the
industry,” says ACT Awards Project Manager Jessica Glendinning.
This year ACT celebrates its 20th
anniversary of the Awards under the banner ‘celebrating South African Legends’.
The ImpACT Award was announced alongside the interviews with the Lifetime
Achievement Winners. Guests were treated to an evening of glitz, glamour and
inspiring stories by South African arts and culture icons.
Opening the evening, the stunning Lira and
her band performed to a room packed with members of the arts and culture
industry, government officials, Embassy representatives and the Minister in the
Presidency Responsible for Women, Ms Susan Shabangu, before Bridget Masinga,
the ever-classy radio host from Kaya FM, took to the stage to welcome all
present and kick off the award proceedings.
The Lifetime Achievement Awards are given
to people who have consistently contributed to, sustained, grown and defined
the South African arts and culture sector over the course of their lives. Many
have faced incredible personal, financial and political hardship to carry out
the work that they do and ACT is proud to have the opportunity to acknowledge
the significant contributions that these people have made. ACT announced the
following Lifetime Achievement Award Winners for 2017:
Arts Advocacy (sponsored by Creative Feel
Magazine): Lindiwe Mabuza
Dance (sponsored by JT International):
Adele Blank
Visual Arts (sponsored by Nedbank Arts
Affinity): Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler of The Handspring Puppet Company
Music (sponsored by South African Music
Rights Organisation [SAMRO]): Dorothy Masuku
Literature (sponsored by Dramatic Rights
and Literary Organisation [DALRO]): James Matthews
The 20th annual ACT Awards is hosted by Sun
International and are supported by the Southern African Music Rights
Organisation (SAMRO), the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation
(DALRO), the Nedbank Arts Affinity, JTI, and Creative Feel Magazine.
For more information about the Arts &
Culture Trust (ACT) visit www.act.org.za and use the hashtag #ACT20AWARDS across
all social media channels.
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