National independent creative and cultural organisations join forces to launch independent representative body.
The South African United Cultural and Creative Industries Federation (SAUCCIF) is launched to be an umbrella body, comprising of organisations and private companies (NOT Individuals), as the representing voice of the Cultural and Creative Industries within South Africa. It is the first CCI Membership-based federation with affiliates. NPC NUMBER: 2020/790720/08
It is common knowledge that both sectors were amongst the first to lockdown upon declaration of a National State of Disaster on March 15, 2020, effectively bringing the wider Cultural and Creative industries to an immediate standstill.
In spite of decreasing levels of lockdown promulgated by the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002), these Industries remain severely restricted, owing to lockdown regulations that prevent the already-embattled Industries from operating and thus further impeding the recovery of the South African Cultural and Creative economies, and the debilitated lives of practitioners across the spectrum as a result thereof.
After the lockdown extension was announced on September 11, a consortium of independent Cultural & Creative Organisations decided that further decimation of the sector could no longer go unanswered. They united and staged a march to the Union Buildings and to Parliament, as well as in Mangaung and Mandela Bay during a milestone National mass-mobilisation on September 16 to deliver copies of a memorandum to Civil Servant-representatives of President Cyril Ramaphosa, after exhaustive unsuccessful attempts to engage, in good faith, with the Department of Sport, Art & Culture.
In an impassioned plea for executive intervention, the memorandum stated that “Since the commencement of the national lockdown instituted in terms of the Disaster Management Act in March 2020, the arts & cultural sector has remained shut down and our constituency has been severely affected by a loss of income, retrenchments and the closing down of institutions and arts organisations; this has not only affected the livelihoods of artists and cultural workers, but also their families where such workers are sole breadwinners.
The COVID-19 Lockdown has served to highlight the underlying issues that have been neglected and allowed to lie dormant for 26 years of democracy. We are still dealing with the backlash of old structures inherited from our disturbing past. It is in this spirit, that we take the opportunity this Lockdown has presented, to review and ensure that things are changed for the better.
The Cultural and Creative Industry in South Africa needs a drastic change. If this change does not happen, the aftermath will be felt for a very long time, and it will surpass the destructive impact of the pandemic on the Cultural and Creative Industry.”
In spite of the wider Cultural and Creative Industries already being in muggy waters prior to COVID-19, relief funding and stimuli packages continue to be bungled by a lack of statutory understanding of the Cultural and Creative Industries making and of its support systems. Delays in any sort of relief have been exacerbated by unnecessary political interference, inept government bureaucracy and the issue of conditional grants governed by a non-constituent federacy mandated and backed by the Minister and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
Immediately after the mass-action event, attending representatives agreed to join forces and mandate their leaders to form a legitimate, constituent-based federation, independent of any statutory body. This federation is mandated by Cultural and Creative Industries practitioners and who represent member-organisations as a representative body, that in solidarity, will represent the interests of the Cultural and Creative Industries to external stakeholders. It is intended and - has been registered as a non-profit civic society which is member-driven, non-partisan, independent and the rights afforded to all of its citizens by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
Amongst some of the member organisations who were part of the march include South African Arts and Culture Youth Forum (SAACYF), Im4theArts, Trade Union for Musicians of South Africa (TUMSA), The Clap and Tap Federation, House of Crew and GudTV Africa.
The membership of SAUCCIF is open to organisations, companies and private companies that operate within the Cultural and Creative Industries in South Africa. Some of the organisations that have joined SAUCCIF include IQ Research, Hashtag Entertainment Productions, Mzansi One Tree Development Projects, GUDtv Africa, and The Bay Creatives.
Founding Constituent
Organisations:
-Gilder Youth Academy
-House of CREW (Creative Resources Empowering Workers),
-Im4theArts (Civil society movement Lobbying for the Arts),
-South African Arts and Culture Youth Forum (SAACYF),
-The Clap n Tap Federation (Speaking for choirs and Brass
bands)
-Trade Union for Musicians of South Africa (TUMSA),
To this end, upon announcement that the Creative Sector Economic
Stimulus Package Budget would be cut by half, SAUCCIF wrote a letter dated October
9, 2020, to National Treasury DG Mogajane:
“When our President announced the Economic Stimulus Package of R500 Billion, we saw some light at the end of the tunnel and the subsequent allocation of R1.2 Billion to Sports, Arts & Culture was greeted with much relief. This despite how difficult it remains to deal with the fact that such had to be shared with Sport. However, when we were suddenly faced with the announcement that this budget had now again been slashed in half to be re-allocated to Health, we were absolutely devastated and appalled once again. Of course we are aware of the plight of the Health Sector, but we are convinced this shortfall could have been found somewhere else rather than in our already threatened Sector?
“Therefore, having considered our position as a Collective, we write this to the Minister of Finance and Yourself as a strong protest and with an unwavering intention to contest this unfair and untimely action on your part! We demand the immediate re-instatement of the Full R1.2 Billion without any conditions or obstacles. Failing such, we will have no option but to embark on National Mass Action such as you may have witnessed from our various co-operative action Campaigns together with the Labour Sector in recent weeks. We offer the Minister and yourself the opportunity to rectify this mistake within the next 7 days, till end of Business on Friday 16 October 2020. We shall await with great anticipation your timely response to this Urgent letter of Objection and Appeal.”
We have no choice but to hold public officials accountable for their mandate, and we have a duty to each other and to our market to keep our vibrant sector viable and respected. To this end, we invite and encourage all Cultural and Creative organisations to join SAUCCIF without delay.
https://forms.gle/dviscW1Mu8Tx6mDA8
TWITTER: @SAUCCIF
IG
@SAUCCIF
NPC 2020/790720/08
Posts
